Billy Joel hasn't released a pop album since 1993, and somehow that's never stopped him from selling out stadiums.
This summer he's back onstage, trading his long-running Madison Square Garden residency for ballparks and arenas across the country, and the Piano Man is giving fans plenty to talk about.
Joel has been opening shows with "The Natural (The End Times)," a deep cut most casual fans have never heard, then winding through "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," "Movin' Out," and "Piano Man" like clockwork.
What's really fueling the debate is Joel's voice.
At 76, he's still hitting the big notes on "An Innocent Man" and "Uptown Girl," but he's also dropped keys and leaned on his band more than he did a decade ago.
Clips from recent shows have racked up millions of views, split between fans calling it remarkable and critics saying it's time to slow down.
In a recent onstage moment, he joked about being "old enough to remember when ticket prices were reasonable" before launching into "We Didn't Start the Fire," a song that somehow feels more relevant now than it did in 1989.
The other conversation swirling around Joel is who he's bringing out as surprise guests.
He's shared stages with everyone from Miley Cyrus to Axl Rose in recent years, and every tour stop now comes with a guessing game on social media.
When he duetted with a rising country star at a recent show, the clip went viral within hours.
Joel released "Turn the Lights Back On" in 2024, his first new pop single in decades, and it charted well enough to prove the appetite is still there.
Fans keep asking if a full album is coming.
Joel keeps giving the same answer: maybe.
Several dates sold out within minutes, and resale prices for prime seats are climbing into the thousands.
For an artist whose last studio album came out during the Clinton administration, that's a striking testament to staying power.
What makes Joel's current run interesting isn't nostalgia alone.
It's watching an artist who never chased trends still command the room on his own terms, one piano ballad at a time. **Our take:** Joel has earned the right to play whatever he wants, deep cuts included.
Final Thoughts
The fans grumbling about the setlist should remember they're watching a living legend who could've retired years ago.