Piano Man

Piano Man is the second studio album by American recording artist Billy Joel, released on November 9, 1973 by Columbia Records. The album emerged from legal difficulties with Joel’s former label Family Productions, and ultimately became his breakthrough album.

The title track, a fictionalized retelling of Joel’s experiences with people he met as a lounge singer in Los Angeles, peaked at  No.  25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and  No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary singles chart. “Travelin’ Prayer” and “Worse Comes to Worst” peaked at Nos. 77 and 80 on the Hot 100, respectively, while the album itself peaked at  No.  27 on the US Billboard 200. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in 1975, but Joel only received $8000 in royalties (US$36,383 in 2017 dollars).