Billy Joel has been a major touring force for many years, which seems to have appeased many longtime lovers of his work, as he disappointingly no longer releases music as frequently as he once did. Sadly, the superstar is stepping away from all scheduled performances, which have been canceled for the foreseeable future. This sweeping move follows a May announcement revealing that he has been diagnosed with a condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus, which can affect everything from vision and hearing to balance, making it unsafe for him to perform live.
Fans of Joel are understandably disappointed they won’t be seeing him play anytime soon, but they don’t seem to be complaining. Instead, they’re showing their love by returning to his music.
Billy Joel Returns With The Hits
Just days ago, Joel didn’t appear on any Billboard rankings, but following the announcement of his health condition, several of his projects have experienced a resurgence, and they bring him back to the most important albums tally in the United States.
Leading the comeback is The Hits, a compilation of Joel’s most beloved tunes. The appropriately-titled release returns to the Billboard 200 at No. 178. According to Luminate, the collection moved just under 8,900 equivalent album units in the latest tracking frame.
The Stranger Rebounds
Fewer than 10 spots behind The Hits comes one of Joel’s classic studio efforts, The Stranger, which reenters the Billboard 200 at No. 187. The project moved 8,700 equivalent units, with nearly 800 of those coming from pure purchases. Streaming activity appears to have largely made up the rest.
Billy Joel’s Success on the Billboard 200
Between the two, The Stranger stands out as the greater success on the Billboard 200. It originally peaked at No. 2 and has now spent 139 frames on the list. The album ranks as Joel’s second-longest-charting title, behind only The Essential Billy Joel, which — somewhat surprisingly — does not return to the ranking this time around.
The Hits, meanwhile, has spent just over half a year on the Billboard 200 since debuting in 2011. The project narrowly managed to become a top 40 success on the competitive list, as it once peaked at No. 34.