Legacy Recordings Sets Stage For Monumental 2011 Billy Joel Reissue Project With Release Of Billy Joel's The Hits On Tuesday, November 16

NEW YORK, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Billy Joel's first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor, and Columbia/Legacy Recordings will celebrate the occasion with a definitive reissue project of newly restored and expanded Legacy editions of the complete Billy Joel catalog, newly curated collections of rarities from the vaults, previously unavailable studio tracks and live performances, home video releases and more.

As an overture to the 40th Anniversary Billy Joel catalog reissue project, Columbia/Legacy will release Billy Joel's The Hits -- a newly compiled collection of 19 essential tracks -- on Tuesday, November 16.

The first-ever career-spanning single disc distillation of Billy's Top 40 chartbusters & signature smashes, The Hits provides a critical index to some of the most beloved and abiding pop songs of our era.

Between the opening cut, "Everybody Loves You Now" (a deep track from 1971's Cold Spring Harbor) and "The River of Dreams," the Grammy-nominated classic that closes the collection, The Hits charts a course through 30+ years of American pop music and culture through the eyes and ears of an artist who defined the times.

Billy Joel - The Hits

1. Everybody Loves You Now (1971, Cold Spring Harbor)
2. Piano Man (1973, Piano Man, #25 Billboard Hot 100)
3. The Entertainer (1974, Streetlife Serenade, #34 Billboard Hot 100)
4. New York State Of Mind (1976, Turnstiles)
5. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) (1977, The Stranger, #17 Billboard Hot 100)
6. Only The Good Die Young (1977, The Stranger, #24 Billboard Hot 100)
7. My Life (1978, 52nd Street, #3 Billboard Hot 100)
8. Big Shot (1978, 52nd Street, #14 Billboard Hot 100)
9. You May Be Right (1980, Glass Houses, #7 Billboard Hot 100)
10. It's Still Rock And Roll To Me (1980, Glass Houses, #1 Billboard Hot 100)
11. Say Goodbye To Hollywood (live) (1980, Songs in the Attic, #17 Billboard Hot 100)
12. Allentown (1982, The Nylon Curtain, #17 Billboard Hot 100)
13. Pressure (1982, The Nylon Curtain, #20 Billboard Hot 100)
14. The Longest Time (1983, An Innocent Man, #14 Billboard Hot 100)
15. Tell Her About It (1983, An Innocent Man, #1 Billboard Hot 100)
16. A Matter Of Trust (1986, The Bridge, #10 Billboard Hot 100)
17. We Didn't Start The Fire (1989, Storm Front, #1 Billboard Hot 100)
18. I Go To Extremes (1989, Storm Front, #6 Billboard Hot 100)
19. The River Of Dreams (1993, River of Dreams, #3 Billboard Hot 100)

Among the upcoming releases in the Columbia/Legacy Billy Joel 40th anniversary commemoration will be Billy Joel - Live At Shea Stadium, a 2CD/DVD and stand-alone Blu-ray edition of Billy's historic 2008 Shea Stadium concerts, a Legacy Edition of the 1973 Piano Man album, a Complete Albums Collection featuring 14 of Billy's original albums with a bonus disc collecting 16 non-album tracks and more.

"The Last Play At Shea," a documentary feature film tracing the intersecting histories of a landmark urban stadium, a beloved underdog baseball team and an American musical icon will play on 120 movie theater screens across the country on Thursday, October 21.  For tickets and more information, please visit www.TheLastPlayatShea.com

The Fox Network's hit series "Glee" featured Billy Joel's "Piano Man" in its first season, performed by Matthew Morrison ("Will Schuester") and Neal Patrick Harris, and "Only The Good Die Young" in its second, sung by Mark Salling ("Puck") with more of Billy's music in forthcoming episodes.

Rock Band is excited to offer a new Billy Joel edition of the popular video game, providing a masterful keyboard experience of his music to fans around the world through two downloadable game packs: a "Hits" pack of 12 songs arriving in December 2010 followed by a 6-song "Piano Challenge" pack in the spring.

The ultimate fan destination for all things Billy Joel continues to be BillyJoel.com

SOURCE Columbia/Legacy Recordings