If the new year is a time to look back and take stock, then Billy Joel has a lot of ground to cover. Over his nearly 60-year career, the Long Island-raised rocker has passed many a milestone, from his first solo album to his six Grammy Awards to his decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden. Here are some he’ll be celebrating in 2026:
55th anniversary (1971): Joel releases his solo debut, “Cold Spring Harbor.” Infamously, it was mastered at the wrong speed, making Joel’s voice a high-pitched warble. Even years later, after the disc had been properly remastered, Joel still disliked it. “I would advise people, don’t buy it,” he said on Alec Baldwin’s “Here’s the Thing” podcast in 2012. “If you can steal it, steal it.”
50th anniversary (1976): After leaving Los Angeles to re-embrace New York, Joel releases “Turnstiles” on May 19, 1976. The album featured three fellow Long Islanders — saxophonist Richie Cannata (from Garden City South), guitarist Russell Javors (Plainview) and drummer Liberty DeVitto (Seaford) — who will become Joel’s faithful band mates for years. Recorded partly at Hempstead’s Ultrasonic Recording Studio, “Turnstiles” spawned the future classics “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway),” “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” (which reaches No. 17) and “New York State of Mind.”
40th anniversary (1986): Joel releases “The Bridge,” his tenth studio album and the last of a six-disc run with producer Phil Ramone (the first was 1977’s “The Stranger”). It yielded two Top 10 hits, “Modern Woman” and “A Matter of Trust.” Another single, “This Is the Time,” reached No. 18. “The Bridge” also featured two of Joel’s musical heroes: singer-pianist Ray Charles on the duet “Baby Grand” and Hammond B3 organist Steve Winwood on “Getting Closer.”
35th anniversary (1991): Joel accepts a Grammy Legend Award in 1991. He’s part of the second-ever group of honorees, which included Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin and Quincy Jones.
30th anniversary (1996): Though Joel dropped out of high school as a teen, he begins speaking on college campuses as part of a tour titled “An Evening of Questions, Answers … and a Little Music.” He visited 32 different schools, according to his official website, which noted another new venture that year: Joel started The Long Island Boat Company to build and sell a self-designed speedboat dubbed the Shelter Island. “It gets a certain amount of attention because my name is on it,” Joel told The New York Times. ”But, I mean, I wouldn’t buy a boat designed by the Sex Pistols.”
25th anniversary (2001): Joel joins dozens of other musical artists to respond to the devastating attacks of 9/11. On Sept. 21, he performed “New York State of Mind” on “America: A Tribute to Heroes,” a multinetwork television special that included Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, U2 and Alicia Keys. On Oct. 20 Joel repeated the song and also performed “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” as part of The Concert for New York City at Madison Square Garden, which included David Bowie, The Who, Elton John and Jay-Z, among other luminaries.
20th anniversary (2006): In early 2006, Joel plays 12 dates at Madison Square Garden, setting a record for most consecutive shows there by a musical artist. Performances are culled for the album “12 Gardens Live,” released in June. Joel that year also joined the first group of inductees into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame (now known as the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame).
10th anniversary (2016): “The Essential Billy Joel,” a career-spanning compilation first released in 2001, is certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. (It has since gone to quadruple.) Meanwhile, Joel is two years into his Madison Square Garden residency, which will go on to break numerous records before ending with his 150th lifetime show at the venue in July 2024.
