Let the debate begin!
Despite a resume that includes dozens of hit songs, six Grammy Awards and many other honors during his more than 50-year music career, Billy Joel was left off The New York Times’ new list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters.
The Hicksville native rose to prominence in the 1970s and became one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Joel has 33 Top 40 hits, and he has been inducted into both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
His body of work also inspired the Broadway musical “Movin’ Out,” which ran for over three years at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
“Billy Joel is one of the most successful songwriters of any era,” said Billy Joel fan Dan Jacobsen of Huntington. “This list has people with only a handful of recent hits. Will half of them have songs that are still recognizable 40 years from now? No. Billy Joel will.”
Those who did make the cut include some of the all-time greats like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie, along with contemporary artists including Taylor Swift, Jay Z , Lana Del Rey and Young Thug.
Greenlawn’s Mariah Carey did land on the list. She has 19 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and holds the record for the most number-one singles by a solo artist in history — and is second overall to only The Beatles, who have 20.
The Times says the list, which was revealed this week, was made after polling over 250 industry experts—including musicians, critics, and executives—who nominated over 700 artists.
Six NY Times critics then curated, debated, and finalized the unranked list to highlight influential songwriters across various genres.
The Piano Man’s omission has a lot of people sounding off on social media, including one executive who had an up close look at just how influential Joel has been.
“Sorry guys…we are going to need another list. Billy Joel!! This must be an oversight,” said Former Chairman and CEO of SONY Music, Timmy Mottola, on Instagram. “You left out one of the all-time greatest singer songwriters of all time.”
Top: Billy Joel performs “You May Be Right” during the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)
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