MGK’s Top 20 Classic Rock Singers: 12. Billy Joel

Throughout the month of February, 102.9 WMGK will count down the 20 greatest classic rock singers decided by our listener vote. 

We’ll dedicate daily blocks to one singer who's made the list every weekday throughout the month.

MGK will celebrate Billy Joel on Monday, Feb. 13. 

Joel is one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has won six Grammy Awards, and he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. The Library of Congress chose “Piano Man” to be added to the National Recording Registry in 2014.

The Long Island native has had two hits, "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me" and "We Didn't Start the Fire," reach the top of the charts. Other widely known songs include "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," "Captain Jack," and "Only the Good Die Young."

Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks will perform at Lincoln Financial Field in June. 

His work has earned him the #12 spot on the list in 2023. 

20. Brad Delp

19. Steven Tyler

18. Bruce Springsteen

17. Don Henley

16. Jon Anderson

15. Mick Jagger

14. Phil Collins

13. Stevie Nicks

12. Billy Joel

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Billy Joel released Piano Man in 1973 without knowing how iconic the title track would become.

The song "Piano Man" is a classic that reminds so many people of a particular group of friends or a period of their lives that they can look back on happily in the sense of good memories and sadly in the sense of longing for the past.

The emotional classic never fails to invoke some kind of nostalgia whenever it's played. Some listeners might interpret the lyrics with a sense of joy because of a group of people gathered in an old, smoky bar. Others might focus more on the authentic sense of sadness and loneliness that Joel sings about.

Almost everyone knows the bar glass sway of the members of the audience from the song's official video.

Chris Epting, the author of If There's a Bustle in Your Hedgegrow: 50 Lyrical Lines That Helped Define the 1970s, shared the story behind the lyrics of "Piano Man" during an appearance on the John DeBella Show.

Joel played regularly in a piano bar in Los Angeles called the Executive Room during the early 1970s.

"A lot of characters in the song 'Piano Man' actually were people who literally circled that bar at the old Executive Room, which was really nothing more than one of these small cocktail lounges," Epting said.

His talent pushed the bar patrons to ask Billy Joel, "Man, what are you doing here?"

Joel's success on the big stage for decades has confirmed their appreciation for a talented artist, as he has become one of the best-selling musicians in history.

The song introduces five characters that transport its listeners inside a smoky, rundown bar with an incredible sense of authenticity. The powerful lyrics, the fading harmonica, and the feeling of nostalgia have helped "Piano Man" withstand the test of time.

Billy Joel characterizes an old man who might not be so sharp anymore. His longing for the past sets the tone for theme of the song.

The bartender might seem like everyone's favorite person on the surface, but the song reveals that there's "some place that he'd rather be." John's lofty dreams of becoming a movie star are hardly uncommon for some people just fighting to make ends meet.

The idea of someone who is married to a job is emotionally authentic and appealing in a genuine sense, regardless of how sad it might be.

The idea of Davy and Paul having a casual conversation at the bar escaping from the bigger picture of life is surprisingly heartwarming.

Like John at the bar, the waitress is hustling around to earn her living while also chasing higher aspirations in life. It's as relatable of an idea as any.