The American cultural phenomenon of Billy Joel: The ultimate love letter to music?
Across all continents, the impact of Billy Joel can be heard in the soft breeze of the morning air as the first radio sounds dance into earshot, to the soft sunset lighting, with smells of tobacco and whiskey lingering in the atmosphere like secrets untold. Joel appears at every turn, in popular television shows during a character’s momentary reflection, swaying in the timeless melodies of music that makes you feel.
From an outsider’s perspective—which means for those not living in America—the impact of Joel seemingly springs out of nowhere, like an inside joke you somehow missed out on until that one song pulls you in. For most people, early exposure to Joel includes listening to ‘Piano Man’ or ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ and enjoying the words and notes, even if they seem too culturally specific to wholly relate to.
However, that’s precisely the thing about Joel—his music does extend far and wide, not just because most of his lyrics tap into universal themes but because his approach seems to be a serenade to the art of music itself, created by someone who truly adores it. With an eye for most genres, from classical to pop, Joel’s music extracts the best from all worlds, reframed in a new light that soundtracks any mood, from joyous to melancholic.
But Joel’s passion doesn’t stop at the music itself. The musician lives and breathes creativity, as evidenced by the many times he has spoken about his interests at colleges or discussed his influences in depth during interviews. His excitement burns like a fire as he speaks, fully aware of his own flaws. He acknowledges that he is not, by any stretch, on par with the prowess of names like Mozart or Bach, but carries a quiet confidence in his own legacy, daring to attempt to recreate some measure of their impact.
First and foremost, Joel is a music fan, and it shows. Even when he tried his hand at creating his own classical music, Fantasies & Delusions, he likely didn’t pay his critics much mind, knowing that his efforts were primarily in the name of studious fun rather than pretence. As someone who largely plays by ear and learned music based on feeling, Joel seeks to share with his audiences a fraction of the energy he feels when listening to his own heroes—and that’s his superpower.
Often, musicians get caught up in trying to be original, but true originality stems from talent, drive, and knowledgeability, of which Joel possesses all three. It’s a humble concoction, one that ensures he is always surging forward, allowing his creativity to be driven by others as much as his own abilities. Beethoven, he says, ignited it all, and the feeling he got listening to his music influenced each and every approach he took to music thereafter.
“I let these symphonies pound over me,” he once explained to Greg Sandow. “Last time I felt like this was the first time I listened to Led Zeppelin. I felt puny. I am nothing. I am insignificant.” The beauty and viscera of classical music introduced Joel to the power of music to move him, which became significant threads in his own work, allowing his resonance to flourish in an America that longed for music that felt big and immersive but intimate and intricate, all the same.
The commercialism of Joel’s work got him a long way, particularly in America, but all of these qualities—passion, sophistication, emotionality, authenticity, and a true understanding of what it’s like to be on the other side as a music fan—led him to become a true pioneer of music. Even in his more melancholic tracks, his knack for emotional complexity often adorns them with notes of optimism, and he understands how to blend various genres, from classical to rock, doo-wop, pop, and jazz, proving that his flavour of American values has always been about celebrating sounds from all over.
Though seemingly larger-than-life, Joel also knows when it’s time to converge his musical abilities with cultural affairs. In 1982, for instance, he executed his most ambitious work yet, The Nylon Curtain, which was intended to be his attempt at both putting out something boldly career-altering and a solid, unwavering symbol of the times, challenging the illusion sold to everybody longing for something greater—also known as the American dream.
A concept long out of reach for the everyday person in the 1980s, the album addressed the struggles faced by the working class and the disillusionment of a war-torn society. It proved Joel’s ability to create emotionally overwhelming music that wasn’t out of touch, standing by the American civilians instead of pandering to them with more eccentricities and unintentionally feeding into the yearning for a great beyond.
Explaining the impact of such a creative decision, Joel later told Music Connection: “That was right in the middle of the Reagan era, and things were changing in America. I was very aware of it. It was baby boomer peaking time, the early ‘80s. Things did change then. I was very proud of that album.” He continued: “The songs seem to still resonate with audiences and with younger people as well. I’m always amazed at how many kids are in the crowd. They’re relating to what I’m singing about. It has resonance.”
As a result of this self-awareness, and with an eye for excellent storytelling and a desire to reflect the times, Joel epitomises the ultimate ode to music, paying homage to a variety of musical sounds and traditions while remaining steadfast in his awareness about what he has yet to accomplish or achieve. In Joel, you can truly hear it all—The Beatles, Beethoven, Ray Charles, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Little Richard—alongside the dark and light that defines America and beyond, sparking a timeless force of unity and shared memories.
