# Billy Joel Source: https://www.popfiltr.com/artist-profile/billy-joel Published: 2026-09-22T17:11:22.815Z Language: en > American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, the Bronx-born "Piano Man," has built a five-decade career on singalong rock, elastic ballads, and a decade-long monthly residency at Madison Square Garden. --- Artist profile ## Billy Joel American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, the Bronx-born "Piano Man," has built a five-decade career on singalong rock, elastic ballads, and a decade-long monthly residency at Madison Square Garden. ## Quick facts - **Origin:** United States - **Genres:** pop, rock, singer/songwriter, rock and roll - **Award-winning work:** Just the Way You Are, 52nd Street, Glass Houses - **Awards:** 5 Grammy Awards won · 23 Grammy nominations - **Audience:** 31.3M Spotify monthly listeners, as of April 30, 2026 ![Billy Joel official artist profile image](https://www.popfiltr.com/artist-profile-assets/v1/42/2e9e9287642c6efef194839cf8370c36096251011ad34b0da808da797b625a6c.jpg) *[Artist image via Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zFYqv1mOsgBRQbae3JJ9e)* - **Spotify monthly listeners:** 31.3M (No. 197 by Spotify monthly listeners) - **TikTok tracked video views:** 8.4B (No. 931 by TikTok top-video views) - **YouTube total views:** 2.6B - **Pandora lifetime streams:** 3.7B - **Total platform audience:** 12.6M - **Spotify followers:** 8M (No. 515 by Spotify followers) - **YouTube subscribers:** 2.3M (No. 2789 by YouTube subscribers) - **TikTok followers:** 339.2K (No. 10244 by TikTok followers) Figures as of April 30, 2026. Data ## Audience, reach and discovery Figures as of April 30, 2026. ### Platform audience - **Spotify monthly listeners:** 31.3M (No. 197 by Spotify monthly listeners) - **Spotify followers:** 8M (No. 515 by Spotify followers) - **YouTube subscribers:** 2.3M (No. 2789 by YouTube subscribers) - **Instagram followers:** 1.2M (No. 7488 by Instagram followers) - **TikTok followers:** 339.2K (No. 10244 by TikTok followers) - **Deezer fans:** 841.4K (No. 882 for Deezer fans) - **Pandora 28-day listeners:** 2.7M ### Consumption and discovery - **YouTube total views:** 2.6B - **YouTube daily views:** 1.3M - **YouTube monthly views:** 32.4M - **TikTok likes:** 3.5M (No. 12915 for TikTok likes) - **TikTok tracked video views:** 8.4B (No. 931 by TikTok top-video views) - **TikTok track posts:** 6.5M (No. 1096 for TikTok track posts) - **Pandora lifetime streams:** 3.7B - **Shazams:** 56.7M - **Genius pageviews:** 12.2M ### Playlist footprint - **Spotify playlist reach:** 289.1M - **Spotify editorial playlist reach:** 128.7M - **Spotify playlists:** 816.8K - **Spotify editorial playlists:** 382 - **Apple Music playlists:** 650 - **Apple Music editorial playlists:** 207 - **Deezer playlists:** 286 - **Deezer editorial playlists:** 37 - **YouTube playlists:** 200 - **YouTube editorial playlists:** 43 ### Top listener markets Leading cities by Spotify monthly listeners. | Rank | City | Listeners | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | London GB | 573.5K | | 2 | Sydney AU | 487.6K | | 3 | Melbourne AU | 411K | | 4 | Chicago US | 371.3K | | 5 | Brisbane AU | 356.7K | Biography ## From Hicksville to the Garden: a Billy Joel biography ### Long Island beginnings William Martin Joel is born in the Bronx on May 9, 1949, and grows up in the Levittown section of Hicksville on Long Island. He begins studying piano in 1953 and, despite teasing at school, keeps with the instrument through adolescence. He boxes as a teenager, then drifts into the cover bands that keep Long Island busy on weekends, and he ultimately skips summer school in favor of a full-time music career, reasoning that Columbia Records does not require a high school diploma. By 1963 he is playing with The Echoes, and in 1967 he joins The Hassles, a local group that records two albums for United Artists. When that band dissolves, Joel forms Attila in 1970 with Hassles drummer Jon Small; the heavy duo cuts a single album for Epic. Still barely into his twenties, he signs a solo contract, releases Cold Spring Harbor in 1971, and then loses control of the project to a contractual dispute that sends him to Los Angeles, where he earns money at piano bars under