| "The Entertainer" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album Streetlife Serenade | ||||
| B-side | "The Mexican Connection" | |||
| Released | 1975 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded | A & R Recording, Inc., New York City | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:48 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Billy Joel | |||
| Producer | Phil Ramone | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
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"The Entertainer" is a single by singer Billy Joel released as the only single from his 1974 album Streetlife Serenade. The song peaked at #34 on the US charts, a Top 40 hit for Joel that year.[1] The song is a cynical and somewhat satirical look at the fleeting fame of a musician and fickle public tastes ("Today I am your champion / I may have won your hearts / But I know the game / You will forget my name / And I won't be here / In another year, / If I don't stay on the charts"); this theme would be examined in the later song "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me". The song references the shortening of Joel's song, "Piano Man", from 5 minutes to 3 minutes and 5 seconds to fit a radio slot; additionally, the timing printed on the label of the 7" release was 3:05, although the actual length was 3:48.
On some of the singles released for "The Entertainer" the song was b-sided with "The Mexican Connection".
Chart positions
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 34 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 30 |
References
- ^ Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N' Roll Gold Rush. Algora. pp. 8. ISBN 0-87586-207-1.
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