OCTOBER 9, 1973 – Billy Joel released his second album “Piano Man.” The album emerged from legal difficulties with Joel’s former label Family Productions, and ultimately became his first breakthrough album. The title track, a fictionalized retelling of Joel’s experiences with people he met as a lounge singer in Los Angeles, peaked at #25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Adult Contemporary singles chart. “Travelin’ Prayer” and “Worse Comes to Worst” peaked at #77 and #80 on the Hot 100, respectively, while the album itself peaked at #27 on the US Billboard 200. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in 1975, but Joel only received $8000 in royalties (US$37,249 in 2018 dollars).Rolling Stone noted of Joel, “Recent gigs at a piano bar on the seamy side of L.A. have given him a new perspective and his ‘Piano Man’ reflects a new seriousness and musical flexibility.”
TRACKLIST:
1) Travelin’ Prayer
2) Piano Man
3) Ain’t No Crime
4) You’re My Home
5) The Ballad of Billy the Kid
6) Worse Comes to Worst
7) Stop in Nevada
8) If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)
9) Somewhere Along the Line
10) Captain Jack
