ULTIMATE ELTON JOHN vs BILLY JOEL THREAD

Compare:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBbo0slWMW4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhBsYZ5QOJo

gotta give it to billy here...

Elton wrote his best material in the early 70s
Billy wrote his best in the early 80s

Case closed.

It's Elton

>>72940167
Stormfront is probably my favorite of his albums, and that was in '89. But yeah, I think it was smart of him to quit while he's ahead. elton's new stuff doesn't have the same emotion as his old stuff.

>>72940202
His voice getting totally altered may also have something to do with his newer stuff being more lacking. Still think Elton should have quit after Captain Fantastic though.

>>72940149
Yeah, definately. Although that's not my favorite song of his, it still is great just like all of his stuff.

Billy Joel

Piano Man and Captain Jack are two of the greatest pop songs ever made.

>>72940257
I always prefered Joel's more smooth voice. he could do so much.

>>72940263
Elton did one of the best covers ever though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic2hlOwCif4

Elton had the better album streak. Empty Sky to Captain Fantastic are all amazing, but Billy only really had from the Stranger to Innocent Man.

>>72940278
I'd also add that Joel's songs seem much more human and sincere whereas Elton John had a tendency to write some sappy songs.

>>72940328
*******covers*******

How about
Elton John AND Billy Joel?
I'll never understand this boards obsession with contests like this

>>72940419
CAUSE ITS FUN DAMNIT

I am an avid fan of both and I am convinced that you cannot chose an overall "winner." It's about the same to me as Leonardo da Vinci VS Michelangelo.

Can you argue over individual merit, achievements, or skill sets over each other? Yes. Any qualitative judgement, however, would be inherently subjective.

To dismiss one over the other shows a stark misunderstanding of their art and blatant disregard for the contributions they have both made to music, culture, and millions of peoples' lives.

>>72940684

That being said, I can see a piano student being drawn to Billy because of his attention to the nuances of the instrument. Or a lyricist gravitating to Joel because, you know, Bernie Taupin.

One could just as easily make an argument for Sir Elton on what it means to be a performer and an entertainer (insert "The Entertainer", by Billy Joel joke here). Or on the courage of being a public figure when your identity challenges the status quo.

All I'm saying is the music speaks for itself here, and they are both cemented into eternity as two of the greatest.

>>72940078
I guess Billy gets it even though I like Elton more because Elton only writes the music while his friend Bernie Taupin doing the lyrics for him.

Joel writes the lyrics and music by himself and there's not a single song on his albums that are written by someone else.

>>72941129
Billy Joel is a poet. if you took his lyrics out of the music and published them as a poem, they would still be masterpieces. "and every time I held a rose, it seems I only felt the thorns.