the TrueFans AMP— Issue 105

This is a first. For us. An entire issue of the AMP devoted to one Music Artist. So, you can call this the Billy Joel Issue. We are. Because it is. 

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“As human beings, we need to know that we are not alone, that we are not crazy or completely out of our minds, that there are other people out there who feel as we do, live as we do, love as we do, who are like us.”
— Billy Joel

In This Issue...15 pages (about 22ish minutes to read) You'll Get... 

• Recommends— Watch: Billy Joel: And So It Goes (HBO/Max)

• Your BIZ— The Billy Joel Effect: How One Songwriter Changed the Music Business for the Better

• The Greatest Singer Songwriters of All Time— Billy Joel: The Everyman’s Maestro

• In Partnership with MUBUTV™

• IMHO Article— What Makes Billy and His Songs So Special? by John Fogg

• PS from PS— Billy Joel Taught Me Music Had No Borders 

Here’s the playlist

• Recommends— Watch: Billy Joel: And So It Goes (HBO/Max)
For anyone who’s ever loved a song so much they hit repeat a dozen times in a row…

We highly recommend you stop what you're doing—yes, now :-)— and go stream Billy Joel: And So It Goes on HBO/Max. This rousing, revealing, and deeply human documentary is not just a look at the life of one of America's most enduring Snger Songwriters— it’s a front-row seat to the creative soul of a man who turned heartache, frustration, love, and longing into anthems that defined generations.

This isn’t just The Piano Man on loop. This is the man behind the man. Through candid interviews, rare archival footage, and heartfelt reflections, we follow Billy’s meteoric rise from working-class Long Island kid to global icon. The doc doesn't shy from the rough parts— failed relationships, industry battles, personal demons— but it’s in the grit that the genius shines brightest.

Why should TrueFans watch? Because Joel is the kind of artist we all aspire to be: prolific, passionate, unpolished in the best way. He wrote the soundtrack to New York, to heartbreak, to hope. He made vulnerability cool. And he’s still standing.

So if you need a reminder of what honesty in music looks like— if you want to feel what it means to bare your soul in a song— watch And So It Goes. Because when it comes to Billy Joel, the hits don’t lie… and the man behind them has more to teach us than ever.

“I’m not the kind of man who tends to socialize, 
I seem to lean on old familiar ways…” 

— and we’re damn glad he did.

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• Your BIZ— The Billy Joel Effect: How One Songwriter Changed the Music Business for the Better

Billy Joel didn’t just top charts. He changed the rules. Quietly. Musically. Boldly. And always on his own terms.

He wasn’t chasing disruption. He just insisted on doing it his way—and by doing so, he left permanent fingerprints on the business of music.

Here’s how.

1. He Proved That Songwriters Could Be the Stars
Before Joel, many great Songwriters wrote hits for other people. He was part of the wave that said: I wrote it. I’ll sing it. I’ll own it.

Yes, Dylan and Lennon/McCartney helped kick open that door— but Billy Joel brought in the piano, rolled up the sleeves, and made it feel working-class and aspirational at the same time.

He became a household name as a Songwriter. That wasn’t always the norm.

His success made it more possible— for everyone from Ben Folds to Sara Bareilles— to be both songwriter and star.

2. He Made the Piano Cool Again
Joel didn’t just use the piano. He centered it. At a time when guitars ruled the airwaves, he showed that a piano could drive hits, fire up stadiums, and anchor an entire band.

Think about that: he didn’t add piano to pop— he built pop around it.

That wasn’t just a creative choice. It was a market move.

Labels noticed. Radio noticed. A&R reps noticed.

He widened the lane for non-guitar-driven artists to break through— and created space for musicality in an industry increasingly focused on flash.

3. He Was the First Major Artist to Tour the Soviet Union
In 1987, when most American rock acts wouldn’t touch a Cold War audience with a ten-foot mic stand, Billy Joel packed up his band and went to Moscow and Leningrad.

He lost money on the tour— but didn’t care. The goal wasn’t profit. It was connection. It was cultural diplomacy through music.

It was bold. It was weird. It was Billy.

And it helped open the door for future Western artists— Springsteen, Metallica, Elton John— to play the Soviet Bloc and beyond.

Joel helped show the industry that music could lead the way in breaking political barriers.

4. He Invented the Modern Artist Residency Model
Billy Joel didn’t invent artist residencies— but he perfected them.

His monthly residency at Madison Square Garden, starting in 2014, changed the touring conversation for legacy artists. Rather than hit the road, he let the road come to him. The result?