the name Bill Martin. ### Cold Spring Harbor and the road to Columbia A live tape of the ballad "Captain Jack," lifted from a concert broadcast and championed by Philadelphia station WMMR, turns Joel into a word-of-mouth favorite and prompts Columbia Records to find him. He signs with the label and releases Piano Man in 1973. The title song, written out of a six-month engagement at a Los Angeles piano bar, becomes a top-20 single, and the album eventually reaches No. 27 on the Billboard 200. Streetlife Serenade (1974) and Turnstiles (1976) follow, improving his standing with critics and radio without yet making him a star. ### The Stranger and the superstardom years With producer Phil Ramone, Joel records The Stranger in 1977. The album parks at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and yields a run of American Top 40 singles, including "Just the Way You Are," "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," and "She's Always a Woman." Kennedy Center materials describe it as Columbia Records' best-selling release from 1977 until 1985. At the 21st Annual Grammy Awards, "Just the Way You Are" takes Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The albums keep arriving in rapid succession. 52nd Street (1978) gives Joel his first Billboard 200 No. 1 and, at the following ceremony, Album of the Year plus Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male. Glass Houses (1980) pivots to taut, guitar-forward rock, spends six weeks at No. 1 on the album chart, and supplies his first Hot 100 chart-topper with "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," along with a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male. The Nylon Curtain (1982) turns topical with "Allentown" and "Pressure" and is recorded not long after a motorcycle accident seriously injures both of his hands. An Innocent Man (1983) revives the soul and doo-wop sounds of his youth and places six singles in the Top 40, among them "Uptown Girl" and "Tell Her About It." ### Stadiums, the Soviet tour, and benefit stages Joel keeps expanding the frame. He travels to Cuba in 1979 for Havana Jam, and in July 1987 he becomes the first American entertainer to launch a full-scale rock production in the Soviet Union, playing a run of concerts in Moscow and Leningrad. Greatest Hits Volume I and Volume II (1985) becomes his seventh consecutive top-ten album, while Storm Front (1989) delivers "We Didn't Start the Fire," a No. 1 single that collects three Grammy nominations. River of Dreams debuts at No. 1 in 1993, after which Joel turns much of his energy to the road. He and Elton John begin a series of Face-to-Face tours in 1994 and revisit the pairing through 2010. Benefit appearances include Farm Aid and USA for Africa's "We Are the World" campaign, and in 1978 he had founded the Charity Begins At Home foundation to support causes across the New York tri-state area. ### After the pop albums: classical, Broadway, and honors River of Dreams closes the main pop-album chapter of Joel's career; its title single reaches No. 1 on the Hot 100 and the project earns four Grammy nominations. He continues to tour steadily while leaving the studio mostly alone. Fantasies & Delusions (2001) collects solo piano pieces written by Joel and performed by classical pianist Richard Hyung-ki Joo, and 2007 brings the one-off singles "All My Life" and "Christmas in Fallujah." Stage and civic honors fill the gap. Twyla Tharp's Movin' Out, a Broadway show built from his catalog, opens in 2002 and wins two Tony Awards in 2003, including Best Orchestrations for Joel. He is named MusiCares Person of the Year in 2002 and receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004. He enters the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, receives the Kennedy Center Honor in 2013, and in November 2014 collects the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and ASCAP's Centennial Award. ### The Garden decade and a health pause In December 2013, Madison Square Garden names Joel its first music franchise, and in January 2014 he begins playing the arena once a month. The residency runs for a decade; the finale on July 25, 2024, is billed as his 150th lifetime show at the Garden and the 104th of the monthly run, with a banner raised in his