It's the third best-selling record in American history. It contains nearly every one of Billy Joel's peak-era chart hits as well as a smattering of fan favorites. It encapsulates exactly why the singer-songwriter-pianist remains one of the most beloved, commercially successful, relentlessly creative, and oft-referenced artists in music. Spanning 1973 to 1985, Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II functions as a hand-guided tour through pop, rock, doo-wop, blues, R&B, blue-eyed soul, and chamber jazz. It is rivaled by few—if any—other compilations.
