Billy Joel & His MSG Residency Made $266 Million
To the shock of probably no one, Billy Joel generated a ton of revenue from his 10-year residency at Madison Square Garden.
According to Billboard, Joel’s residency ran for 104 shows, sold 1.9 million tickets and made a whopping $266 million dollars. While the residency was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Piano Man continually sold out his once-a-month shows at MSG since its launch in 2014.
Billboard notes the $266 million figure makes Joel’s MSG residency the third-highest-grossing concert residency in Billboard Boxscore history. The top two residencies that have grossed more than Joel’s belonged to Celine Dion. Her first residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, which ran from 2003 to 2007, made $385.1 million. Dion’s second residency from 2011 to 2019 made $296.2 million.
A Recap of Billy Joel’s Final MSG Residency Show
The final show in Billy Joel’s MSG residency took place on July 25. The show marked Joel’s 150th time he played the legendary New York City venue. The occasion was marked by Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, who unveiled a new banner that will hang from the rafters of MSG. The banner reads, “Billy Joel 150: Most Lifetime Performances By Any Artist.”
Video of Fallon unveiling the banner was shared via social media. In the video, Fallon says, “We are witnessing history here tonight. This is the last night of your residency here at Madison Square Garden, and we are honored to be here. Madison Square Garden has the Knicks, the Rangers and Billy Joel. That’s what they have here. We’re lucky. We’re lucky to have you.”
He continues, “But also, this is a legendary night, because tonight is your 150th performance at Madison Square Garden. More than any artist in the world. No one has done this! Sold out shows! We are part of history! Madison Square Garden wants to thank you. We’re going to raise a banner in honor of you, and it will live in the rafters. No one can do this. No one but Billy Joel can do this.”
But Fallon wasn’t the only big-name guest to join Joel on stage. Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose performed three songs with The Piano Man: A cover of Wings’ “Live and Let Die”; a cover of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” which saw Joel pick up a guitar; and “You May Be Right.”
Rose even dressed for the occasion and wore a sparkling black blazer. Video of his performances can be viewed below.
Billy Joel – 7/26/2024 – Setlist for Final Madison Square Garden Residency Show
“Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)”
“Pressure”
“The Entertainer”
“Zanzibar”
“Vienna”
“My Life”
“An Innocent Man”
“The Downeaster “Alexa”
“Don’t Ask Me Why”
“New York State of Mind”
“Allentown”
“This Is the Time”
“Live and Let Die” (with Axl Rose)
“Highway to Hell” (with Axl Rose)
“Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)”
“Only the Good Die Young”
“The River of Dreams”
“Nessun dorma”
“Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”
“Piano Man”
ENCORE
“We Didn’t Start the Fire”
“Uptown Girl”
“It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”
“Big Shot”
“You May Be Right” (with Axl Rose)
