The Complete Hits Collection: 1973–1997

1997 greatest hits album by Billy Joel

The Complete Hits Collection: 1973–1997

Greatest hits album by

Billy Joel

Released| October 13, 1997
Recorded| 1973–1997
Genre| Rock, interview
Length| 4:28:15
Label| Columbia
Producer| Billy Joel
Billy Joel chronology
| Greatest Hits Volume III
(1997)  | The Complete Hits Collection: 1973–1997
(1997)  | 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert
(2000)

|
|

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
Uncut| [1]

The Complete Hits Collection: 1973–1997 is a 4-disc greatest hits album by American musician Billy Joel. It was released on October 14, 1997, a boxed set was released that included all three Greatest Hits volumes as well as a fourth disc (entitled An Evening of Questions & Answers... & A Little Music) that contains live tracks and a Q&A with Joel. Originally available in a long box format, the box set is also available in a compact box format.

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Billy Joel, except where noted.

Greatest Hits I (1985)No.| Title| Original album| Length

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|
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1.| "Piano Man"| Piano Man, 1973| 5:37
2.| "Captain Jack"| Piano Man| 6:57
3.| "The Entertainer"| Streetlife Serenade, 1974| 3:40
4.| "Say Goodbye to Hollywood"| Turnstiles, 1976| 4:39
5.| "New York State of Mind"| Turnstiles| 6:05
6.| "The Stranger"| The Stranger, 1977| 5:10
7.| "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"| The Stranger| 7:36
8.| "Just the Way You Are"| The Stranger| 4:51
9.| "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"| The Stranger| 3:30
10.| "Only the Good Die Young"| The Stranger| 3:55
11.| "She's Always a Woman"| The Stranger| 3:20
Total length:| 55:20

Greatest Hits II (1985)No.| Title| Original album| Length

|
|
|

1.| "My Life"| 52nd Street, 1978| 4:43
2.| "Big Shot"| 52nd Street| 4:02
3.| "You May Be Right"| Glass Houses, 1980| 4:12
4.| "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"| Glass Houses| 2:58
5.| "Don't Ask Me Why"| Glass Houses| 2:59
6.| "She's Got a Way" (Live version)| Songs in the Attic, 1981; originally from Cold Spring Harbor, 1971| 3:03
7.| "Pressure"| The Nylon Curtain, 1982| 4:37
8.| "Allentown"| The Nylon Curtain| 3:49
9.| "Goodnight Saigon"| The Nylon Curtain| 7:02
10.| "Tell Her About It"| An Innocent Man, 1983| 3:50
11.| "Uptown Girl"| An Innocent Man| 3:16
12.| "The Longest Time"| An Innocent Man| 3:39
13.| "You're Only Human (Second Wind)"| Previously unreleased| 4:49
14.| "The Night Is Still Young"| Previously unreleased| 5:26
Total length:| 58:25

Greatest Hits Volume III (1997)No.| Title| Original album| Length

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|
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1.| "Keeping the Faith"| An Innocent Man, 1983| 4:38
2.| "An Innocent Man"| An Innocent Man| 5:19
3.| "A Matter of Trust"| The Bridge, 1986| 4:12
4.| "Baby Grand" (Duet with Ray Charles)| The Bridge| 4:05
5.| "This Is the Time"| The Bridge| 5:00
6.| "Leningrad"| Storm Front, 1989| 4:04
7.| "We Didn't Start the Fire"| Storm Front| 4:48
8.| "I Go to Extremes"| Storm Front| 4:24
9.| "And So It Goes"| Storm Front| 3:38
10.| "The Downeaster 'Alexa'"| Storm Front| 3:44
11.| "Shameless"| Storm Front| 4:27
12.| "All About Soul" (Remix)| Exclusive to the "All About Soul" single, 1993; originally from River of Dreams, 1993| 6:01
13.| "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)"| River of Dreams| 3:35
14.| "The River of Dreams"| River of Dreams| 4:11
15.| "To Make You Feel My Love" (Bob Dylan)| Previously unreleased| 3:53
16.| "Hey Girl" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King)| Previously unreleased| 3:57
17.| "Light as the Breeze" (Leonard Cohen)| Tower of Song, 1995| 6:12
Total length:| 76:08

