‘The Piano Man’ Billy Joel wrapped up his longstanding residency at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Thursday night (July 25) with a setlist packed with hits and surprise guest appearances by Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, Jimmy Fallon, and Joel's two young daughters Della and Remy.
Listen to Billy Joel Radio and more on the free Audacy app
As with so many of life's pleasures, nothing lasts forever, and the same can now be said for Billy Joel's residency at NYC's iconic Madison Square Garden, after a record-breaking 150 lifetime shows in the famed arena. Early in the evening, late-night host Jimmy Fallon joined Billy on stage to present him with the raising of a "Billy Joel 150: Most Lifetime Performances by Any Artist" banner to the roar of the sold-out crowd. Immediately afterward, Joel welcomed his two young daughters Della and Remy to help him with his fan-favorite "My Life."
Another highlight from the career-spanning, 26-song set was when Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose came out to join Billy on a number of covers. First Rose helped on Wings' "Live and Let Die," followed right after by AC/DC's "Highway To Hell." Rose also helped to closed out the show 11 songs later on Joel's 1980 hit "You May Be Right."
Early in his set, Joel explained to the packed crowd some of his band’s accomplishments saying, “Let me mention a couple of things that we’ve done… We were the first group to play at Yankee Stadium. We were the last band to play at Shea Stadium. We played Berlin the night that the Berlin Wall came down. We were the first American full-fledged performance in the Soviet Union. And we were the first band to play after Castro came to power, and we played Cuba. We played in front of the Coliseum in Rome for a half million people. And the food was great. But out of all of them, this is the best. There’s no place like this.”
Take a look at Billy Joel's full setlist from his final residency night at Madison Square Garden below. Plus, view his current road itinerary and grab your tickets now to see Billy on tour with Rod Stewart and Sting on select dates.
Billy Joel - July 25, 2024 Madison Square Garden setlist:
Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
Pressure
The Entertainer
Zanzibar
Vienna
My Life (With Della and Remy Joel)
Start Me Up (The Rolling Stones cover)
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 (Wings cover) (with Axl Rose)
Highway to Hell (AC/DC cover) (with Axl Rose)
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Only the Good Die Young
The River of Dreams (“River Deep, Mountain High” (Ike & Tina Turner) sung by Crystal Taliefero)
Nessun dorma (Giacomo Puccini cover) (sung by Mike DelGuidice)
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)