Billy Joel (born May 9, 1949), nicknamed the "Piano Man," is one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 160 million records and ranking as the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States. Growing up in Long Island, he dropped out of high school to pursue music, and after a few early bands, he achieved his critical and commercial breakthrough with the 1977 album The Stranger, which spawned hits like "Just the Way You Are" and "Movin' Out." His follow-up, 52nd Street (1978), won the Grammy for Album of the Year, while Glass Houses (1980) gave him his first #1 single with "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," and An Innocent Man (1983) paid tribute to the R&B and doo-wop of his youth. A legendary live performer, Joel made history in 1987 as one of the first Western artists to tour the Soviet Union, and he has amassed 33 Top 40 hits, including the chart-topping "We Didn't Start the Fire." Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and a five-time Grammy winner, Joel largely retired from studio albums after 1993 but returned to songwriting with the 2024 single "Turn the Lights Back On."