Billy Joel - Piano Man

What this video is

Released originally in 1973 and re-shot for MTV in 1985, 'Piano Man' documents Joel's fictionalized autobiographical experience as a lounge singer at the Executive Room bar on Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, 1972–73. The song and video enshrine a specifically American archetype: the bar as sanctuary for unfulfilled dreamers. The 1985 re-shoot occurred during Joel's commercial peak following 'The Stranger' and…

Why it matters

A landmark document of the singer-songwriter confessional tradition in American rock. The song peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1974 and became Joel's signature work, eventually surpassing 1 billion streams on Spotify. The video's narrative fidelity to the song's character-study…

The director

Jon Small is a pioneering music video director and producer who first gained recognition as drummer in The Hassles and the duo Attila, both featuring Billy Joel. He became one of the earliest and most prolific directors of the MTV era, helming videos and…