Image Credit: Chris Haston/NBC; Sylvain Gaboury/PR PhotosBilly Joel will be offering several of his hit songs as downloadable content on the upcoming Rock Band 3. He is doing this for one reason, and one reason only: to rub his awesomeness in my fat face. In an interview with USA Today, Joel explains that he had never allowed his music to appear in videogames … until a certain recap of The Office changed his mind. In the episode, Jim and Pam mentioned owning the (fictional) game, Rock Band: Billy Joel. According to Joel, “the critic wrote something like, ‘God forbid that ever should happen.’ So I called my people and said, ‘Get me (on) that Rock Band game.’ Then I wrote the critic, saying that every time I get a check, I’ll give him a little nod.“
There are two important pieces of information to take away from this interview:
1) Billy Joel reads Office recaps.
2) Billy Joel is lying, because he never wrote me anything.
PopWatchers, I have never received any mail, email, or text messages from Mr. Joel. He has not posted on my Facebook wall. He has not @ed me on Twitter. I’m pretty sure I’d remember if one of the most successful musicians of the era wrote me a spiteful note, although I will admit the possibility that his email ended up in my spam folder (which happens all the time when Billy Idol emails me stock tips). Therefore, I have no choice but to declare Shenanigans. Shenanigans!
I couldn’t, however, be happier to have indirectly inspired Billy Joel to embrace a new frontier of musicality. Some of the most important events in human history have occurred purely out of spite. The pilgrims colonized Plymouth Rock because they hated the Church of England. Neil Armstrong colonized space because he hated gravity. I’m absolutely tickled to hear that he will think of me every time his Rock Band 3 royalty check arrives.
PopWatchers, do you think Billy Joel actually watched The Office, or did he stop watching years ago and now he just reads the recaps? How much cash do you think he will net off the Rock Band 3 deal? Should I sue him, Winklevoss-style, for reverse-stealing my non-idea?
3 words Mr. Franich, “Get over yourself.”
That is all.
Aww come on. Let the guy have his moment. Hell I get all giddy when I’m included in a “mailbag” column, like AA. And this is way bigger than that.
Check the link to the Office recap. Sounds like Billy got back after all…
I think you’re missing the sense of irony that covers this entire thing, the one that makes this article pretty funny.
It sounds like the most boring version of Rock Band ever.
It’s not boring because Rock Band 3 has a keyboard which will let you play along to BJ’s piano parts!
I’m so stoked.
No Stacie, actually it sounds pretty freakin’ awesome.
Yeah when you have a piano as one of the instrument, Billy Joel suddenly becomes a very feasible Rock Band artist.
Entirely possible that you’re the only critic who said that. On the Internet. Entirely, wholly possible.
Exactly!
Enjoy the word Shenanigans. But the better Shenangians reference is from SupperTroopers!
Evil Shenanigans!
He’s never allowed his music to appear in videogames? Tell that to Singstar where 5 of his songs are available to download.
hmm…
I guess he meant music games that have instruments… (Rock Band, Guitar Hero, etc.) but that’s a good point.
I guess lying isn’t a big thing for Billy though since he didn’t actually contact Darren about all of this.
There are a lot of other artists not yet in Rock Band that I’d REALLY love to see included. Could I get Darren Franich to insult them too?
I’m a HUGE Billy Joel fan, so this makes me actually want to play Rock Band, which I never have.
Fittingly, RB3 adds keyboard. Joel wouldn’t really have been a good fit before now.
The 10 songs confirmed so far:
Big Shot, Captain Jack, It’s Still, Rock N Roll to Me, Movin’ Out, Only The Good Die Young, Piano Man, Pressure, Say Goodbye to Hollywood, The Entertainer, The Stranger
I’m not sure the Pilgrims were allowed to hate things. I think they had to respectfully disagree with the Church of England. Gravity, on the other hand, is a fickle SOB.
Oh, come on people. I think it’s pretty clear that Mr. Franich has his tongue firmly planted in cheek and doesn’t actually think he’s responsible for Billy Joel changing his mind.
Most importantly, now Jim and Pam actually have to go through with inviting Michael over to his house. Maybe next time they can invite him over to play “Rock Band: Sweeney Todd.”
Billy Joel specifically said in an interview with USA Today that it was an Entertainment Weekly “review” of The Office that changed his mind.
From the interview:
“I’ve never allowed my music to be used in a game before,” but an Entertainment Weekly review of NBC’s The Office changed his mind.
I’m sure Billy was mostly joking but since Darren Franich wrote the review Joel was talking about… I think he does deserve some credit.
Three cheers for Darren. Hip Hip – Hooray!
Thanks for the info, and if it’s true it doesn’t change my original point: the tone of this article is clearly satirical and Darren doesn’t actually think he has the power to influence music legends. (Even though he clearly does.)
That is hilarious. He owes Darren some gratitude, because he likely never would have thought about that on his own and God knows he always seems to be in need of money since he’s forever being ripped off by his accountants and relatives and such.
Sorry, Darren, I don’t think Billy Joel was referring to your online column. I think he was referring to a summary of the episode in the paper magazine’s “What To Watch” section, which I think is written by Jessica Shaw. I remember reading it there. Unfortunately, I don’t keep back issues, so I can’t tell you exactly what she said about it.
But to whomever the staffer is at EW who is responsible for the snarkiness that got Billy Joel into Rock Band, you have my eternal gratitude. “Movin’ Out” and “Big Shot” are going to be AWESOME to sing and play on keyboard!!! If it was Jessica, pass along my thanks
“Then I wrote the critic, saying that every time I get a check, I’ll give HIM a little nod.”
Emphasis added.
I dunno, I still swear I read this in the print magazine. I remember it being said in the magazine, and I’ve never read these online TV recaps before (I found this site via the Rock Band forums). It might have been in the “Bullseye” section too, a week later – I’m not entirely sure. All I know is it was the EW magazine, and not online.
I’m not debating what article you read. I’m saying, if it was written by a female EW writer, Billy Joel didn’t read it. (That sounds sexist but isn’t.)
Do you think Billy Joel really knew or remembered that the author was a female? He probably just assumed it was a male.
I assume if he felt impugned enough to write a note over a throwaway line, he probably glanced at the author’s name.
I own Rock Band. I have no interest in playing any Billy Joel songs. Sorry.
Awesome, Franich!
Don’t call me a liar, Darren. I did write to you – via the EW editor. And you may take all the credit…..but I’m keeping the residuals.
Billy Joel
we have a winner!