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Before The Stranger, Joel's albums had always sounded a bit thin sonically -- which was part of the reason he had trouble establishing a reputation as a rocker. But this record marked the beginning of a fruitful decade-long collaboration with producer Phil Ramone, who put some much-needed muscle behind Joel's carefully crafted songs. "Just the Way You Are" became the wedding-band standard, but the real pleasure here is the specificity of the lyrics in the rock songs located in New York, such as "Mister Cacciatore's down on Sullivan Street," in "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," or the saga of Brenda and Eddie in "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant."
Total album sales: 10 million
Peak chart position: 2