Play 106 Billy Joel trivia questions about his Long Island roots, “Piano Man,” classic albums, music videos, awards, and New York concerts. Every question names the song, album, or event it asks about.
Long Island, Piano Man & Early Billy
Q: What is Billy Joel's full name?
A: William Martin Joel.
Q: When was Billy Joel born?
A: May 9, 1949.
Q: In which state was Billy Joel born?
A: New York.
Q: Which part of New York is central to Billy Joel’s music?
A: Long Island.
Q: In which town did Billy Joel grow up?
A: Hicksville.
Q: Which instrument is Billy Joel known for playing?
A: Piano.
Q: Did Billy Joel study classical piano as a child?
A: Yes.
Q: Which early rock group did Billy Joel join?
A: The Hassles.
Q: Which rock duo did Billy Joel form after the Hassles?
A: Attila.
Q: What instruments formed the core of Billy Joel’s duo Attila?
A: It was essentially organ and drums with amplified hard-rock sound.
Q: What was Billy Joel’s debut solo album?
A: Cold Spring Harbor.
Q: What technical problem affected the original Cold Spring Harbor release?
A: The master ran too fast, raising the pitch of his voice.
Q: What did Billy Joel do after an unfavorable early record contract?
A: Moved to Los Angeles and performed under a pseudonym in a piano bar.
Q: What pseudonym did Billy Joel use while playing piano bars?
A: Bill Martin.
Q: Which Billy Joel song grew from his piano-bar experience?
A: “Piano Man.”
Q: In what year was Piano Man released?
A: 1973.
Q: What job does the narrator of “Piano Man” have?
A: Piano player in a bar.
Q: Who asks the narrator to play a memory in “Piano Man”?
A: An old man at the bar.
Q: What is the bartender’s name in “Piano Man”?
A: John.
Q: Who is the real-estate novelist in “Piano Man”?
A: Paul.
Q: Which instrument accompanies the piano in “Piano Man”?
A: Harmonica.
Q: What unusual time signature is “Piano Man” in?
A: ¾ waltz time.
Q: What does the bar crowd ask for in “Piano Man”?
A: A song that makes them feel alright.
Q: What nickname came from Billy Joel’s song “Piano Man”?
A: Billy's signature song and nickname.
Q: What 1974 album is titled Streetlife Serenade?
A: Streetlife Serenade.
Q: What 1976 album returned Billy strongly to New York themes?
A: Turnstiles.
Q: What song from Turnstiles is a love letter to New York?
A: “New York State of Mind.”
Q: From which city had Billy Joel returned before making Turnstiles?
A: Los Angeles.
The Stranger, 52nd Street & Glass Houses
Q: What 1977 album became Billy's major breakthrough?
A: The Stranger.
Q: Who produced Billy Joel’s The Stranger?
A: Phil Ramone.
Q: What famous whistle opens the title track?
A: Billy's whistled melody on “The Stranger.”
Q: What romantic song became a standard?
A: “Just the Way You Are.”
Q: Who inspired Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are”?
A: Billy's then-wife and manager Elizabeth Weber.
Q: What two Grammys did it win?
A: Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Q: What saxophonist plays prominently on it?
A: Phil Woods.
Q: What long fan favorite is built around three linked sections?
A: “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.”
Q: What couple appears in its narrative?
A: Brenda and Eddie.
Q: What bottle is requested in the song?
A: Bottle of red, bottle of white.
Q: What song from The Stranger is titled “Vienna”?
A: “Vienna.”
Q: What message does it offer?
A: Slow down; life does not have to be conquered all at once.
Q: What personal family connection influenced “Vienna”?
A: Billy's father lived in Vienna after his parents' divorce.
Q: What 1978 album followed The Stranger?
A: 52nd Street.
Q: What does the title of Billy Joel’s 52nd Street reference?
A: Manhattan's 52nd Street and New York's jazz history.
Q: What Grammy did 52nd Street win?
A: Album of the Year.
Q: What was notable about the CD release of Billy Joel’s 52nd Street?
A: It was among the first commercially released compact discs.
Q: What 1980 album reacted against critics calling Billy soft?
A: Glass Houses.
Q: What sound opens the album?
A: Breaking glass.
Q: What hit opens with “What's the matter with the clothes I'm wearing?”
A: “It's Still Rock and Roll to Me.”
Q: What U.S. chart milestone did “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” reach?
A: Billy's first Hot 100 No. 1.
Q: What song from Glass Houses is “You May Be Right”?
A: “You May Be Right.”
Q: What dangerous image appears in it?
A: Riding a motorcycle in the rain and doing reckless things.
Q: Did Billy Joel have an interest in motorcycles?
A: Yes.
Q: What business did he later open around motorcycles?
A: 20th Century Cycles in Oyster Bay.
Q: What producer partnership drove the era?
A: Billy Joel and Phil Ramone.
