Lamest rock star ever -- I give you Billy Joel

Gonna throw Axl Rose name in the ring

In his prime he sang like a mf and played piano (yes a real instrument) very well.

So all the wanna be's of further generations f off.

The lamest are the ones you’ve never heard, make little money at it, but still play a bars. I’m not s fan of Joel’s music but the man has done the opposite of lame.

billy joel is a stud. 100% end of story. one of the best to ever do it.

Equating Billy Joel with Barry Manilow is ridiculous. Manilow didn't even write his most famous songs and he never had that many hits anyway, and he is about as good a piano player as some kid in your 9th grade class. Joel has also had extremely excellent musicians in his band. Manilow has not.

manilow and joel wrote:

I grew up in the '70s and many of us grouped Joel with Manilow. They both wrote songs that hit the top of the charts, but they were always pretty devoid of longevity.

At this point, I rank Barry Manilow = Billy Joel. Many will scoff at this, but Manilow actually had a bigger impact on Frampton and other stars of the late '70's and early 80's. Just my opinoin...

I'll scoff at that and raise you a scoff. Manilow had no impact on Framptom's career at all. Frampton was already an esrtablished rock and roller long before Manilow came on the scene.

'Splain the Manilow>Frampton link if you will?

Manilow's impact on Frampton? Only to cause nausea. Where does anyone get the idea that Frampton, who'd been a guitar star in The Herd and Humble Pie, was in ANY WAY AT All influenced by Manilow? Where does someone dredge up nonsense like this?

softball uniform wrote:

Gonna throw Axl Rose name in the ring

I dunno, Axl's can sing lower (F1) than than Barry White (F#1). Most experts put him in the top five in vocal range. That's not lame, that's some serious belting.

OK. So I looked up Manilow's career. He was writing jingles for TV and radio in the 60s and early 70s. In fact he wrote some of the most memorable jingles ever:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/64713/6-famous-jingles-barry-manilow

malmo wrote:

softball uniform wrote:

Gonna throw Axl Rose name in the ring

I dunno, Axl's can sing lower (F1) than than Barry White (F#1). Most experts put him in the top five in vocal range. That's not lame, that's some serious belting.

Axl's lameness comes from the fact that he squandered the chance to be great because he couldn't bother to be even a little bit professional. GnR could have been the next Led Zeppelin. Instead, they were just another '80s band, all because they were fronted by a silly little girl who couldn't take the whole thing remotely seriously.

otter wrote:

Markmiles wrote:

Absolutely disgusted no one has mentioned Coldplay.

Chris Martin is one of the dullest individuals in the history of mankind.

Coldplay is awesome. I don't care if people feel Chris Martin is boring in his private life.

I don’t think the reference was to his private life.

coach wrote:

I grew up in the 70s and grouped Joel with Elton John. I grew up in the NY area and some of my friends loved Joel, some loved Springsteen but I was partial to the Talking Heads. I think Joel peaked in 1978.

Peaked with what?

Seems that most of the posters don't actually know his career. His music of early 80's were definitely rock (in response to criticism that he was just a soft balladeer). His writing has meaning and was one of the best live performing musicians.

And the comment about Liberty Devitto is also inaccurate, he was with Joel from 1970 all through to 2006, long after he had 'made money'. Their split was based on Devitto's demands for royalties.

I am Sam wrote:

coach wrote:

I grew up in the 70s and grouped Joel with Elton John. I grew up in the NY area and some of my friends loved Joel, some loved Springsteen but I was partial to the Talking Heads. I think Joel peaked in 1978.

Peaked with what?

Seems that most of the posters don't actually know his career. His music of early 80's were definitely rock (in response to criticism that he was just a soft balladeer). His writing has meaning and was one of the best live performing musicians.

And the comment about Liberty Devitto is also inaccurate, he was with Joel from 1970 all through to 2006, long after he had 'made money'. Their split was based on Devitto's demands for royalties.

I liked every album until 52nd street. He was great in concert early on. After the early 80s he was a star playing on reputation and nostalgia. Being familiar with Long Island I enjoyed his music and act. My wife still loves him but I get bored and am no longer into his nostalgic act. To each his own.

BJ is lame, but then again so are all of the guys of his ilk. Elton John, Billy Joel, Barry Mannilow, all that Yacht Rock mess, it's "dentist office music" that for some reason was confligated with actual Rock n Roll.

To name the Lamest of the lame is very difficult.

NotPC wrote:

BJ is lame, but then again so are all of the guys of his ilk. Elton John, Billy Joel, Barry Mannilow, all that Yacht Rock mess, it's "dentist office music" that for some reason was confligated with actual Rock n Roll.

To name the Lamest of the lame is very difficult.

Whoah whoah whoah, no need to cross the line with the yacht rock dis. Michael, Kenny, Chris, et al are legends my guy.

As for Bill Joel... He's a talented musician, but found an easy niche. Funny how many people are really angry/triggered by his existence and success.

NotPC wrote:

BJ is lame, but then again so are all of the guys of his ilk. Elton John, Billy Joel, Barry Mannilow, all that Yacht Rock mess, it's "dentist office music" that for some reason was confligated with actual Rock n Roll.

To name the Lamest of the lame is very difficult.

I understand music preference is a matter of taste and a very subjective thing.

That being said, there are some universal truths.

And one of the most fundamental of those is, yes indeed, Billy Joel is the lamest of the lame. Lamo di tutti i lami.

Personally, my favourite pizza is pepperoni.

Elvis Costello is lamer than anyone you can name.

If you go back to the first Columbia album, much of Joel's acclaim was based on the fact that he could REALLY play piano and that he always had an excellent drummer, guitarist, and saxophonist. None of this was true of Barry Manilow. I mean, he's not my favorite guy and I don't put his music on very much (you hear him enough just living in the universe), but there are many many people more lame. Everything Foreigner, a supposedly respectable "rock band," did was lamer than Billy Joel.