All Billy Joel’s Guests and Milestones During His Record-Breaking Madison Square Garden Residency
His choices of onstage friends and cover versions made his decade-long MSG run a celebration of pop music history.
Billy Joel and Alexa Ray Joel perform at Madison Square Garden on April 26, 2024 in New York City.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Billy Joel, the legendary singer-songwriter who is concluding his decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden Thursday (July 25), has a lot of friends — in addition to the nearly two million ticket-buying fans who have flocked to his repeat performances at the Manhattan arena he’s called home since 2014.
And through the course of his record-setting run at the Garden, Joel has welcomed many of his fellow artists — and family members, including daughters Alexa Ray Joel and Della Rose Joel — onstage for choice songs and unforgettable moments. The staggering list of big-name guests he’s invited to join the MSG stage with him over the past 10 years includes such legends as Sting, John Mellencamp, Elvis Costello, Tony Bennett, Paul Simon and John Fogerty, along with more 21st century hitmakers like John Mayer, Miley Cyrus, Gavin DeGraw and even Olivia Rodrigo.
Collectively, these famous buds and music luminaries have helped Joel host an ongoing celebration of his decades of success within pop and rock — one that’s lasted a decade in its own right by this point. In the meantime, he’s also managed to rack up an impressive number of milestones as one of the most esteemed and popular live performers of his era, particularly in conjunction with the Manhattan venue familiarly known as The World’s Most Famous Arena.
Here’s a look at all Joel’s guests and milestones during his MSG residency, organized by date — from the beginning of his run all the way back in January 2014, right up to the final show tomorrow night.
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Jan. 27, 2014: Residency begins
Joel’s residency was originally planned as a monthly event. “Playing Madison Square Garden is an experience that never gets old,” Joel said at the time. “A show a month at the Garden for as long as there’s demand means more opportunities to connect with music fans and provides a unique and memorable show every time we play here.”
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March 21, 2014: Brian Johnson
The AC/DC frontman joins Joel as first guest of the residency, and the two rock out to “You Shook Me All Night Long.”
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April 18, 2014: “Goodnight Saigon” with first responders
Joel performs with a string quartet composed of first responders and is joined on the chorus of “Goodnight Saigon” — ”we will all go down together” — by members of the New York Fire Department and New York Police Department.
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May 9, 2014: 65th birthday party
Howard Stern and Jimmy Fallon join Joel as special guests to celebrate the singer’s 65th birthday
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July 2, 2014: Gavin DeGraw
The “I Don’t Want to Be” singer-songwriter joins Joel for the encore of “You May Be Right.”
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Aug. 7, 2014: Australia all-stars
Joel is joined by members of INXS, as well as The Dead Daisies’ Jon Stevens, to cover AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell.”
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Nov. 25, 2014: Sting & Mellencamp
Sting duets with Joel on “Big Man on Mulberry Street” — followed later in the show by John Mellencamp, who performs his own 1983 hit “Crumblin’ Down” with Joel.
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January 9, 2015: Most consecutive performances
On the night of the 13th show of his residency, Joel watches a new banner raised to the rafters of the Garden proclaiming he has the “most consecutive performances by any artist” — breaking his own previous record.
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March 9, 2015: Itzhak Perlman
Violinist Itzhak Perlman performs “The Downeaster Alexa” with Joel.
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April 3, 2015: “Running on Ice” returns
For the first time onstage since 1986, Joel plays “Running on Ice” from the album “The Bridge,” which he released that year.
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May 28, 2015: Not-as-young Rascals
Joel is joined by Felix Cavaliere on organ for the Young Rascals’ 1966 No. 1 hit “Good Lovin’.”
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June 20, 2015: Richie Sambora
Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora steps out for Joel’s encores of “Big Shot” and “You May Be Right”—with the customary snippet of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” thrown in.
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July 1, 2015: Most lifetime performances
Joel breaks another MSG record for the “most lifetime performances by any artist” and he’s joined by comedian Kevin James in raising a second banner to the Garden rafters.
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Aug. 20, 2015: Itzhak Perlman (Pt. 2)
Itzhak Perlman appears again with Joel to perform “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)” and “The Downeaster Alexa.”
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Oct. 21, 2015: John Mayer and Steve Miller
John Mayer sings “This Is the Time” with Joel — who, later in the set, does a cover of “The Joker,” joined by its original performer Steve Miller.
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Nov. 19, 2015: Piano men
Fellow keyboard great Chick Corea sits in for a three song set: “Big Man on Mulberry Street,” “Zanzibar,” and “New York State of Mind.”
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January 7, 2016: “Start”ing all over again, with Jimmy Fallon
Joel begins his second year of the Garden residency with Jimmy Fallon making moves like Jagger for a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up.”
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March 15, 2016: Itzkhak Perlman (Pt. 3)
Itzhak Perlman performs with Joel at the Garden for a third time, accompanying him on “The Downeaster Alexa” and “Where’s the Orchestra.”
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July 20, 2016: Birthday boy Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett duets with Joel on “New York State of Mind.” Joel follows up with “Happy Birthday to You” in honor of Bennett’s 90th birthday.
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Nov. 30, 2016: Julian Rachlin
Violinist Julian Rachlin accompanies Joel on “The Downeaster Alexa.”