Uptown Girl, We Didn't Start the Fire & River of Dreams
Q: What 1982 album explored ambitious styles after Glass Houses?
A: The Nylon Curtain.
Q: What song addresses postwar industrial decline?
A: “Allentown.”
Q: What region does it portray?
A: Pennsylvania steel and industrial communities.
Q: What song deals with Vietnam veterans?
A: “Goodnight Saigon.”
Q: What sound opens it?
A: Helicopter-like battlefield ambience.
Q: What 1983 album uses retro doo-wop and soul?
A: An Innocent Man.
Q: What famous hit is “Uptown Girl”?
A: “Uptown Girl.”
Q: What musical era does it imitate?
A: Frankie Valli/Four Seasons-style 1960s pop.
Q: Who appears in the “Uptown Girl” music video?
A: Christie Brinkley.
Q: How was Christie Brinkley later related to Billy Joel?
A: They later married.
Q: What job does Billy play in the video?
A: Auto mechanic.
Q: What other retro hit asks someone to tell her about it?
A: “Tell Her About It.”
Q: What 1986 album includes “A Matter of Trust”?
A: The Bridge.
Q: What famous pianist duets with Billy on “Baby Grand”?
A: Ray Charles.
Q: What 1989 album contains “We Didn't Start the Fire”?
A: Storm Front.
Q: What does “We Didn’t Start the Fire” list?
A: Historical names, events, culture, politics, wars, and headlines from Billy's lifetime.
Q: Does the title claim Billy's generation solved the world's problems?
A: No. It argues turmoil existed before them and continues.
Q: What president appears near the opening?
A: Harry Truman.
Q: What singer is named early?
A: Doris Day.
Q: What baseball player appears?
A: Joe DiMaggio.
Q: What did “We Didn't Start the Fire” become?
A: No. 1 hit and perennial history-class song.
Q: What 2023 band released a sequel covering later events?
A: Fall Out Boy.
Q: Did Billy Joel write Fall Out Boy’s 2023 sequel to “We Didn’t Start the Fire”?
A: No.
Q: What 1993 album is titled River of Dreams?
A: River of Dreams.
Q: What is the theme of Billy Joel’s “River of Dreams”?
A: Spiritual searching and walking through symbolic landscapes.
Q: Who painted the cover of Billy Joel’s River of Dreams?
A: Christie Brinkley.
Q: What did Billy Joel largely stop releasing after River of Dreams?
A: Releasing regular pop studio albums.
Q: Did Billy Joel stop performing after River of Dreams?
A: No.
Q: What became the focus of Billy Joel’s career after River of Dreams?
A: Touring and live performance of the existing catalog.
Madison Square Garden, Classical Work & Hard Billy Joel Trivia
Q: What New York arena became Billy's most famous live home?
A: Madison Square Garden.
Q: What long-running residency began there in 2014?
A: Monthly Madison Square Garden residency.
Q: What was the schedule of Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden residency?
A: Billy would play one show per month as long as demand continued.
Q: Did demand for Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden residency continue for years?
A: Yes, for years.
Q: What baseball stadium has Billy also played repeatedly?
A: Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium are important, with Shea especially tied to a farewell concert film.
Q: What 2008 concerts closed Shea Stadium's musical history?
A: Billy Joel's Last Play at Shea concerts.
Q: What Beatle appeared as a guest?
A: Paul McCartney.
Q: Why was Paul McCartney’s appearance at Billy Joel’s Shea Stadium concert notable?
A: The Beatles had played a historic Shea Stadium concert in 1965.
Q: What classical album did Billy release in 2001?
A: Fantasies & Delusions.
Q: Who performed the piano pieces on Billy Joel’s Fantasies & Delusions?
A: Pianist Richard Hyung-ki Joo performed them.
Q: What did Billy Joel compose for Fantasies & Delusions?
A: Classical piano pieces.
Q: What Kennedy Center recognition did Billy receive?
A: Kennedy Center Honors.
Q: Is Billy Joel in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
A: Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Q: What nickname comes from his signature song?
A: Piano Man.
Q: Which model was Billy Joel married to in the 1980s?
A: Christie Brinkley.
Q: What daughter did they have?
A: Alexa Ray Joel.
Q: Whom does Alexa Ray Joel’s middle name honor?
A: Ray Charles.
Q: What song features Ray Charles?
A: “Baby Grand.”
Q: What song is a New York anthem?
A: “New York State of Mind.”
Q: What song tells Brenda and Eddie's story?
A: “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.”
Q: What album contains “Vienna”?
A: The Stranger.
Q: What album contains “Uptown Girl”?
A: An Innocent Man.
Q: What album contains “We Didn't Start the Fire”?
A: Storm Front.
How Did You Score?
If Bill Martin, the broken Cold Spring Harbor master, Brenda and Eddie, Vienna, 52nd Street's CD milestone, Christie Brinkley's cover art, Shea Stadium, and Alexa Ray all came easily, you're the piano trivia man.
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