Today (Friday, October 11th) marks the 50th anniversary of Billy Joel’s third studio album, Streetlife Serenade, which was a top 40 hit for the future Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.

Released Oct. 11, 1974, the album is best known for the song “The Entertainer,” which had Billy clapping back after his classic track “Piano Man” was cut for radio. In it, he sings, “If you’re gonna have a hit, you gotta make it fit, so they cut it down to 3:05.”

Streetlife Serenade was the follow-up to his 1972 breakthrough Piano Man, and even Billy admits he wasn't at his best. He says the quality suffered because he was too busy opening for other acts on the road, sharing he "didn't really have a lot of time to write new material."

"But there was a lot of pressure to put out another album after Piano Man and I just didn't have a lot of stuff," he said. "There's even two instrumentals and when's the last time, you know, a singer-songwriter put out an instrumental?"

Streetlife Serenade went on to sell over 1 million copies and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.

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