Okay, so today I decided to finally settle the score: Elton John vs. Billy Joel. Who’s the real Piano Man? I’ve always had my opinions, but I wanted to do a deep dive and really listen with fresh ears.
First, I pulled up both of their discographies on my music streaming service. Man, that’s a lot of albums! I decided to focus on what I consider their “golden eras” – roughly the 70s and 80s for both of them.
The Listening Begins
I started with Elton. “Your Song” came on, and, yeah, instant goosebumps. That song is timeless. I then bounced around a bit – “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” “Bennie and the Jets.” The thing about Elton is the sheer variety. He’s got these amazing ballads, then he’ll hit you with a rock and roll banger. I found myself tapping my feet and singing along without even realizing it.
Then, I switched gears to Billy. “Piano Man,” obviously, was the first one I played. It’s such a classic, storytelling song. I followed that up with “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” “Uptown Girl,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Billy’s songs felt, I don’t know, earthier? More grounded in everyday life. Elton is all about the spectacle, the glitter, the huge show. Billy is more like the guy you’d have a beer with at the bar.
- Elton’s Pros: Incredible range, amazing showmanship, killer ballads.
- Elton’s cons:Can be a bit much.
- Billy’s Pros: Relatable lyrics, fantastic storytelling, classic singalongs.
- Billy’s cons: Not as musically diverse,perhaps.
I spent a good few hours just going back and forth, listening to track after track. I even dug up some old live performances on YouTube to see how they both commanded a stage. Both are phenomenal performers, no doubt about it.
The (Personal) Verdict
After all that listening, who came out on top? Honestly, it’s SO tough. It really depends on my mood. If I want something epic and theatrical, I’m going with Elton. If I want something more down-to-earth and relatable, it’s Billy. They’re both legends, * is so hard to * all appled to me in some way.
So, maybe there’s no real winner. Maybe the real winner is us, the listeners, because we get to enjoy both of their incredible music. I still need to listen more!
