  Few male music artists have
stood the test of time to transcend the
changing music scene year after year and
decade after decade without compromising
their artistic integrity. Billy Joel is one
of those who have risen out of the 70s and
continued his sound into the 90s all the
while consistently reaping the awards of
critical acclaim and popular success. William
Martin Joel was born in New York on May 9,
1949, and was sitting before a piano learning
to play by the time he was 4 years old. Music
playing continued into his teenage years
(when he wasn't boxing) and Joel had joined a
few groups including "The Echoes,"
"The Hassles" and the duo
"Attila" (the last 2 released LPs
in the late 60s). By the early 70s, Joel was
solo - a man and his piano.
 Billy Joel's first solo LP came
in the form of Cold
Spring Harbor. The LP didn't break any doors
down for Joel mainly due to a lack of
promotion for the music and faulty mixing of
the LP and soon he was in Los Angeles working
as a lounge pianist (calling himself
"Bill Martin").
Joel's "underground"
hit "Captain Jack" eventually led
to a record contract with Columbia Records.
 Piano
Man was released and Joel again
faced slow sales. The LP later sold well as
Joel became more well-known and associated
with the LP's title track.
"Piano Man" became
Billy Joel's first pop Top 40 hit.
 Streetlife
Serenade was released.
Cashbox magazine named
Joel Best New Male Vocalist.
Turnstiles was released and
contained the concert favorites "New
York State Of Mind" and "Say
Goodbye To Hollywood."
 Joel released The
Stranger and hit it big with sales and
fans. The LP contained several hits including
"She's Always A Woman," "Only
The Good Die Young," "Movin' Out
(Anthony's Song)," and Joel's first Top
10 hit "Just The Way You Are."
52nd
Street was released with such hits as
"Big Shot," "Honesty,"
and "My Life."
 52nd
Street topped the Billboard 200 LP
chart for 8 weeks.
Joel won 2 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year (songwriter)
("Just The Way You Are").
 # 4
Singles Artist of the Year
Joel was
nominated for an American Music
Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.
 Joel released Glass
Houses and had his first #1 single
with "It's Still Rock &
Roll To Me" as well as the hits
"You May Be Right," "Don't Ask Me Why," and
"Sometimes A Fantasy."
Joel won 2 Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance -
Male (52nd
Street) and was nominated for Song of
the Year (songwriter) ("Honesty").
 Joel hit the Top 40 with "You May Be Right."
Joel hit the Top 10 with "You May Be Right."
 Turnstiles was certified gold.
Joel hit the Top 40 with "It's Still Rock &
Roll To Me."
Joel hit the Top 10 with "It's Still Rock &
Roll To Me."
Glass
Houses topped the Billboard
200 LP chart for 6 weeks.
Joel hit #1 for 2 weeks with "It's Still Rock &
Roll To Me."
Joel hit the Top 40 with "Don't Ask Me Why."
Joel hit the Top 40 with "Sometimes A Fantasy."
 # 69
Singles Artist of the Year
Joel won an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album (Glass
Houses) and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.
 Joel won his 5th Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance,
Male (Glass
Houses) and was nominated for Album of the Year (Glass
Houses).
Songs
In The Attic was released and included the
hit "Say Goodbye To
Hollywood."
Joel hit the Top 10 with "Say Goodbye To
Hollywood."
Joel hit the Top 40 with "She's Got A Way."
 # 53
Singles Artist of the Year
 Billy Joel released The
Nylon Curtain and although Joel's
selling-streak start slowing, the LP
contained numerous favorites including "Pressure," "Goodnight
Saigon," and "Allentown." The LP allowed
Joel to speak more politically with his
music.
Joel hit the Top 40 with "Pressure."
 Joel hit the Top 40 with "Allentown."
 # 8
Singles Artist of the Year
Joel was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year (The
Nylon Curtain).
 Joel found multi-platinum
success again with the release of An
Innocent Man which contained the
hits "Tell Her About It," "Uptown Girl," "The Longest Time," "Keeping
The Faith," and "Leave A Tender Moment
Alone."
Joel hit the Top 40 with "Tell Her About It."
Joel hit the Top 10 and #1 for a week with "Tell Her About It."
 Joel hit the Top 40 and Top 10 with "Uptown Girl."
