Billy Joel

Born in 1949 in the Bronx and raised on Long Island, Billy Joel began playing piano at an early age, combining formal training with a passion for American rock of the 1960s. As a singer, songwriter and pianist, he made his mark in the early 1970s in a pop-rock and soft-rock vein that blended piano ballads, more electric tracks and narrative songs inspired by urban everyday life. After his first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor (1971), his career took off with Piano Man (1973), followed by a series of records produced notably with Phil Ramone, including The Stranger (1977) and 52nd Street (1978), which draw on jazz, rock and pop influences. The 1980s saw Joel alternate between rock energy and retro references on albums like Glass Houses (1980) and An Innocent Man (1983), while solidifying his presence on major North American and European stages. In the 1990s, River of Dreams (1993) marked the end of his pop studio albums; thereafter he prioritized touring, headline concerts and compositional work, exemplified by the album of piano pieces Fantasies & Delusions (2001). His repertoire, frequently covered and adapted, remains associated with straightforward melodic writing, meticulous arrangements and a strong piano presence in American pop rock.