The Essential Billy Joel

Last updated
The Essential Billy Joel
BillyJoel-TheEssential.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedOctober 2, 2001
Recorded1973–2001
Genre Rock
Length154:58
188:53 (reissue)
Label
Producer Billy Joel, Michael Stewart, Phil Ramone, Mick Jones
Billy Joel chronology
Fantasies & Delusions
(2001)
The Essential Billy Joel
(2001)
Piano Man: The Very Best of Billy Joel
(2004)
International Edition
The Essential Billy Joel International.jpeg
International/European cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]

The Essential Billy Joel is a Sony music compilation of songs by American singer/songwriter Billy Joel. It was released on October 2, 2001, and has been certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA. [2] In conjunction with the release of the album, The Essential Video Collection was released, comprising Joel's most popular music videos.

Contents

On August 26, 2008, The Essential 3.0 was released containing a third disc with seven additional tracks. [3]

Track listing

All songs written by Billy Joel.

Disc one

No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Piano Man" Piano Man , 19735:38
2."You're My Home"Piano Man3:14
3."Captain Jack"Piano Man7:18
4."The Entertainer" Streetlife Serenade , 19743:41
5."Say Goodbye to Hollywood" Turnstiles , 19764:39
6."Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)"Turnstiles5:14
7."New York State of Mind"Turnstiles6:05
8."She's Always a Woman" The Stranger , 19773:22
9."Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"The Stranger3:30
10."Only the Good Die Young"The Stranger3:56
11."Just the Way You Are"The Stranger4:50
12."Honesty" 52nd Street , 19783:54
13."My Life"52nd Street4:44
14."It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" Glass Houses , 19802:57
15."You May Be Right"Glass Houses4:16
16."Don't Ask Me Why"Glass Houses2:59
17."She's Got a Way (Live)" Songs in the Attic , 1981; originally from Cold Spring Harbor , 19713:02
18."Allentown" The Nylon Curtain , 19823:49

Disc two

No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Goodnight Saigon"The Nylon Curtain7:04
2."An Innocent Man" An Innocent Man , 19835:21
3."Uptown Girl"An Innocent Man3:18
4."The Longest Time"An Innocent Man3:42
5."Tell Her About It"An Innocent Man3:53
6."Leave a Tender Moment Alone"An Innocent Man3:57
7."A Matter of Trust" The Bridge , 19864:11
8."Baby Grand" (Duet with Ray Charles)The Bridge4:06
9."I Go to Extremes" Storm Front , 19894:23
10."We Didn't Start the Fire"Storm Front4:50
11."Leningrad"Storm Front4:07
12."The Downeaster "Alexa""Storm Front3:44
13."And So It Goes"Storm Front3:38
14."The River of Dreams" River of Dreams , 19934:07
15."All About Soul (Remix)"Exclusive to the "All About Soul" single, 1993; originally from River of Dreams6:00
16."Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)"River of Dreams3:33
17."Waltz no. 1 (Nunley's Carousel)" Fantasies & Delusions , 20016:56
18."Invention in C minor"Fantasies & Delusions1:00

Disc three

No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Worse Comes to Worst"Piano Man3:13
2."Prelude/Angry Young Man"Turnstiles5:16
3."Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"The Stranger (the album's inner sleeve mistakenly credits this song to be from the album Turnstiles)7:34
4."Big Shot"52nd Street4:02
5."All for Leyna"Glass Houses4:12
6."Pressure"The Nylon Curtain4:39
7."This Is the Time"The Bridge4:59

Chart performance

Certifications

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RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [18] 3× Platinum210,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [19] Platinum15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [20] Gold100,000
United States (RIAA) [21] 3× Platinum1,658,000 [22]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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