"We Didn't Start the Fire": Billy Joel and Popular Music Studies

(Paperback)

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Description

Billy Joel has sold over 150 million records, produced thirty-three Top-40 hits, received six Grammy Awards, and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fans celebrate him, critics deride him, and scholars have all but ignored him. This first-of-its-kind collection of essays offers close analysis and careful insight into the ways his work has impacted popular music during the last fifty years. Using diverse approaches, this volume serves as a model for how any scholar can approach the study of popular music. Ultimately, these chapters interrogate how popular music frames our experiences, constitutes our history and culture, and gains importance in our daily lives.

Reviews

Duchan and Banagale have brought together 12 essays on musician Billy Joel (b. 1949), preceded by an introduction and a brief foreword by Joel. Though there have been many biographies of Joel, this is a valuable addition to the scholarship. . . The book concludes with Banagale and Duchans 2016 interview with Joel. Many of the essays include music transcriptions. A discography lists Joels dozen solo studio albums; bibliographical references stand in for a bibliography. This is a useful addition to the literature on Joels musical heritage. Recommended.

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Ultimately, I leave the interpretation of my music to others. Ive said all I can, in the music and in interviews. Im flattered that the last few years have seen an increase in interest in my music on the part of musicologists and other scholars, seeking better understandings of my songs and their place in American history and culture. If that all continues, great. And the chapters in this book are a very good place to start. from the Foreword by -- Billy Joel

A wide-ranging look at the work of a pop master. This illuminating collection of essays offers diverse perspectives on Joels music, making a compelling scholarly case for his legacy as one of rocks great songwriters and performers.

-- Albin Zak, University at Albany

We learn from many insightful perspectives how to fully appreciate Joels intriguing body of work. The writers have geared their presentations for the non-specialist reader, a great feat given the multileveled complexity of the lyrics, music, and sonics in Joels catalog. The collection is topped-off with a penetrating discussion with The Man himselfBravi!

-- Walter Everett, The University of Michigan

Author Bio

Joshua S. Duchan is associate professor of music and director of graduate studies in the Department of Music at Wayne State University.

Ryan Raul Baagale is associate professor of music and director of performing arts at Colorado College.