's Greatest Hits is a collection released in two sets, 12 years apart. The first set, consisting of two discs, titled Volume I and Volume II, was released in 1985. The second, single disc titled Volume III was released in 1997. "You're Only Human " and "The Night Is Still Young" were new songs and, at the time, only available on this compilation. All songs but the last three on Volume III, "To Make You Feel My Love", "Hey Girl" and "Light as the Breeze" were written by Joel. The other songs appear mostly in order of their release dates and generally represent Joel's most successful singles.
''Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II''
Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II has been certified double diamond by the RIAA, selling over 11.5 million copies and is tied with Pink Floyd's The Wall and Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin IV for third most certified album of all time in the US. The album includes hits from 1973 to 1985 in chronological order with one exception. Some pressings do not include "Honesty", and instead include "Don't Ask Me Why". The compilation includes two previously unreleased tracks, "You're Only Human " and "The Night Is Still Young". These two songs were also available as singles and, in 1989, on the 5-disc box set which included the entire Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II. "You're Only Human " later featured on the compilation The Ultimate Collection released in 2000, and on disc 15, Collected Additional Masters, of The Complete Albums Collection box set, released in 2011. "The Night Is Still Young" was also included on that same disc 15. Contrary to some sources, the sax solo on "New York State of Mind" was never re-recorded by Phil Woods for the release of Greatest Hits. The only time that Phil Woods performed on a Billy Joel recording was the song "Just the Way You Are" in 1977.
Track listing
Double LP/Double cassette
Some original pressings omit "Don't Ask Me Why" and place "Honesty" after "Big Shot", pushing "You May Be Right" to the beginning of Side three.
Double CD release
2017 release
There are three versions of the CD available. The initial 1985 release has "Honesty" as the third track on disc 2, second pressings onward had "Don't Ask Me Why" as the third track, and the 1998 remaster has "Don't Ask Me Why" as the fifth track on disc 2. However, the disc with "Honesty" does not have "Don't Ask Me Why" and vice versa. On the original 1985 releases, five songs are shorter than their original versions: "Just the Way You Are" is only 3:34 long, verse 2 is totally omitted and the sax solo at the end fades early; "My Life" is 3:50 long, the intro is slightly shorter with piano notes at 0:25 omitted, same notes are omitted between verses 1 and 2, then again after "You wake up with yourself", piano passage also missing after "But not on my time" and the piano notes omitted several times at the end; "Big Shot" is 3:43 long ; "Pressure" is only 3:13 long with more than a verse omitted ; "Tell Her About It" is 3:33 long. In 1998, the two CD set was digitally remastered and packaged with two bonus videos on disc 1. All of the songs that were edited in the 1985 package were restored to their original album lengths. Also, the live version of "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" was removed and replaced with the studio version from Joel's 1976 album Turnstiles. Some limited editions of a three-disc compilation The Greatest Hits Collection, Volumes I, II & III were issued in 1998, to accompany the world tour.
Certifications and sales
''Greatest Hits Volume III''
The Greatest Hits Volume III album includes hits from 1983 to 1997. Two previously unreleased studio tracks are included, "To Make You Feel My Love" and "Hey Girl", while the third new track, "Light as the Breeze", was originally recorded for a Leonard Cohen tribute album known as Tower of Song in 1995. All three tracks are new songs of cover materials. Chronologically, Greatest Hits Volume III slightly continues from where Volume II left off, as the first two tracks, "Keeping the Faith" and "An Innocent Man", first appeared on his album An Innocent Man.
Track listing
All songs written by Billy Joel except where noted.
On October 14, 1997, a boxed set was released that included all three Greatest Hits volumes as well as a fourth disc that contains live tracks and a Q&A with Joel. Originally available in a long box format, the box set is also available in a compact box format.
