"Allentown" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Billy Joel | ||||
from the album The Nylon Curtain | ||||
B-side | "Elvis Presley Blvd." | |||
Released | November 1982 | |||
Recorded | 1982 | |||
Genre | Rock, Pop | |||
Length | 3:52 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Billy Joel | |||
Producer(s) | Phil Ramone | |||
Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
|
"Allentown" is a song by American singer Billy Joel and the lead track on Joel's 1982 album The Nylon Curtain. Released as the album's second single, it was accompanied by a conceptual music video. Upon its release, and especially in subsequent years, "Allentown" emerged as an anthem of blue-collar America, representing both the aspirations and frustrations of America's working class in the late 20th century.
"Allentown" reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100,[1] spending six consecutive weeks at that position and certified gold. It was No. 43 on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 chart for 1983. The song later appeared on Joel's Greatest Hits: Volume II (1985), Концерт (1987), 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert (2000), The Essential Billy Joel (2001), 12 Gardens Live (2006), The Hits (2010), and Live at Shea Stadium (2011) albums.