"An Innocent Man"
Single by Billy Joel
from the album An Innocent Man
B-side"I'll Cry Instead" (live)
Released1983
Length5:17
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Billy Joel
Producer(s)Phil Ramone
Billy Joel singles chronology
"Uptown Girl"
(1983)		 "An Innocent Man"
(1983)		 "The Longest Time"
(1984)

"An Innocent Man" is a 1983 song performed by Billy Joel released as the third single from his album of the same name. The song, whose musical style is an homage to Ben E. King and the Drifters, reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the third consecutive top 10 single from the album.[1] It also spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart.[2]

Joel was quoted in a 1997 interview describing the high notes he sang during the song: "I had a suspicion that was going to be the last time I was going to be able to hit those notes, so why not go out in a blaze of glory? That was the end of Billy's high note."[2]

Reception

Cash Box said that "sounding soulful with a suburban lilt, Joel takes a cue from the Righteous Bros. in a performance that recalls Joel’s previous 'Until the Night.'"[3]

Chart positions

Chart (1983-1984) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 23
Canadian Singles Chart[5] 16
Irish Singles Chart 3
New Zealand Singles Chart 24
UK Singles Chart 8
US Billboard Hot 100 10
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 1
Year-end chart (1984)Rank
UK Singles (Gallup)[6] 64
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[7] 72

Certifications

Country Certification Date Sales certified
UK[8] Silver April 1, 1984 250,000

See also

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  2. 1 2 Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
  3. ↑ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 10, 1983. p. 7. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  4. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Top 100 Singles 1984" (PDF). Music Week. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Talent Almanac 1985: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 51. December 22, 1984. p. TA-19.
  8. ↑ UK certifications Bpi.co.uk (Retrieved September 2, 2008)
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