The Essential Billy Joel

Disc 1
1	Piano Man Character Sketches/Barroom 5:38
2	You're My Home Love Song~Devotion~Comfort 3:13
3	Captain Jack Alienation~Drinking~Despair 7:18
4	The Entertainer 3:40
5	Say Goodbye to Hollywood 4:38
6	Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) 5:14
7	New York State of Mind 6:05
8	She's Always a Woman 3:21
9	Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) 3:30
10	Only the Good Die Young 3:55
11	Just the Way You Are 4:50
12	Honesty 3:53
13	My Life 4:44
14	It's Still Rock & Roll to Me 2:57
15	You May Be Right 4:15
16	Don't Ask Me Why 2:59
17	She's Got a Way 3:01
18	Allentown Death of a town~Unemployment 3:50
Disc 2
1	Goodnight Saigon Vietnam 7:04
2	An Innocent Man Being an Innocent Man 5:20
3	Uptown Girl [Falling in Love~Guy from the Wrong Side of the tracks fall 3:17
4	The Longest Time [Love Song~Being Inspired from a love, which hasn't happen 3:42
5	Tell Her About It Tell that girl that you love her 3:52
6	Leave a Tender Moment Alone [Love Song~Leaving a sweet, tender moment a 3:56
7	A Matter of Trust Questioning love~plea for trust 4:11
8	Baby Grand Pianos~Love of Music~Music has always been there 4:05
9	I Go to Extremes 4:23
10	We Didn't Start the Fire 4:50
11	Leningrad 4:06
12	The Downeaster "Alexa" 3:44
13	And So It Goes 3:37
14	The River of Dreams 4:07
15	All About Soul Remix 6:00
16	Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) 3:33
17	Waltz #1 (Nunley's Carousel) / Richard Joo 6:55
18	Invention in C Minor / Richard Joo 1:00

Barnes & Noble

Piano man Billy Joel has emerged as one of the most popular singer/songwriters in modern rock and pop music. With his equal affection for Beatlesque hooks, Tin Pan Alley flair, and Broadway melodies, he's delivered some of the past three decades' biggest and most memorable hits, launching him into multiplatinum superstardom. This two-disc greatest-hits package celebrates the highlights of Joel's career with gems such as "Just the Way You Are," "Piano Man," "Uptown Girl," and the sentimental favorite "New York State of Mind."

All Music Guide

Released in conjunction with Billy Joel's grand experiment with classical music, The Essential Billy Joel was a welcome reminder of Billy Joel's way with a pop song, improving on the previous Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & 2 by extending into the '90s and delving deeper into his catalog. There were some casualties along the way -- it's easy for a fan to carp about the absence of personal favorites like "She's Right on Time" or "Travelin' Prayer," and it may even make some sense that "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" or "Shameless" didn't make the cut, but it's mind-boggling that "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" isn't here (we won't mention that the classical pieces that end the record, no matter how surprisingly good they are, are as out of place as Attila would have been) -- but for the most part, this has every one of Joel's heavy-hitters, and his craftsmanship, both as a songsmith and record maker, has never shone brighter. The biggest fault is that there is a notable drop-off in quality after 1986's The Bridge (which ends midway through disc two), but even so, this is as good a distillation of Joel's talents imaginable. In fact, as the first disc unfurls, even cynics may wonder why he's been dogged by the critics, since singer/songwriter pop doesn't come better than "Say Goodbye to Hollywood," "New York State of Mind," "Only the Good Die Young," "My Life," "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," "Don't Ask Me Why," "Allentown," and their seven companions. Stephen Thomas Erlewine