Joel showed that staying put could scale just as powerfully as touring— and actually build more demand.

He turned venue residency into a legitimate, high-revenue, low-burnout business model.

5. He Resisted the Pressure to Conform— and Still Won
Billy Joel never followed trends. Never went synth-pop in the ’80s. Never tried grunge in the ’90s. Never dropped a dance remix or jumped on TikTok trends.

He said no to “what’s hot” and yes to what’s real.

And still, he sold 160 million albums. Still, he filled arenas. Still, he earned the trust of generations of fans.

He proved that authenticity could be a business strategy— not just a personality trait.

That changed things. It still does.

6. He Kept the Publishing
Joel wrote nearly all his songs solo— and early in his career, he made it a priority to retain as much of his publishing rights as possible. After a major financial betrayal by his former manager and brother-in-law, he got even smarter.

The result? Joel still controls his catalog. Still owns the songs. Still earns.

That sent a powerful message to younger artists: protect your rights.

He helped establish artist ownership of songwriting as an industry norm—not just a legal luxury.

So Did Billy Joel Change the Music Business?
Yes. Not with headlines and hype, but with actions. With music. With persistence. With a career built on:

He helped reshape what it means to be an artist with a long game. Not a trend. A career. Not just hot. Trusted.

That’s not just good for business.

That’s good for music.

“Billy Joel is not just a piano man— he’s a storytelling giant, an architect of unforgettable melodies, and one of the most prolific, genre-defying songwriters in the history of American music.”
— The TrueFans AMP™

When it comes to American songwriting royalty, Billy Joel occupies a throne carved in melody, wit, and emotional candor. With more than 160 million records sold worldwide, 33 Top 40 hits, and an unmatched ability to blend classical training with rock, pop, and jazz, Joel has carved a niche all his own— equal parts virtuoso and voice-of-the-people.

“Billy Joel is a national treasure. A master storyteller whose songs are as much a part of our culture as the Statue of Liberty.”
— Bruce Springsteen

From the moment he burst onto the scene in the early ’70s, Billy Joel’s music was never just entertainment— it was commentary, character sketch, memoir, and masterclass in songcraft.

“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”

The Hits That Defined Generations
Billy Joel’s catalog is more than impressive— it’s a jukebox of American life. His breakthrough came with Piano Man (1973), the semi-autobiographical title track becoming his first Top 40 hit and an eternal bar anthem. But that was just the start.

Albums like The Stranger (1977), 52nd Street (1978), and Glass Houses (1980) produced a steady stream of cultural staples:

Even as he moved through genres— do-wop, blues, rockabilly, jazz fusion— Joel’s fingerprint remained unmistakable: lush piano, lyrical hooks, and a craftsman’s sense of song architecture.

“I view myself as more of a composer than a pop star,” Joel once said. “I write songs to be played. If I’m the one performing them, great. But the song has to stand on its own.”

Albums That Shifted Culture
Billy Joel holds the distinction of being the first non-classical artist to perform at New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall and one of the first Western artists to perform in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. He’s the guy who opened musical doors just by playing great songs really, really well.

The Stranger remains his best-selling album, going 10x Platinum and producing four Top 40 singles. But An Innocent Man (1983)— a retro-styled homage to the music of his youth— demonstrated his ability to reimagine, not just replicate. That album alone gave us Tell Her About It, The Longest Time, and Uptown Girl.

“I wanted to write like Billy Joel. He’s always been a hero of mine for how deeply he connects with people.”
— Ben Folds

Though his last pop album was River of Dreams in 1993, Joel never left the stage. In fact, he turned performance into an art form of its own.

The Garden is His Garden
Starting in January 2014, Billy Joel began a groundbreaking residency at Madison Square Garden— promising to play one show a month “as long as there is demand.” And the demand? Off the charts.

“He’s one of the greats. His music— his lyrics, especially— have always been pure poetry.”
— Elton John

As of 2024, Joel had sold out more than 100 shows at MSG, earning him the record for the most performances by any artist at the venue. Each concert is a deep dive into his catalog— no two exactly alike— with the audience often guiding the setlist.

These shows are not just nostalgia trips. They’re living proof that his music still moves people. Young, old, new fans, lifelong TrueFans— thousands sing every word. His live band, most of whom have played with him for decades, brings an energy that’s less “legacy act” and more “still got it.”

