'' The Nightfly '' was well-received , both critically and commercially . It was certified platinum in both the US and UK , and generated two popular singles with the top 40 hit " I.G.Y. " and the MTV favorite " New Frontier " . Among critics , '' The Nightfly '' gained widespread acclaim , and received seven nominations at the 1983 Grammy Awards . The relatively low-key but long-lived popularity of '' The Nightfly '' led Robert J. Toth of '' The Wall Street Journal '' in 2008 to dub the album " one of pop music 's sneakiest masterpieces . " Donald Fagen , born in Passaic , New Jersey , in 1948 , grew up with an affinity for music . As a kid , he enjoyed listening to rock and roll pioneers Chuck Berry and Fats Domino , but noticed that as rock music gained popularity , he personally felt it lost an edge . Fagen , a " lonely " kid , then turned to late-night jazz radio shows for the vitality he felt the new music lacked . As he got older , he intended to go to graduate school and pursue literature . Instead , he was " swept up " into the counterculture at Bard College , where he met Walter Becker . They later moved to Los Angeles at the suggestion of their friend Gary Katz , and took jobs as staff writers for ABC Records . Together , they formed Steely Dan , releasing their first album , '' Ca n't Buy a Thrill '' , in 1972 . Over the course of the decade , the group became enormously successful on the strength of the albums '' Countdown to Ecstasy '' ( 1973 ) , '' Pretzel Logic '' ( 1974 ) , '' Katy Lied '' ( 1975 ) , '' The Royal Scam '' ( 1976 ) , and '' Aja '' ( 1977 ) , the band 's best-selling effort and a critical favorite . They gradually shifted from performing live to working solely in the studio , making the project a revolving selection of session musicians at the behest of Fagen and Becker
Grammy Awards
25th Annual Grammy Awards
The Nightfly