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Elton John vs. Billy Joel

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View Poll Results: Better Musician: Elton or Billy?
The Rocketman
17
39.53%
The Pianoman
19
44.19%
They both suck, man
7
16.28%
Voters: 43. You may not vote on this poll

Elton John vs. Billy Joel

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Old 10-10-01, 12:31 AM
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Elton John vs. Billy Joel

Who is your favorite amongst the two, not as a person but just focusing on their music? They're both excellent piano players with unique voices, and tons of hits in their day. However, personally I give the edge to Billy. Mostly for the fact that he wrote all of his songs, and Elton didn't (although he did write/cowrite a few).
Old 10-10-01, 12:42 AM
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I generally can't listen to an entire album all the way through from either one of them, but between the two, I'll choose the old Elton stuff over Billy.

Indeed, Elton's first Greatest Hits album from 1974 is a nearly perfect hits package (all hits, no filler):



1. Your Song
2. Daniel
3. Honky Cat
4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
5. Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
6. Rocket Man
7. Bennie And The Jets
8. Candle In The Wind
9. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
10. Border Song
11. Crocodile Rock
Old 10-10-01, 01:05 AM
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Good stuff, Pictureman.

Some Billy Joel hits:

Pianoman
The Entertainer
Say Goodbye to Hollywood
New York State of Mind
The Stranger
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
Just the Way You Are
Only the Good Die Young
She's Always a Woman
My Life
Big Shot
It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
She's Got a Way
Pressure
Goodnight Saigon
Tell Her About It
Uptown Girl
The Longest Time
Keeping the Faith
An Innocent Man
Baby Grand
We Didn't Start the Fire
I Go To Extremes
Shameless
All About Soul
Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
The River of Dreams
Old 10-10-01, 01:15 AM
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Yep, it's true... Billy was quite the hit machine for a while there!

By the way, if really like Elton stuff, I highly recommend splurging on the DCC remastered "audiophile" cd of Elton's Greatest Hits. Steve Hoffman (the mastering engineer) is a genius when it comes to make a great sounding cd. The record label (DCC) actually licenses the use of the master tapes from *each* original album, and he pulls the hit song off each albums original master tape, instead of just mastering the cd from the 2nd gen collection master made in the 70s. Honestly, listening to DCC remasterd gold cds are amazing. The gold, of course, is a gimick, but it does make the cds easy to find in the store.



This particular cd is getting hard to find, but I think Amazon still has it.
Old 10-10-01, 01:18 AM
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We have a forum now for music.
Old 10-10-01, 01:19 AM
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I picked piano man
tough choice, though
Old 10-10-01, 01:22 AM
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Billy Joel all the way, you lousy hippies.
Old 10-10-01, 01:23 AM
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Originally posted by Evirus
Billy Joel all the way, you lousy hippies.
*AHEM* Let the record show that this "lousy hippy" voted for Billy Joel.
Old 10-10-01, 02:28 AM
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Elton John!

But I would have chosen both if there was a option, both great artists, and should never be compared to each other.

Like Jack said we have a music forum now
Old 10-10-01, 07:12 AM
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Billy Joel. The Longest Time and Uptown Girl are my two favorites from him I don't like much from EJ.
Old 10-10-01, 07:26 AM
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I picked Billy since his music is timeless and I feel that Elton's music is a bit boring (especially his latest work)
Old 10-10-01, 08:06 AM
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Damn, and I thought there was going to be a brawl in here between the two

I'll take a BJ, but EJ is pretty close
Old 10-10-01, 12:14 PM
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They both have something in common. During the '70s they both put out a lot of brilliant music, but since then they've both pretty much sucked.
All of Elton's albums up to "Rock of the Westies" are really good. Especially good are "Captain Fantastic" and "Tumbleweed Connection", but they're all strong up to about 1976. He's been pretty much a joke since then. I expect him to open up a dinner theater in Branson any time now.
Billy Joel's strongest early material is incredible. I still get goosebumps listening to "The Ballad of Billy the Kid", "Angry Young Man", "Miami 2017", etc. After "The Stranger" album, things started to go downhill. He still occasionally put out some good songs, but mostly he put out MTV garbage. I still think he retains slightly more artistic integrity now than Elton does.
Old 10-10-01, 04:23 PM
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Joel...was my fav. singer until the Boss beat him out this year...

He has a new album out of his classical piano in Nov.
Old 10-10-01, 04:30 PM
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Originally posted by Splatt
Damn, and I thought there was going to be a brawl in here between the two

I'll take a BJ, but EJ is pretty close
When in doubt, ALWAYS take a BJ.
Old 10-10-01, 04:37 PM
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Originally posted by Meatpants


When in doubt, ALWAYS take a BJ.
Words to live by And of course, I chose BJ too!
Old 10-10-01, 05:12 PM
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Piano Man!

Glass Houses is one of my favorites.

And moving thread.
Old 10-11-01, 04:04 AM
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Elton John all the way.

BTW, EJ writes the music to most everything he does.
He doesn't do the lyrics.

actually his new album is pretty damn good, I never would've bought it were it not for the glowing reviews its gotten everywhere.

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