“Billy Joel’s catalog is a soundtrack to our lives. He writes songs we live by.”
— Tony Bennett

And Joel himself? He still pounds the keys with the same Long Island grit, peppering songs with punchlines, stories, and the occasional self-deprecating jab: “This is the part of the show where we pretend I still have a high voice,” he jokes before launching into Innocent Man.

Personal High Notes— and Low
Billy Joel’s life offstage has had its crescendos and crashes. He’s battled depression, alcoholism, and financial mismanagement by his former brother-in-law. But he’s also found redemption and reflection, marrying Alexis Roderick in 2015 and embracing fatherhood again in his 60s.

“There’s never been a more versatile American Songwriter. Billy can do it all.”
— Alicia Keys

Joel’s honesty about his personal struggles has only deepened his bond with fans. As he once told an audience: “I’ve made mistakes. But I’ve tried to own them. And sometimes, I’ve turned them into songs.”

Influence, Legacy, and Love from His Peers
Billy Joel’s influence ripples through artists across genres and decades— from Ben Folds to Garth Brooks, Alicia Keys to Ed Sheeran. His blend of confessional lyricism, musicality, and plainspoken wisdom continues to shape how songs are written, sung, and lived.

“Billy Joel taught me the power of vulnerability in music. He could be sarcastic and romantic in the same verse.”
— John Mayer

Inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Joel has received the Kennedy Center Honors and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. But perhaps his greatest reward is this: his songs endure. They don’t just chart—they tattoo themselves onto memory.

As he once said: “I’m just the guy at the piano telling stories. That’s my gig. And I love it.”

in partnership with MUBUTV™

• IMHO Article— What Makes Billy and His Songs So Special? by John Fogg

How One Songwriter’s Life, Lyrics, and Legacy Still Light the Way for Artists Today

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
—Theodore Roosevelt (or maybe Dr. Ray Cummings, depending on who you ask)

And yet, studying the masters? That’s how we learn joy. That’s how we grow as Artists.

So if you’re a Singer, a Songwriter, a Musician— trying to figure out how to create work that matters, build a fanbase that sticks, and leave a legacy that sings long after you're gone— Billy Joel isn’t just worth studying.

He’s essential.

Because Billy Joel didn’t just write hit songs. 
He wrote you into them.

It Was Always Personal (Even When It Wasn’t About Him)

Billy Joel had a way of writing that felt intimate— even when he was playing characters or telling fictional tales. Piano Man wasn’t just about a dive bar in L.A.— it was about you, wherever your Saturday night happened.

He wrote the lives of lovers, dreamers, strugglers, sinners, and subway riders— then gave them melody, harmony, and truth. He wrote America, one song at a time.

And maybe that’s why his songs stick. Because they're ours now. Just ask any crowd when those opening notes hit:

“Son, can you play me a memory...”

NYC Through a Long Island Lens
You didn’t have to be a New Yorker to feel like one. Billy’s songs— Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Movin’ Out, even Miami 2017— gave you a street-level, neon-lit, late-night-slice view of the city. Every city. The sounds. The people. The grit. The dreamers and dealers. The heartbreak.

He made New York personal. Human. Global. He gave us the rhythm of subway cars, the ache of working-class hope, and the soul of the five boroughs—all from behind a piano bench.

And yet, none of it ever felt forced. It was always rooted in his own experience. He didn’t borrow style— he lived it. Wrote it. Played it. And that made it real.

The Soundtrack to Our Lives
Billy didn’t chase trends. He told stories. Musical ones. Emotional ones. Stories you didn’t even know you were in until the second verse made you cry.

He gave us wedding songs and breakup anthems. Protest ballads (Goodnight Saigon) and jukebox rockers (It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me). He made us think hard (Vienna), and made us dance without shame to “Uptown Girl,” his full-tilt, high-gloss, doo-wop daydream written for Christie Brinkley and sung to every pretty girl from the East Side to Long Island.

From tender to tongue-in-cheek, he nailed the emotional spectrum.

He took risks. Switched genres. Wrote history.

From classical-tinged ballads to jazzy vamps, punky pop to swing-time soul, he refused to be boxed in. The Stranger to 52nd Street to Glass Houses to An Innocent Man— every album reinvented his sound without ever losing his soul.

He followed the music wherever it wanted to go. Not to chase the charts, but to chase what was real. What mattered. What moved him.

And in doing so, he moved us.

The Garden Is His Garden
If you want to see what TrueFans really look like— go to Madison Square Garden.