honor. Earlier that year, on February 1, Columbia releases "Turn the Lights Back On," his first new single in 17 years, which he performs at the Grammy Awards days later. Live work then pauses for medical reasons. After a March 2025 postponement tied to surgery, Joel discloses on May 23, 2025, that he has been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, which his team says has been exacerbated by concert performances and has affected his hearing, vision, and balance. On his doctors' advice he cancels scheduled concerts through July 2026 to focus on physical therapy, telling fans he hopes to return to the stage once he recovers. Selected moments ## Career highlights 1. 1973 **Piano Man arrives on Columbia** Joel's 1973 Columbia album pairs the title song, drawn from a Los Angeles piano-bar gig, with the fan favorite "Captain Jack"; the Recording Academy notes the record reaches No. 27 on the Billboard 200. 2. 1977 **The Stranger breaks through** Produced with Phil Ramone, The Stranger spins off American Top 40 singles including "Just the Way You Are"; Kennedy Center materials call it Columbia's best-selling release until 1985. 3. 1979 **Grammy double for "Just the Way You Are"** At the 21st Annual Grammy Awards, Joel collects Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Just the Way You Are," a double win for a single ballad from The Stranger. 4. 1980 **Glass Houses changes gears** Joel turns toward harder rock with Glass Houses, which spends six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart; "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" becomes his first Hot 100 No. 1. 5. 1987 **A rock production reaches Moscow** Joel tours the Soviet Union with a full rock production, playing Moscow and Leningrad; the run is later documented in the tour documentary A Matter of Trust. 6. 1992 **Songwriters Hall of Fame induction** Joel enters the Songwriters Hall of Fame in recognition of a self-written catalog, then receives the organization's Johnny Mercer Award, its highest honor, in 2001. 7. 1999 **Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction** Inducted in the class of 1999 alongside Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney, Joel is saluted for demonstrating that the piano can anchor rock and roll. 8. 2003 **Tony Award for Movin' Out** The Twyla Tharp-choreographed Broadway musical Movin' Out, built from Joel's songs, wins two Tony Awards, including Best Orchestrations credited to Joel. 9. 2013 **Kennedy Center Honor** Joel is a Kennedy Center Honoree, with tribute performances from Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, Don Henley, and others celebrating his five decades of songs. 10. 2014 **Library of Congress Gershwin Prize** The Library of Congress presents Joel with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at DAR Constitution Hall in November 2014; he also receives ASCAP's Centennial Award that month. 11. 2024 **Turn the Lights Back On released** Columbia releases Joel's first new single in 17 years on February 1, 2024, and he performs the song at the Grammy Awards days later before adding it to his set lists. 12. 2024 **Madison Square Garden residency ends** The monthly residency concludes on July 25, 2024, billed as Joel's 150th lifetime show at the Garden and the 104th performance of the decade-long run. Recognition ## Grammys, halls of fame, and national honors Joel's award record spans competitive Grammy wins, songwriting inductions, and national cultural honors. Recording Academy records show five Grammy wins from 23 nominations, led by Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Just the Way You Are" and Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male for 52nd Street. Beyond the Grammys he receives the Grammy Legend Award, is inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, wins a Tony Award for the Broadway show Movin' Out, and is honored with the Kennedy Center Honor in 2013 and the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2014. - **Grammy Awards won:** 5 - **Grammy nominations:** 23 - **Tony Awards won by Joel:** 1 - **Music halls of fame inducted:** 2 | Year | Award | Category | Work | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1979 | Grammy Award | Record of the Year Winner | Just