Billy Joel Holds A Staggering Concert Record For New York City

The stage at Madison Square Garden, the storied Manhattan arena, was pitch black. Suddenly, a single stage light illuminated a man sitting behind a grand piano. Billy Joel wore a sport coat, loosened tie, and jeans as he whistled softly while his fingers danced across the keys. As the strains of "The Stranger" from the album of the same name began to swell, the sold-out crowd exploded in applause. It was December 14, 1978, and that first show at Madison Square Garden would help earn him a place in the history books.

"I remember my first show at the Garden, that was a milestone," Joel told the Tribune News Service in 2018. "If someone would have projected that I would do 100 shows there, I would have laughed at them. I'd say you're being ridiculous." Nearly 50 appearances later, the singer-songwriter earned a spot in the Guinness World Records for "most performances by a musician at Madison Square Garden." Along the line there would be both ecstasy and agony on the famous stage, including a performance there in 2002 in which he was likely inebriated — just one of many times rock stars have been wasted on stage.

Billy Joel was born in 1949 and grew up in Hicksville, Long Island. He began playing the piano at age 4, and by his mid-teens, he was already playing in various bands. Joel later became a singer-songwriter, but success wouldn't come for many years, just part of his tragic real-life story. With his fifth album, "The Stranger," Joel finally hit the big time. The album exploded in popularity, charting at No. 2 in the U.S., with four of its singles reaching the Top 40. It would become the most successful studio album of his long career.

In 1978, Joel kicked off a 46-city tour that ended with a three-night string of sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden — his first appearance at the almost 20,000-seat venue. He was 29, and he had no idea that nearly 50 years later, at age 75, he would play his 150th show there, ending his monthly residency that began in 2014.

On July 25, 2024, Billy Joel gave his final performance at Madison Square Garden as part of his tenure there (he hasn't ruled out playing the venue again). That night, while reminiscing from the stage on his storied career and the myriad places where he'd performed, he admitted it was Madison Square Garden that topped the list. "But out of all of them," Joel said (via Billboard), "this is the best!" Over his 150 shows at the Garden, he performed with Sting and Elton John, with the latter leading to Joel's drunken 2002 performance (he later got sober).

Joel's time at the Garden also led to a live album — "12 Gardens Live" — and a CBS television broadcast of his 100th appearance there. Besides his 13 studio albums (plus live and greatest hits recordings) that have sold over 150 million copies, Joel has racked up numerous awards and honors. He's earned five Grammys, a Kennedy Center Honor, and an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, among others. But he can claim one that no one else can with his Guinness World Record for Madison Square Garden performances. Back in 2018, Joel said his record-breaking stint at the Garden came down to one thing. "The secret of success? Just don't die," he told the Tribune News Service with a laugh.