"Piano Man" is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on November 14, 1973, by Columbia Records. The album was a significant turning point in Joel’s career, emerging from the legal troubles he faced with his previous label, Family Productions. The album marked Joel's first real breakthrough, both in terms of commercial success and recognition.
The title track, "Piano Man," is a semi-autobiographical song that recounts Joel's experiences as a lounge singer in Los Angeles. The song became one of his most iconic hits, peaking at No. 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Other singles from the album, such as "Travelin' Prayer" and "Worse Comes to Worst," charted lower, peaking at No. 77 and No. 80, respectively. Despite these moderate singles performances, Piano Man itself reached No. 27 on the US Billboard 200 chart, helping to cement Billy Joel’s place as a significant figure in American pop and rock music. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in 1975, though Joel only received $8,000 in royalties from it, which would be approximately $45,000 in today’s money.
In November 2011, a legacy edition of Piano Man was released by Columbia Records. This two-disc edition includes a live broadcast from 1972, recorded at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios for the radio station WMMR-FM. This particular broadcast played a key role in Joel's rise to fame. After the performance aired, the live version of "Captain Jack" became a major hit on the station, eventually becoming the most requested song in WMMR's history. This attention from WMMR helped secure a recording contract for Joel with Columbia Records. The legacy edition also includes three tracks— "Long, Long Time," "Josephine," and "Rosalinda"—that were never officially released on any of Joel's studio albums.
