"Piano Man" is a fictionalized retelling of Joel's own experience as a piano-lounge singer for six months in 1972–73 at the now defunct Executive Room bar in the Wilshire district of Los Angeles. Problems playing this file? See media help. In 2015, the Library of Congress selected "Piano Man" for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its "cultural, historic, or artistic significance". It is now a highlight of Joel's live shows, where he usually allows the audience to sing the chorus. Following Joel's breakthrough as a popular musician with the release of The Stranger, it became one of his most well-known songs. Joel's first major hit and his signature song, "Piano Man" peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1974.
Joel describes various characters, including a bartender named John and a "real estate novelist" named Paul, all based on real-life individuals. "Piano Man" is based on Joel's real-life experiences as a lounge musician in Los Angeles from 1972 to 1973, which he had decided to pursue in an effort to escape his contracted New York City-based record company at the time, Family Productions, following the poor commercial performance of the album Cold Spring Harbor.
The song is sung from Joel's point of view as a piano player at a bar, reminiscing about his experiences there and the people he encountered. As his first single in North America, it was included on Joel's 1973 album of the same name and later released as a single on November 2, 1973. " Piano Man" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel.
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