| "Worse Comes to Worst" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album Piano Man | ||||
| B-side | "Somewhere Along the Line" | |||
| Released | June 1974 [1] | |||
| Recorded | Devonshire Sound, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 2:48(single) 3:28 (album) | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Joel | |||
| Producer(s) | Michael Stewart | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Worse Comes to Worst" is a song by singer Billy Joel released as the second single from his 1973 album Piano Man . It reached #80 on the Billboard Hot 100. [2]
Cash Box said that "this rocking, funky tune that will open up an entirely new audience" for Joel, stating that it contains "some great guitar licks throughout backing Billy's vocals and some fine harmonies." [3] Record World said that Joel "gets funkier with another personal tale of love, stardom and glory set in today's uncertain circumstances" and that "tinges of organ and steel drums blend into a trendsetting Latin-rock variant." [4] Billboard recommended the song. [5]
Music lecturer Ken Bielen describes "Worse Comes to Worst" as being "a little bit country, a little bit rock and a little bit gospel." [6]
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart [7] | 62 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [8] | 80 |
Piano Man is the second studio album by American recording artist Billy Joel, released on November 14, 1973, by Columbia Records. The album emerged from legal difficulties with Joel's former label, Family Productions, and ultimately became his first breakthrough album.
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"Piano Man" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. First released as a single in the US on November 2, 1973, it was included on Joel's 1973 album Piano Man. The song is sung from the point of view of a piano player at a bar, describing the patrons. "Piano Man" is based on Joel's real-life experiences as a lounge musician in Los Angeles from 1972 to 1973, which he had decided to pursue in an effort to escape his contracted New York City–based record company at the time, Family Productions, following the poor commercial performance of his debut album, Cold Spring Harbor (1971).
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"Everybody Loves You Now" is a song written by Billy Joel. It was first released on his 1971 debut album Cold Spring Harbor and was also released as a b-side to his singles "She's Got a Way" and "Tomorrow Is Today." Live versions were included on the albums Songs in the Attic, 12 Gardens Live and Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert.
"An Innocent Man" is a 1983 song performed by Billy Joel released as the third single from his album of the same name. The song, whose musical style is an homage to Ben E. King and the Drifters, reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the third consecutive top 10 single from the album. It also spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart.
"Workin' at the Car Wash Blues" is a 1974 single written and recorded by Jim Croce. It was the third single released from his album I Got a Name. It reached a peak of #32 in July 1974, on the Billboard Hot 100. It is Croce's last Top 40 hit to date. It was also the fourth single released, including Christmas-themed release "It Doesn't Have To Be That Way", after Jim Croce's death in September 1973.
"Daddy's Home" is a famous song by American doo-wop group Shep and the Limelites. The song was written by the three members of the band, James "Shep" Sheppard (1935–1970), Clarence Bassett (1936–2005) and Charles Baskerville. The group recorded the original version of "Daddy's Home" on February 1, 1961, and it was released on Hull Records in March 1961 with the B-side being "This I Know".
"Oh My My" is a song by English musician Ringo Starr from his 1973 album Ringo. It was also issued as the third single from the album, becoming a top-five hit in the United States and Canada. The recording was produced by Richard Perry and includes backing vocals by Merry Clayton and Martha Reeves.
"Travelin' Prayer" is a song written and performed by singer Billy Joel, and released as the third US single from his 1973 album Piano Man as its opening track. The song is "urgent" and "banjo-fueled". It reached number No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 34 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1974. It was a slightly bigger hit in Canada, where it reached No. 61.
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