Billy Joel released Storm Front in 1989 on CBS, and it was a massive success particularly in Australia where it hit No. 1 and it also topped the Billboard 200 chart in the United States.

I listened to this album a lot as a kid, this album was part of ‘Souvenir: The Ultimate Collection‘ and it had Greatest Hits Volume I and Volume II, Storm Front, Live at Yankee Stadium and Interview with Billy Joel in the one package.

‘Storm Front’ has 10 tracks on it and seven of those songs were released as singles, ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire‘ was the lead single and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 in Australia and making appearances on 18 other charts around the world.

High School students hated the song in the pre-Wikipedia days as people had to research every single person, icon and event mentioned in that song for an assignment in English class.

The second single ‘Leningrad’ was a European release and peaked at No. 14 in West Germany which was just a few short years away from reunification with East Germany.

I changed one line to say, ‘I was born in ’85, Cold War kid, Madonna time’. (you can change Madonna to McDonalds)

‘I Go to Extremes’ was the third single and peaked at No. 48 in Australia but had done much better in the United States with a peak of No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and done even better in Canada with a peak of No. 3.

‘The Downeaster ‘Alexa’ was not a big success in Australia, peaking at No. 126 but was a hit in Japan as the song peaked at No. 6 there, it had a little success in the United States with a peak of No. 57.

‘That’s Not Her Style’ peaked at No. 9 in Japan, but struggled in the UK with a peak of No. 97, it had done better in the United States with a peak of No. 77.

‘And So It Goes’ was the sixth single from the album, this song was about his relationship with Elle Macpherson (aka ‘The Body’), Billy named this song as his ‘definitive song’ and was also part of the title of his life documentary ‘Billy Joel: And So It Goes’, it peaked at No. 37 in the United States and No. 108 in Australia.

The last single was ‘Shameless’, it peaked at No. 40 on the US Adult Contemporary chart and No. 133 in Australia, a cover by Garth Brooks topped the country charts in 1991 and peaked at No. 103 in Australia.

Song listing

1. That’s Not Her Style
2. We Didn’t Start The Fire
3. The Downeaster ‘Alexa’
4. I Go to Extremes
5. Shameless
6. Storm Front
7. Leningrad
8. State of Grace
9. When in Rome
10. And So It Goes

Chuck’s Favourites

1. Leningrad
2. Storm Front
3. I Go to Extremes
4. The Downeaster ‘Alexa’
5. State of Grace
6. We Didn’t Start The Fire
7. Shameless
8. That’s Not Her Style
9. When in Rome
10. And So It Goes