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"The Stranger" is a song by rock artist Billy Joel from his 1977 album of the same name, The Stranger.[2] The song was released as a single in Japan where it became very popular and peaked at #2 on the Oricon chart, selling more than 471,000 copies, charting as well in Australia, New Zealand and France.[3] It was the last single from the album in Japan, while the US and UK saw "She's Always a Woman", released the previous year, as the last single from the album.

For the Ingrid Andress song, see The Stranger (Ingrid Andress song).
"The Stranger"
Single by Billy Joel
from the album The Stranger
B-side"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"
ReleasedMay 21, 1978 (Japan)
RecordedA & R Recording,Inc., New York City, 1977
GenreFunk rock
Length5:10 (Album version)
4:10 (Single version)[1]
LabelColumbia
CBS Sony (Japan)
Songwriter(s)Billy Joel
Producer(s)Phil Ramone
Billy Joel singles chronology
"She's Always a Woman"
(1977)		 "The Stranger"
(1978)		 "My Life"
(1978)

The single is featured on Joel's greatest hits album, Greatest Hits - Volume I & II.[4]

An untitled two-minute instrumental "hidden track" reprise of this song is featured at the end of The Stranger, after "Everybody Has a Dream".[5]

The song begins and ends with a quiet melody, played on piano and whistled by Joel with accompaniment from his band. He had originally wanted it to be played by some kind of wind instrument, but after he whistled it as a demonstration, producer Phil Ramone persuaded him to abandon the idea and whistle the melody himself for the final cut.[6]

In 2020, the song was featured during the ending credits of the 2020 miniseries The Stand.

"The Stranger" has been sampled frequently, primarily in the hip hop genre, in songs such as "Tha Shiznit" by Snoop Dogg.[7]

"The Stranger" is Joel's homage to Carl Jung's definition of the psychology archetype known as "The Shadow".


Track listing



7" vinyl (CBS)


  1. "The Stranger"
  2. "Just the Way You Are"

Japanese 7" vinyl


  1. "The Stranger" [4:10]
  2. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" [3:30]

Chart history


Chart (1978) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 59
France (IFOP)[9] 59
Japan (Oricon Singles Chart) 2
New Zealand (RIANZ) 8

References


  1. "Billy Joel - The Stranger (Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
  2. Useted, Tom (24 July 2008). "Billy Joel: The Stranger". PopMatters.
  3. "Best-selling singles in Japan". Archived from the original on 2015-07-14. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Greatest Hits, Vols. 1-2 (1973-1985) - Billy Joel | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  5. "Billy Joel - The Stranger (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  6. Joel, Billy (April 3, 2013). "Billy Joel Pays Tribute to Phil Ramone: 'He Was the King'". Rolling Stone.
  7. "Samples of The Stranger by Billy Joel". WhoSampled. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 156. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70" (in French). InfoDisc. 1978-04-14. Retrieved 11 March 2019.



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