the Way You Are | | 1979 | Grammy Award | Song of the Year Winner | Just the Way You Are | | 1980 | Grammy Award | Album of the Year Winner | 52nd Street | | 1980 | Grammy Award | Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male Winner | 52nd Street | | 1981 | Grammy Award | Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male Winner | Glass Houses | | 1981 | Grammy Award | Album of the Year Nominee | Glass Houses | | 1983 | Grammy Award | Album of the Year Nominee | The Nylon Curtain | | 1984 | Grammy Award | Album of the Year Nominee | An Innocent Man | | 1990 | Grammy Award | Record of the Year Nominee | We Didn't Start the Fire | | 1990 | Grammy Legend Award | Special merit recognition Winner | | | 1992 | Songwriters Hall of Fame | Induction Winner | | | 1994 | Grammy Award | Song of the Year Nominee | The River of Dreams | | 1999 | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | Induction Winner | | | 2001 | Songwriters Hall of Fame Johnny Mercer Award | Highest organizational honor Winner | | | 2002 | Grammy Award | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals Nominee | New York State of Mind with Tony Bennett | | 2002 | MusiCares Person of the Year | Benefit honor Winner | | | 2003 | Tony Award | Best Orchestrations Winner | Movin' Out | | 2013 | Kennedy Center Honor | Performing arts tribute Winner | | | 2014 | Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song | National lifetime achievement in popular song Winner | | | 2014 | ASCAP Centennial Award | Special recognition of American music icons Winner | | Sources - [Billy Joel Official Site — Billy Joel Biography ↗](https://www.billyjoel.com/biography) - [Billy Joel Official Site — Billy Joel Timeline ↗](https://www.billyjoel.com/timeline) - [Billy Joel Official Site — Concert Dates Cancelled ↗](https://www.billyjoel.com/news/concert-dates-cancelled) - [Billy Joel Official Site — Concert Dates Postponed ↗](https://www.billyjoel.com/news/concert-dates-postponed) - [Billy Joel Official Site — Final Show of Madison Square Garden Residency Announced ↗](https://www.billyjoel.com/news/billy-joel-announces-final-show-of-madison-square-garden-residency) - [Billy Joel Official Site — First New Single in Decades 'Turn the Lights Back On' ↗](https://www.billyjoel.com/news/billy-joel-releases-first-new-single-in-decades-turn-the-lights-back-on) - [Billy Joel Official Site — To Receive Library of Congress Gershwin Prize ↗](https://www.billyjoel.com/news/billy-joel-receive-library-congress-gershwin-prize-popular-song) - [Recording Academy — Billy Joel Grammy Awards and Nominations ↗](https://www.grammy.com/artists/billy-joel/12071) - [Library of Congress — The Gershwin Prize Honorees ↗](https://www.loc.gov/events/gershwin-prize/honorees) - [Kennedy Center — Billy Joel, 2013 Kennedy Center Honoree ↗](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/j/jo-jz/billy-joel) - [Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — Billy Joel ↗](https://rockhall.com/inductees/billy-joel) - [Songwriters Hall of Fame — Billy Joel ↗](https://www.songhall.org/profiles/billy-joel) - [The New York Times — Billy Joel Brings Madison Square Garden Residency to an End ↗](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/26/arts/music/billy-joel-msg-residency-final-show.html) - [The New York Times — How Billy Joel Returned to Pop Music ↗](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/arts/music/billy-joel-new-song-turn-the-lights-back-on.html) - [Rolling Stone — Billy Joel Announces 'Turn the Lights Back On,' First Single in 17 Years ↗](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/billy-joel-announces-turn-the-lights-back-on-1234950926) - [PBS NewsHour — Billy Joel cancels tour after brain disorder diagnosis ↗](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/musician-billy-joel-cancels-tour-after-being-diagnosed-with-brain-disorder) - [BBC News — Billy Joel cancels tour after brain condition diagnosis ↗](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2q95d4wy1o) - [CNN — Billy Joel Fast Facts ↗](https://www.cnn.com/us/billy-joel-fast-facts) - [NBC New York — Billy Joel closes MSG residency with guests Axl Rose, Jimmy Fallon ↗](https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/billy-joel-msg-residency/5631934)