Storm Front (album)

Storm Front
Studio album by
Billy Joel
ReleasedOctober 17, 1989
Recorded1988–1989
Studio
Genre
Length44:34
LabelColumbia
ProducerBilly Joel, Mick Jones
Billy Joel chronology
Концерт
(1987) 		Storm Front
(1989) 		Souvenir
(1990)
Singles from Storm Front
  1. "We Didn't Start the Fire"
    Released: September 1989 (UK)[3]
  2. "Leningrad"
    Released: December 1989 (UK)[4]
  3. "I Go to Extremes"
    Released: January 1990
  4. "The Downeaster 'Alexa'"
    Released: May 1990
  5. "That's Not Her Style"
    Released: July 1990[5]
  6. "And So It Goes"
    Released: October 1990
  7. "Shameless"
    Released: January 1991[6]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Deseret News(Positive)[8]
Los Angeles Times[9]
New Musical Express5/10[10]
The New York Times(Positive)[1]
People(Not favorable)[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
The Village VoiceB[13]

Storm Front is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on October 17, 1989. It was Joel's third album to reach No. 1 in the U.S. and features "We Didn't Start the Fire", a fast-paced song that cataloged a list of historical events, trends, and cultural icons from 1949 (when Joel was born) until 1989, which was Joel's third Billboard No. 1 hit.

"I Go to Extremes", a song describing the ups and downs of his emotional life, placed at No. 6. Other songs that placed in the top 100 were "And So It Goes" (No. 37), "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" (No. 57), and "That's Not Her Style" (No. 77). The album was also nominated for five Grammy Awards.[14] The album's cover depicts the maritime storm warning flag indicating wind forces 10–12, the highest intensity on the Beaufort scale. Joel has stated in recent Sirius XM segments that he was inspired by Peter Gabriel's 1986 track "Sledgehammer", as an inspiration for the "driving rhythm section" when he was writing the title track.

  1. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (October 29, 1989). "HOME ENTERTAINMENT/RECORDINGS: RECENT RELEASES". The New York Times. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  2. ^ Breihan, Tom (August 27, 2021). "The Number Ones: Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire". Stereogum. Retrieved December 1, 2023. [Storm Front is a] blaring, synthed-out, personality-free take on late-'80s arena-rock...
  3. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. September 16, 1989. p. 36.
  4. ^ "Leningrad".
  5. ^ "Billy Joel singles".
  6. ^ "Great Rock Discography". p. 437.
  7. ^ Storm Front at AllMusic
  8. ^ Boren, Ray (January 19, 1989). "'STORM FRONT' BRINGS OUT THE POPULIST IN JOEL". deseretnews.com. Deseret News. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  9. ^ Boehm, Mike (December 3, 1989). "Imitative Billy Joel Still Seeking Respectability : BILLY JOEL "Storm Front."". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  10. ^ Williams, Simon (November 18, 1989). "LP - Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 34.
  11. ^ Hiltbrand, David; Novak, Ralph; Abrahams, Andrew; Small, Michael (November 20, 1989). "Picks and Pans Review: Storm Front". People. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  12. ^ John McAlley (November 30, 1989). "Music Reviews : Storm Front by Billy Joel". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008.
  13. ^ Christgau, Robert (December 26, 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  14. ^ "Here's list of nominees from all 77 categories". deseretnews.com. Deseret News. January 12, 1990. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2011.