Joel hit #1 for a week with "Uptown Girl."
Joel hit the Top 40 with "An Innocent Man."
 # 17
Singles Artist of the Year
 Joel was nominated for 2 American Music
Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock
Video ("Tell Her About It").
Joel hit the Top 10 with "An Innocent Man."
Joel was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards for Album of the Year (An
Innocent Man) and Best Pop Vocal Performance -
Male
("Uptown Girl").
 Joel hit the Top 40 with "The Longest Time."
Joel hit the Top 10 with "The Longest Time."
Joel hit the Top 40 with "Leave A Tender Moment
Alone."
 The video for "Uptown Girl " was nominated
for a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Male Video.
 # 33
Singles Artist of the Year
Joel married super model,
Christie Brinkley (it was Joel's second
marriage).
 Joel released his
biggest-selling LP - Greatest
Hits, Volumes 1 and 2 (1973-1985), a 2-LP set of his
hits. The collection contained the new tracks
"You're Only Human (Second Wind)"
and "The Night Is Still Young."
Joel hit the Top
10
with "You're Only Human (Second
Wind)."
 # 42
Singles Artist of the Year
 Joel released new material with The
Bridge and the hits "Modern
Woman," "A Matter Of Trust,"
and "This Is The Time."
Joel hit the Top
10
with "A Matter Of Trust."
 # 100
Singles Artist of the Year
 Joel released the live LP, Koheupt - the LP was recorded
in Leningrad, Russia.
 # 52
Singles Artist of the Year
Turnstiles was certified
platinum.
 Joel released Storm
Front.
Joel hit the Top 40 with "We Didn't Start The
Fire."
Joel hit the Top 10 with "We Didn't Start The
Fire."
 Joel hit #1 for 2 weeks with "We Didn't Start The
Fire."
Storm
Front topped the Billboard
200 LP chart for a week.
 # 24
Singles Artist of the Year
Joel hit the Top 40 with "I Go To Extremes."
Joel was nominated for 3 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year (songwriter), and Best Pop Vocal Performance -
Male
("We Didn't Start The
Fire").
Joel hit the Top 10 with "I Go To Extremes."
Joel hit the Top 40 with "The Downeaster
"Alexa"."
The video for "We Didn't Start The
Fire"
was nominated for 3 MTV Video Music
Awards for Best Special Effects, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction.
Joel hit the Top 40 with "And So It Goes."
Joel was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards for Producer of the
Year (with Mick Jones) and Best Pop Vocal Performance -
Male (Storm
Front) and was awarded the Grammy
Legend Award.
Joel was honored with an
honorary doctorate from Fairfield University
in Connecticut.
Joel was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards for Best Music Video, Short Form ("When You Wish
Upon A Star") and Best Music Video, Long Form (Live At Yankee
Stadium).
Joel was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Joel could be heard on the Honeymoon
In Vegas soundtrack with his
remake of "All Shook Up."
 # 24
Singles Artist of the Year
 Joel released River
Of Dreams.
River
Of Dreams topped the Billboard
200 LP chart for 3 weeks.
Joel hit the Top 40 with "River Of Dreams."
Joel hit the Top 10 with "River Of Dreams."
Joel topped the Billboard Top
Adult Contemporary Singles chart for 12 weeks
with with "River Of Dreams."
Joel hit the Top 40 with "All About Soul."
 # 89
Singles Artist of the Year
Joel hit the Top 10 with "All About Soul."
Joel was nominated for an American Music
Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary
Album (River
Of Dreams).
Joel could be
heard on the soundtrack for Oliver
And Company with "Why Should I
Worry?"
Joel was nominated for 4 Grammy Awards for Album of the Year (River
Of Dreams), Best Pop Vocal Performance -
Male, Song of the Year (songwriter), and
Record Of The Year (all for "River Of Dreams").
 Joel hit the Top 40 with "Lullaby (Goodnight My
Angel)."
In the summer, Joel went on tour
with Elton
John for 14 performances in the U.S.
Joel was awarded the Billboard
Century Music Award.
During the year, Joel divorced
from Christie Brinkley.
 Joel could be found on Tower
Of Song: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen with the track,
"Light As A Breeze."
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