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Jan. 11, 2017: Classic rock covers set
Opening the third year of his Garden residency, Joel’s set list includes covers of Derek and the Dominoes’ “Layla,” the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider” and Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.”
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March 3, 2017: Mellencamp and Cavaliere return
John Mellencamp and The Rascals’ Gene Cornish and Felix Cavaliere play “Good Lovin’” with Joel and, later in the show, John Mellencamp covers his own “Authority Song” with Joel and his band.
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Sept. 30, 2017: Paul Simon & Miley Cyrus
Joel covers Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” — joined by Paul Simon, and the two also perform Simon’s “Late In the Evening.” For “New York State of Mind,” Joel duets with Miley Cyrus.
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Dec. 20, 2017: “The Joker” deux
Joel again covers “The Joker,” joined by Steve Miller.
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Jan. 11, 2018: Foreigner
Joel takes on two Foreigner hits, “Urgent” and “Cold As Ice,” accompanied by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm.
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March 28, 2018: Mark Messier and Jim Breuer
Legendary New York Ranger Mark Messier and comedian Jim Breuer are on hand as Madison Square Garden celebrates Joel’s 50th residency show.
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May 23, 2018: Gavin DeGraw
Gavin DeGraw comes out for Joel’s encore of “You May Be Right.”
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June 2, 2018: “Baby Grand” with Alexa Ray
Performing his song “Baby Grand” live for the first time since 1996, Joel is accompanied by his daughter, Alexa Ray Joel.
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July 18, 2018: “Billy Joel Day” with The Boss for No. 100
Commemorating Joel’s 100th lifetime performance at the Garden, then-Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proclaims July 18, 2018 “Billy Joel Day” in the State of New York. But the night’s guest hails from New Jersey, as Bruce Springsteen joins Joel for “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and “Born to Run.”
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Aug. 23, 2018: Summer of ’18
During the show’s encore, Bryan Adams comes out to perform “Summer of `69” and to duet with Joel on “You May Be Right.”
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Nov. 10, 2018: Elliott Murphy & Joel Perry
Fellow Long Islander Elliott Murphy joins Joel for a cover of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” while, later in the show, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Joel play “Walk This Way.”
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March 21, 2019: John Fogerty
Joel covers the Creedence Clearwater Revival hits “Up Around The Bend” and “Fortunate Son,” joined by John Fogerty.
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May 9, 2019: Alexa Ray, Della Rose, Peter Frampton and a special 70th birthday video tribute
For Joel’s 70th birthday, his eldest daughter Alexa Ray Joel joins him for “New York State of Mind” before she’s joined by his second daughter Della Rose Joel to serenade their dad with “Happy Birthday.” Among those who send video tributes are Paul McCartney, Don Henley, Garth Brooks, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson and Pink. Peter Frampton joins Joel for “Show Me The Way” and “Baby I Love Your Way.”
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June 2, 2019: Joe Elliott
Joel takes on Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me” with guest Joe Elliott on vocals.
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Nov. 15, 2019: Daughter and piano return
Alexa Ray Joel rejoins her dad for “Baby Grand.”
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Jan. 25, 2020: It’s Still Rock and Roll to JB
Jon Bon Jovi sings lead vocals on “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” and duets with Joel on “Big Shot.”
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Feb. 20, 2020: Itzhak Perlman (Pt. 4)
In his fourth guest appearance, Itzhak Perlman accompanies Joel on “The Downeaster Alexa” — weeks before the pandemic temporarily halts the residency.
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Nov. 5, 2021: The Lights Return on Broadway
Joel returns triumphantly to the Garden — and his longtime set opener, “Miami (I’ve Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” takes on new poignancy in the wake of the pandemic.
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June 10, 2022: 80th show
Madison Square Garden celebrates Joel’s 80th residency show — raising one more banner in his honor to the rafters of the arena.
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Aug. 24, 2022: Olivia Rodrigo plays ’em “Uptown Girl”
Joel is joined by Olivia Rodrigo for a version of her “Deja Vu,” and she then sings on “Uptown Girl.”
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Jan. 13, 2023: Alexa Ray takes a holiday from “Baby Grand”
Alexa Ray Joel joins her father again, this time to accompany him on “New York State of Mind.”
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March 26, 2023: Billy goes to Texas
Joel covers ZZ Top’s “La Grange” and “Tush,” with the band’s frontman Billy Gibbons sitting in.
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Aug. 29, 2023: One degree of Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon of the Bacon Brothers accompanies Joel on “The Entertainer.”
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Dec. 19, 2023: Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello and Joel “Pump It Up” at the Garden, and then duet on “Allentown.”
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March 28, 2024: No. 100, with Sting and Seinfeld
For the 100th show of Joel’s residency, Jerry Seinfeld raises the milestone banner into the Garden rafters and Sting duets with Joel on “Old Man on Mulberry Street.”
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April 26, 2024: Say hello to Alexa Ray
Alexa Ray Joel joins her dad once more, this time for “Say Goodbye to Hollywood.”
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June 8, 2024: Trey Anastasio
Trey Anastasio of Phish performs “Sleeping With the Television On” with Joel, followed by the coda to “Layla” and the encore of “You May Be Right.”
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July 25, 2024: The end
Joel will perform the final show of his ten-year Madison Square Garden residency.