In 2014, Billy Joel kicked off an unprecedented monthly residency at MSG, vowing to perform “as long as the demand exists.” And guess what? A decade later, the demand’s still through the roof.

More than 100 sold-out shows. Record-breaking attendance. Generations of fans singing every word.

And these aren’t nostalgia tours. Billy’s not phoning it in. He’s present. In the music. In the moment. Joking with the crowd, bantering with the band, taking requests. Sometimes even letting the audience choose the next song.

“This is the part of the show where we pretend I still have a high voice,” he cracks, just before nailing “An Innocent Man.”

The truth? He’s still got it. The phrasing. The fingers. The fire. And he’s doing it live—no Auto-Tune, no smoke and mirrors. Just the songs. And a bond with the crowd that can’t be faked.

It’s a Matter of Trust
Billy Joel didn’t just earn fans. He earned trust.

We saw the highs— Grammy wins, chart-toppers, sold-out tours. We saw the lows— divorces, depression, addiction, betrayal. And we stayed.

Why?

Because the songs never lied to us. And neither did he.

“I’ve made mistakes. But I’ve tried to own them. And sometimes, I’ve turned them into songs,” he once said. And we believed him.

That’s the mark of a great artist. Someone who doesn’t hide behind the work. Someone who is the work.

Someone who says, “Here I am. All of me. Take what you want and need.”

So, What Makes Billy Joel So Special?
He wrote songs that matter. Songs you live by. Songs that hold your memories.

He made the personal universal. The painful beautiful. The ordinary unforgettable.

He turned life into melody. And gave that melody to us.

And if you’re an artist today? You’d do well to walk a few steps in his footprints.

Not to imitate— but to understand.

To study how he told the truth with a tune.

How he built a fanbase by being human.

How he kept the music real.

Because when you learn how someone like Billy Joel walked the path, you just might discover how to walk your own.

In rhythm. In truth. In your own voice.

And maybe, just maybe…

With a few more TrueFans than you had before.

 • PS from PS— Billy Joel Taught Me Music Had No Borders 
This rock fan's reluctant education in the infinite possibilities of melody 

I was 17 and insufferably certain about music. My world had clear boundaries: heavy guitars good, everything else suspect. My record collection was a fortress of  rock or progressive rock— as it was called back then. Each album a badge of  authenticity in my carefully curated identity as someone who understood what "real"  music meant. 

Then one night I heard Piano Man on the radio. I should have changed the station  immediately, but something in those opening harmonica notes caught me off guard. The song began to unfold like a short story told in melody. Here was narrative depth,  character development, emotional complexity— all wrapped in a deceptively simple  arrangement that somehow felt both intimate and universal. The piano wasn't trying to  be a guitar; it was being completely, unapologetically itself. 

For the first time, I understood that musical sophistication didn't require volume or  aggression. It required honesty. 

Sometime later a fellow DJ on the station I was on at the time told me to listen to Scenes from an Italian Restaurant and my carefully constructed musical worldview  crumbled entirely. Truly. It blew me away. This wasn't just songwriting; this was  architectural. Billy Joel had built an entire emotional landscape, complete with character arcs and temporal shifts, all held together by melodic threads I was only beginning to  recognize. 

I listened and it felt like I'd been living in black and white and suddenly discovered  color. This marked the beginning of my real musical education— not the kind you get  from magazines or peer groups, but the kind that comes from recognizing your own  limitations and choosing curiosity over certainty. 

Billy Joel became my gateway to understanding that music's greatest power lay not in  volume or speed, but in its ability to make you feel less alone in the world. His songs  taught me that storytelling could be as powerful as any guitar solo, that vulnerability  could be as compelling as bravado. 

The rock fan in me didn't disappear; instead, he evolved. I learned to appreciate the  craftsmanship in a perfectly constructed bridge. The emotional weight of a well-placed  minor chord. The way certain melodies could carry memories across decades. 

Years later, I realized that Billy Joel taught me a fundamental lesson about intellectual  humility. He showed me that expertise isn't about building walls around what you know, but about remaining open to what you don't yet understand.  

True creative growth requires the courage to admit that our current understanding  might be incomplete. 

Billy Joel taught me that music has no borders, only bridges waiting to be crossed.

Thank you, Billy, for the education. For showing me that the most profound learning  often comes not from validating what we already know, but from having the courage to  discover what we don't know we don't know. 

Until we speak again... 

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And PLEASE, if you've got any Singer Songwriter friends, pass the AMP on, because... It’s Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time...