Piano Man or Rocket Man?

[oberliner]

Who do you like better, Billy Joel or Elton John?

[oberliner]

1. And what's your favorite song by the one you like?

Billy: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

Elton: Someone Saved My Life Tonight

[SeattleGirl]

2. I love Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

Elton: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

[Broken_Hero]

3. Billy Joel...Elton was just fluff to me...nt

[last_texas_dem]

4. Overall, Elton...

...but he got a little more off track, IMHO, during the eighties. Billy Joel did some too-cheesy stuff during that decade (it just seemed to be a horrible decade, stylistically, for veteran artists) but he didn't seem to lose his style as much as Elton did. But a good chunk of Elton's pre-disco era stuff is just awesome. If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be something from that era: "Empty Sky", "The Cage", "The King Must Die", "Take Me to the Pilot", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", etc. I also like his disco-ish "Mama Can't Buy you Love."

ON EDIT: I wanted to add that I do like the majority of what I've heard by both artists. I re-read my post and thought it sounded a little harsher than I really feel. I do think the eighties weakened the output of most artists who had been working beginning in the sixties and seventies because too many tried to follow the musical trends of the period and ended up producing material that doesn't hold up as well as what they were doing before. (This definitely wasn't exclusive to Elton John or Billy Joel; in fact, it's difficult to find an artist who wasn't affected by these musical trends in some way.) But I often like a good deal of their music from that era, anyway; I just don't think it has held up over time as well as their earlier work.

[blitzen]

5. this is way better than either...although i like them both

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wE8JKMjpuAw

[njdemocrat106]

6. Love 'em both

Billy: "Sometimes a Fantasy"

Elton: "Rocket Man"

[zappa_parappa]

7. Elton hands down...

hes one of the best rock performers ever...billy joel, while he had a few good songs, just couldn't compete. I will give billy joel credit however for writing his own lyrics, while elton john used bernie taupin most of the time.

[enigmatic]

8. Rocket Man

Certainly Elton's best single and maybe his greatest song. My Morning Jacket does a great version, too.

[shanine]

9. "And so it goes"

by Billy Joel

and "The Last Song" or "father and son" not sure of title . . Elton John

[Heidi]

10. You've failed to mention William Shatner in the "Rocket Man" column.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVbv6r_tKnE

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

15. That was fucking beautiful, man.

:cry:

[6000eliot]

11. Billy Joel is a smug prick.

Elton John all the way.

[mitchum]

12. "Waiting For The Man"

[wildhorses]

13. i voted for elton but, dig billy too

always did like a piano...

favorite elton---levon

favorite billy---captain jack



both songs for very personal reasons and no reflection of it being their "best" work

[BarenakedLady]

14. Elton John

I especially loved him back in the day of big glasses.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

16. I like them both for who they are, but EJ is just funnier.

I love "Your Song," but I also love Billy's "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant."

That said, neither one is representative of high art. :D