An Evening of Questions & Answers... & A Little MusicNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Billy Joel Spoken Intro/Music Concepts" (Live and mostly spoken)| 10:18
2.| "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" (Unreleased live version)| 7:50
3.| "Beatles Influence" (Live and mostly spoken)| 5:18
4.| "A Hard Day's Night" (Lennon–McCartney) (Unreleased live version)| 2:53
5.| "Why Vienna?" (Live and mostly spoken)| 9:28
6.| "Vienna" (Unreleased live version)| 3:41
7.| "History Through the Music" (Live and mostly spoken)| 4:31
8.| "We Didn't Start the Fire" (Unreleased live version)| 5:13
9.| "Music Source" (Live and mostly spoken)| 9:14
10.| "The River of Dreams" (Unreleased original studio recording)| 5:20
11.| "Piano Bar" (Live and mostly spoken)| 7:46
12.| "Piano Man" (Unreleased live version)| 6:31
Total length:| 78:03

## Personnel

[edit]

* Remastering - Joseph Palmaccio (CD 1 and CD 2), Ted Jensen (CD 3 and CD 4) at Sterling Sound

## Certifications and sales

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United States (RIAA)[2] | Platinum  | 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Staunton, Terry (February 1998). "Billy Joel: The Complete Hits Collection: 1973–97". Uncut. No. 9\. p. 87.
2. ^ "American album certifications – Billy Joel – The Complete Hits Collection". Recording Industry Association of America.

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Billy Joel

Studio albums|

* Cold Spring Harbor
* Piano Man
* Streetlife Serenade
* Turnstiles
* The Stranger
* 52nd Street
* Glass Houses
* The Nylon Curtain
* An Innocent Man
* The Bridge
* Storm Front
* River of Dreams
* Fantasies & Delusions

Live albums|

* Songs in the Attic
* Kontsert
* 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert
* 12 Gardens Live
* Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert

Compilations|

* Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II
* Souvenir: The Ultimate Collection
* Greatest Hits Volume III
* The Complete Hits Collection: 1973–1997
* The Ultimate Collection
* The Essential Billy Joel
* Piano Man: The Very Best of Billy Joel
* My Lives
* The Hits
* Billy Joel: Opus Collection

Singles|

* "She's Got a Way" / "Everybody Loves You Now"
* "Piano Man" / "You're My Home"
* "Worse Comes to Worst"
* "Travelin' Prayer"
* "The Ballad of Billy the Kid"
* "The Entertainer"
* "James"
* "I've Loved These Days" / "Say Goodbye to Hollywood"
* "Just the Way You Are" / "Vienna"
* "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"
* "Only the Good Die Young"
* "She's Always a Woman"
* "The Stranger"
* "My Life"
* "Big Shot"
* "Honesty"
* "Until the Night"
* "All for Leyna"
* "You May Be Right"
* "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"
* "Don't Ask Me Why"
* "Sometimes a Fantasy"
* "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" (Live)
* "She's Got a Way" (Live)
* "Pressure"
* "Allentown"
* "Goodnight Saigon"
* "Tell Her About It"
* "Uptown Girl"
* "An Innocent Man"
* "The Longest Time"
* "Leave a Tender Moment Alone"
* "This Night"
* "Keeping the Faith"
* "You're Only Human (Second Wind)"
* "The Night Is Still Young"
* "Modern Woman" / "Sleeping with the Television On"
* "A Matter of Trust"
* "This Is the Time"
* "Baby Grand"
* "Back in the U.S.S.R." (Live)
* "We Didn't Start the Fire"
* References
* "Leningrad"
* "I Go to Extremes"
* "The Downeaster 'Alexa'"
* "That's Not Her Style"
* "And So It Goes"
* "Shameless"
* "All Shook Up"
* "The River of Dreams"
* "No Man's Land"
* "All About Soul"
* "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)"
* "To Make You Feel My Love"
* "All My Life"
* "Christmas in Fallujah"
* "Turn the Lights Back On"

Other songs|

* "Captain Jack"
* "Tomorrow Is Today"
* "Los Angelenos"
* "Root Beer Rag"
* "New York State of Mind"
* "Prelude/Angry Young Man"
* "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)"
* "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"
* "Zanzibar"
* "Laura"
* "Scandinavian Skies"
* "Big Man on Mulberry Street"

Tours|

* The Nylon Curtain Tour
* An Innocent Man Tour
* The Bridge Tour
* Storm Front Tour
* River of Dreams Tour
* Face to Face Tours
* 1994
* 1995
* 1998
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2009
* 2010
* Billy Joel in Concert

See also|

* Discography
* Billy Joel band members
* Movin' Out
* The Last Play at Shea
* The Hassles
* Attila
* Alexa Ray Joel
* Christie Brinkley
* Oliver & Company
* soundtrack
* Katie Lee
* "Movin' Out" (Glee episode)
* Billy Joel: And So It Goes

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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