I can't stand Billy Joel. Schmaltzy bastard.

 

You need to listen to something besides what the radio plays then, and besides....Elton isn't schmaltzy???

Jesus W. Christ on a backhoe..."Someone Saved My Life Tonight", "Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word", and "Harmony"???

Dude....:lol:

I've seen the Face 2 Face tour twice. They're both amazing. My vote goes to Billy for two reasons.

One, he's a fellow NYer. :D

Two...he writes ALL the parts of his songs. Elton doesn't write his own lyrics. Bernie Taupin does.

In that aspect, Joel is the better songwriter.

 

Right. If Elton wrote his own songs he might get my vote.

Billy Joel has "piano man" though so maybe not.

 

Wtf is schmaltzy?

Is that like a Jewish slur or something?

 

i went with elton.....rocket man is like top 5 of my all time favorite songs

 

Yea, but for every "Piano Man" Billy has a "Goodnight Saigon" to counter it. :wink2:

NOTHING Elton write ever matched that song, IMO.

 

"Piano Man" tops everything else from these 2, IMO.

 

They are both schmaltzy, but Joel is way worse.

Good definition from wikipedia: In American English, schmaltz (adj. schmaltzy) has also an informal meaning of excessively sentimental or florid music or art or maudlin sentimentality. Its earliest usage in this sense dates to the mid 1930's.

Elton redeems himself cause he's flamboyantly gay. Gotta respect that. He don't care. Joel has no excuses.

 

So sentimentality makes for bad music? That doesn't make any sense.

 

Excessively sentimental music is bad. Its in the eye of the beholder.

 

This was tough. I gave Billy Joel the nod mostly because of how much I like the song "Piano man". It was close.

 

big "goodbye yellow brick road" fan. had to go with elton.

 

Billy gets my vote. One of my favorite artists and he puts on an excellent live show.
Elton is too much a Diva... and I'm not saying that because of his sexual preference.

Billy may have a few Schmaltzy songs, but he has plenty that are not. He also is a big supporter of his community and has a genuine interest in teaching music to others.
I think Elton is more about the attention and the money.

 

It's close But I'll take Elton John cuz he has a better voice and 'Don't let the sun go down on me' is one of my favorite songs ever. I've always wanted to them live.

 

That statement is ridiculous.


















Like I said, completely ridiculous.

 

~ "Philadelphia Freedom"
~ "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"

'Nuff said. :tongue2:

 

Elton John hands down.

Even with all the CRAP *cough*Candle in the wind *cough* he did, his early stuff easily outweighs both his crap and ALL of Billy Joel's.

Sorry, I dont think its just coincedence his Initials are BJ.

 

Bernie Taupin wrote his early stuff

 

What surprises me is that you didn't pick up on the incredible IRONY in my post.

 

Goodbye yellow brick roooooaaaaddddddd

Elton. I only like two Billy Joel songs and thats "We Didnt Start the Fire" and "Piano Man".

 

We Didn't Start The Fire is an abortion. I forgot about that one.

Elton should win cause he didn't write that song!

Oh, and Billy supports his community so that when he gets pulled over for drunk driving, the cops let him off...until he drives his car into someone's house!!!

 

I truly enjoy and appreciate both performers. I voted for Elton John because my iPod more frequently choses him. Btw, I love the song "Harmony" to the haters :lol: Tough poll for sure. Both are brilliant musicians with storied lives who continue to contribute to both the industry and communities. Great idea for this poll, btw.
For what it's worth, "Grey Seal" is a tune that has not been mentioned and I really like.

 

I guess CNC and I are dumm :lol:

 

They're both quite talented, but Billy Joel gets my vote for his songwriting and superior piano skills.

 

I went with Elton.

Both have some cheezy material. I think Elton has the bigger catalog. Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Empty Gardens, Levon, Bennie and the Jets far outweigh his bad stuff... I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues, This Train Don't Stop There Anymore

Joels songs like Honesty, Piano Man, and Only The Good Die Young are great songs. But when he's bad, IMO he's worse then Elton's bad stuff. His horrible An Innocent Man album alone swayed me to select Elton.

 

I never said Elton wasn't phenominal, but anyone who writes music can write to written lyrics. In fact, alot of times it's better to have the lyrics first. That way you know what the song is about, and the music can fit the overall mood and tone of the lyrics. Believe it or not, in most cases it's EASIER, because the composer reads the lyrics and melody lines come out.

I'm the lyricist in my band, and we do it both ways. I'll either write to what my guitarist or keyboardist gives me musically, or I'll get a brainstorm and come up with some lyrics that they'll compose some music for.

It's more "normal" than you think.

Don't get me wrong, I love Elton and have most of his CDs on my iPod, but for sheer songwriting he doesn't compare to Billy's ability to put himself into the shoes of someone he's never met and tell their life story in a lyric, as well as write the music to match. Or his ability to paint a vivid picture of what he's singing about. Elton just doesn't do that with his music.

"Downeaster Alexa" and "Allentown" are prime examples, as is the song I mentioned before, "Goodnight Saigon".

Listen to "New York State of Mind", and if you're a New Yorker, he nails it. And "Miami 2017" is just amazing.

The only song by Elton that comes near matching the power and intensity of that is "Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding".

They're both amazing, and seeing them both together is not to be missed. But all in all, Billy's music is deeper than Elton's. Elton is more pop oriented.

 

I'd rather write lyrics from music than the other way around, personally.

 

So would I Doc...just pointing out that it can go both ways. :wink2:

Most are, but not always. :)

 

Billy Joel writes both his own music and lyrics.

Elton John without Bernie Taupin was mediocre at best.

 

Ah; his infamous "Kiki Dee" period. :barf:

 

Up until the early 80s, this would have been close (Elton's Kiki Dee/Billy Jean King era notwithstanding). Both had phenomenal range through the 70s. We forget now, but Elton also had some awesome dark and soulful music then; Madman Across the Water is every bit a match for Goodnight Saigon. But Elton faded badly and was essentially writing elevator music by the 90s. Billy still had some good work left in him; the "River of Dreams" album was quality.

What clinches it is the Princess Di Candle in the Wind remake. That song was, while a touching attempt to pay tribute (oh, and to make a ****pile of money, too), an absolute catastrophe. He took his best song, a song with a powerful, poignant message (Hollywood's corruption of a beautiful young woman) and turned it into a song so full of sap that listeners had to blow their nose with a pancake. Billy Joel would never, ever pull something like that with Piano Man.

 

You can't believe that.

Money talks.