Every Billy Joel Album Ranked Worst To Best
1. The Stranger
The Stranger's release saw Joel go from moderate success to worldwide mega-star almost overnight. He won numerous awards, the record became the best-selling album ever produced by Columbia Records, and to date every song remains an absolute classic. Right from the get-go, The Stranger proves to be as good as it gets.
The album features the romantic "Just the Way You Are," the deeply affecting "Vienna" and the ultimate of Joel's epic anthems, "Scenes from An Italian Restaurant." Scenes is not only Joel's favourite of his own songs, but is often the stand-out track during his live performances, and with its spotless production, pop-rock fusion and timeless lyrics, it's not hard to see why.
The Stranger is Joel's most perfect creation, an album rich with ideas, philosophical musings, romance and heart. Each song compliments the one that came before it, and considering it was made back in 1977, it has aged like fine wine. Albums don't get much better than this, and The Stranger stands as living proof of just how great Billy Joel is as a songwriter.
Best Songs: The Stranger, Movin' Out, Just the Way You Are, She's Always a Woman, Vienna, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.