An Innocent Man

Billy Joel's ninth studio album, released August 8, 1983, featuring retro doo-wop and soul songs inspired by his teenage years.

An Innocent Man is the ninth studio album by Billy Joel, released on August 8, 1983. Influenced heavily by American popular music from his adolescent years in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the project embraces doo-wop and soul styles. Joel wrote most of the material within six weeks while newly divorced and single for the first time since becoming a rock star. He described dating supermodels like Elle Macpherson and Christie Brinkley as making him feel "like a teenager all over again." Although he drew from these feelings, Joel clarified that the songs centered on made-up characters rather than being autobiographical. The album cover artwork captures a specific moment on the front steps of 142 Mercer Street in New York City's SoHo neighborhood.

Quick Facts

Artist

Billy Joel

Released

8 August 1983

Recorded

Spring, 1983

Studio

Chelsea Sound; A&R, New York City

Genre

Doo-wop
soul
pop
rock and roll

Length

40:25

Label

Family Productions/Columbia

Producer

Phil Ramone

Lore & Background

The recording process began with a specific spark: the song "Easy Money," originally written for the 1983 film of the same name starring Rodney Dangerfield. According to Joel, this track "kicked off" the creation of the entire album. He aimed to recreate the sounds he remembered from his youth, citing early R&B, The Four Seasons, and Motown music as primary influences. While writing, Joel noted that the material came "so easily and so quickly," allowing him to relive his youth without fighting the creative flow. Despite the personal context of his divorce, he insisted the songs were not autobiographical but instead featured various fictional characters. For instance, "Christie Lee" tells a narrative about a saxophone player whose heart is broken by a woman only interested in his musical skills. The album also includes a mostly a cappella doo-wop song, "The Longest Time," which Joel was pleasantly surprised to become a hit record in the 1980s.

Reader's Guide

Listeners will find seven songs released as singles from this album, with four reaching significant chart positions alongside the three Top 10 hits. These include "The Longest Time," which peaked at No. 14, and "Keeping the Faith" at No. 18. The song "This Night" served as a US B-side to "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" (No. 27). Musically, the album features distinct personnel contributions; for example, Eric Gale plays electric guitar on "Easy Money," while Toots Thielemans contributes harmonica on "Leave a Tender Moment Alone." The production credits list Phil Ramone as producer and Jim Boyer and Bradshaw Leigh as engineers. Notably, the chorus for "This Night" is credited to Billy Joel and L. v. Beethoven, acknowledging the classical influence woven into the pop arrangement. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 26th Grammy Awards but lost to Michael Jackson's Thriller.