| An Innocent Man | |
| Cover: | An Innocent Man single.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Billy Joel |
| Album: | An Innocent Man |
| B-Side: | "I'll Cry Instead" (live) |
| Released: | December 1983[1] |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | 5:17 |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: | Phil Ramone |
| Prev Title: | Uptown Girl |
| Prev Year: | 1983 |
| Next Title: | The Longest Time |
| Next Year: | 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.[4] It also spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart.[5]
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."[5]
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.'"[6]
Walter Everett described the song's lyrics as "one of Joel's deepest".[7]
| Chart (1983-1984) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 23 | |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] | 16 | |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 3 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 10 | |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[11] | 1 |
| Year-end chart (1984) | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles (Gallup)[12] | 64 | |
| US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[13] | 72 |