Top 4 Billy Joel Songs with Sheet Music

From deep heartfelt piano solo ballads to upbeat sing-along anthems, Billy "Piano Man" Joel has marked his influence in music with iconic songs that continue to speak to listeners today. What better way to rock out to his music than by playing it yourself? Discover the best of Billy Joel sheet music on the Metronaut App. Select one of our 19 different instruments (piano, vocals, violin, etc.), and your level to get arrangements adapted to you, and start playing! Play with high-quality digital sheet music available to download and print, and learn at your own pace, wherever and whenever you want. Play along to Metronaut's adaptable accompaniments to fully immerse yourself in these timeless songs with your own personal backup band, and take control of the tempo!

Billy Joel was born in New York in 1949, and began playing the piano when he was only 4 years old. He soon developed his skills on the piano and as a musician by playing in bands and published his first album in 1971. He began gaining popularity and commercial success in 1977, with the album "The Stranger", which includes the single "Vienna". Keep reading our list to find out more information and details about some of his greatest hits and access Billy Joel sheet music to learn to play them all with Metronaut!

1. "Honesty" Sheet Music

Play "Honesty" by Billy Joel with Metronaut

Joel's piano solo ballad "Honesty" was released in 1978 on the album "52nd Street", and he sings about the importance of being truthful and genuine in a relationship. While some of Joel's greatest musical successes were pop upbeat songs, his discography is also made up of many introspective ballads which diversified his musical style. Although "Honesty" was not one of Joel’s most popular singles, it has over time become a fan favorite and is widely seen as one of his most emotional and sincere works.

Musically, "Honesty" is written in the key of B♭ major, with simple vocals and a minimalistic approach that allows the lyrics and the piano melody to properly be expressed, perfect for beginners. The song’s simplicity also helps highlight the message about honesty—there are no unnecessary flourishes in the piano to distract from the raw emotion in the melody and lyrics.

2. "Vienna" Sheet Music

Play "Vienna" by Billy Joel with Metronaut

Another more popular piano solo ballad is "Vienna", released in 1977 in the album "The Stranger". Similarly to "Honesty", it wasn't an immediate hit upon release, but "Vienna" has continued to grow in popularity, securing its status as a fan favorite today due to its comforting message about life accompanied by the soothing piano melody. This reflective song explores the importance of patience in a fast-paced life and world.

But why the city Vienna? What inspired the lyrics and title of the song? At the time, Joel was visiting his father who lived in Vienna, and he noticed that the older people in the city were valued and participated actively in the community, in contrast to the U.S. where it's common to think that getting older means you stop truly living, and by that reasoning have to find and accomplish everything you have to achieve in life while you're still young. Joel uses Vienna as a metaphor for old age, singing "Vienna waits for you" to mean that you have more life to live when you get older, and so you don't have to worry about rushing through goals and achievements while still young: "Slow down, you’re doing fine / You can’t be everything you want to be before your time”. This relatable message is what helped to make "Vienna" so popular today, especially with younger listeners who can identify with being overwhelmed to accomplish everything at once, instead of slowing down and taking life one step at a time.

Ready to learn to play "Vienna" on the piano or on another instrument? Find our sheet music on the Metronaut App! The piece is written in B♭ major, with a gentle pace that contributes to a relaxed atmosphere. The slower tempo is perfect for musicians uncomfortable with faster tempos, and you can always play with Metronaut's simplified arrangements to adapt the sheet music to your own level.

3. "Piano Man" Sheet Music

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One of Billy Joel's most beloved songs, "Piano Man", was released in 1973 and is widely recognized today as one of the biggest hits of American music of all time. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and in 2015, the Library of Congress inducted the song into the National Recording Registry, a list of "sound recordings that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States." Other songs that have been granted this status include "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen, and the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by the Beatles. This song, which gave Billy the nickname Piano Man, helped to launch his career as a musician by being his first major hit.

Based on Joel's real experience as a lounge pianist in Los Angeles, in the lyrics the pianist in a bar recalls the different people he met while working there, and how his music provides them comfort and escape from their lives. The memorable harmonica melody and the simple themes of ordinary life and the healing power of music depicted in this song have made it an American classic, often sung at karaokes.

4. "Uptown Girl" Sheet Music

Play "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel with Metronaut

Last but not least, learn Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" on the Metronaut App. Published in 1983 in his album "An Innocent Man", the song is Joel's most streamed on Spotify, at over 1 billion streams! Contrasting the last three songs, it has a more lively tempo and pop style, with catchy lyrics that make it so popular. It also has a lighter, more playful theme, as it tells the story of a working-class "downtown man" trying to win over a wealthy girl from uptown who seems out of his league. The musical details of "Uptown Girl" draw strongly from the sounds of 1950s and 1960s rock and doo-wop, a genre of blues music in the U.S. with layered harmonies and a bouncy rhythm.

The song became a major worldwide commercial success, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and topping the charts in the U.K. It earned praise for its nostalgic yet fresh take on doo-wop, and it quickly became a staple of pop. It was nominated for a Grammy Award and remains a fan favorite for sing-alongs. Over the years, it has maintained its popularity through covers, including a successful version by the Irish boy band Westlife, and proves Joel’s versatility as a songwriter and musician.

Want to learn to play the best of Billy Joel's music? Head over to the Metronaut App and try out our collection of Billy Joel sheet music! For pianists looking to improve on their instrument by playing the classical repertoire, check out our catalogue of Piano Sheet Music. Learn his greatest hits with digital sheet music available to print and download, and play along to backing tracks that adapt to your tempo to fully immerse yourself in his music! Have fun playing with your own band from your room with Metronaut!