The recording sessions for The Stranger, described by Joel as "a blast" to be a part of, took place across the span of three weeks in between July and August 1977. The album contains nine songs, four of which were released as singles in North America. The songs were all recorded with Joel alongside his band, which he had formed while touring, in addition to various other musicians who were brought into the studio for specific songs.

Before The Stranger, Billy Joel was on the verge of being dropped by his record label Columbia Records. After the unexpected success of Joel's second album, Piano Man (1973), his subsequent albums were commercially disappointing but The Stranger was well received by critics, particularly in retrospect, with many considering it to contain some of Joel's best-written material. In a contemporary review of the album, Ira Mayer of Rolling Stone deemed it an improvement over Joel's previous studio efforts, praising its musical variety and Ramone's production.

TRACKLIST

Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
The Stranger
Just The Way You Are
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant

Vienna
Only The Good Die Young
She's Always A Woman
Get It Right The First Time
Everybody Has A Dream