In 1972, Joel caught the attention of Columbia Records after a live radio performance of the song ' Captain Jack' became popular in Philadelphia, prompting him to sign a new record deal with the company and release his second album, Piano Man, in 1973.

After dropping out of high school to pursue a musical career, Joel took part in two short-lived bands, The Hassles and Attila, before signing a record deal with Family Productions and kicking off a solo career in 1971 with his first release Cold Spring Harbor. Growing up, he took piano lessons at his mother's insistence. Joel was born in 1949 in the Bronx, New York, and grew up on Long Island, both places that influenced his music. 1 & 2, is one of the best-selling albums in the United States. His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits Vol. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, as well as the seventh-best-selling recording artist and the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States, with over 160 million records sold worldwide. Commonly nicknamed the 'Piano Man' after his first major hit and signature song of the same name as well as the similarly named 1973 album, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s, having released 12 studio albums from 1971 to 1993 as well as one studio album in 2001. William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American musician, composer and songwriter.

Billy joel discography top 10 singles