The Downeaster 'Alexa'
Billy Joel | Artist Essentials
First released: 1989 (year verified)
Original studio recording
MusicAtlas editorial note: The steady motion and broad melody give the maritime scene a powerful sense of scale.
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Release evidence and recording details
First released: 1989 (year verified)
Original recording release year; later singles and reissues do not replace this date.
Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: Billy Joel
Role in this collection: Primary artist
Original album: Storm Front
Billy Joel: Storm Front
Official catalog identifies the original 1989 album and its tracks. Year precision avoids implying that every track first appeared on the album day. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
In the yearly lists
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About Billy Joel
Billy Joel grew up on Long Island and built a recording career around singing, songwriting and piano. His music moves between rock songs and ballads, often drawing on familiar lives and everyday settings. The Stranger, released in 1977, began an important recording partnership with producer Phil Ramone. Later albums such as The Nylon Curtain and An Innocent Man show different approaches to arrangement and popular-song traditions within the same solo career.
Artist background sources
Billy Joel - official career timeline
Long Island upbringing, 1977 The Stranger and Phil Ramone partnership, The Nylon Curtain and An Innocent Man chronology. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Billy Joel - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Piano-centered rock and ballads, songwriting and everyday subject matter. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Profile reviewed: 2026-10-17. Artist background does not establish a song's creative origin or release date.
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