The Piano Man receives the honor following his ten-year MSG residency
SoundExchange has honored Billy Joel with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award, recognizing his stature as one of the most streamed creators in the organization’s 20+ year history of administering digital performance royalties.
“Billy Joel is an American musical icon, a performer with an unrivaled catalog of hits and beloved deep cuts. He has not only maintained but increased his popularity over time, winning new generations of fans with his indelible songs and performances,” states SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe. “Billy has not only been a significant presence through nearly every major shift in physical musical formats, but he is also one of the digital era’s most streamed artists. We are thrilled and honored to present Billy Joel with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award.”
Recent honorees with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award include Metallica, Carrie Underwood, Marc Anthony, Imagine Dragons, OneRepublic, Jonas Brothers, The Black Keys, Mariah Carey, The Killers, and Matchbox Twenty. Common was recently honored with the SoundExchange Music Fairness Award for his advocacy with the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA).
In July, Joel wrapped a ten-year Madison Square Garden residency with his 150th lifetime performance at the historic New York City venue.
In December 2013, Joel was named Madison Square Garden’s first-ever music franchise, joining the ranks of the storied venue’s other original franchises – the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. The record-breaking residency began in January 2014 with Joel playing one show every month at The Garden for, as Joel said at the time, “as long as the demand continues.” In January 2015, Joel broke his own record of the “most consecutive performances by any artist” with the 13th show of the residency and a new banner was raised to The Garden’s rafters. In July 2015, with his 65th lifetime show, Joel broke another record for the “most lifetime performances by any artist,” for which another banner was raised. Both of Joel’s banners continue to hang at The Garden and are replaced each month with each performance.
Earlier this year, CBS commemorated the run with Joel’s first broadcast concert special. The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Graden – The Greatest Arena Run of All Time was shot at Joel’s record-breaking 100th consecutive performance at Madison Square Garden as part of his franchise run on March 28th and featured his first single in decades, “Turn The Lights Back On.”
The 74-year-old Piano Man will headline a series of stadiums throughout 2024. Solo dates and concerts with both Stevie Nicks and Sting are scheduled through the fall.
