Billy Joel

Billy Joel is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from Long Island, New York, whose career took off in the 1970s and made him one of the best-selling recording artists of his era. Blending pop, rock, and R&B influences, he built a songbook defined by strong melodies, storytelling lyrics, and his own piano playing, moving easily between barroom narratives like «Piano Man», romantic ballads like «Just the Way You Are» and «She's Always a Woman», and sweeping historical pop like «We Didn't Start the Fire».

Joel's sound draws on classic American songwriting traditions, from Tin Pan Alley to doo-wop and singer-songwriter rock, filtered through his classically trained piano technique. Albums such as «The Stranger», «52nd Street», and «An Innocent Man» produced a run of hits including «Vienna», «Uptown Girl», and «It's Still Rock and Roll to Me», cementing his reputation as a crossover artist equally at home on pop and adult contemporary radio.

Beyond his commercial success, Joel has been recognized with multiple Grammy Awards and induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and later in his career turned to classical composition while continuing to perform live around the world. His catalog remains a staple of American popular music, prized for its melodic craftsmanship and vivid character sketches.