Piano Man Hits the Road

Billy Joel played his 100th concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City Wednesday night with a surprise appearance from Bruce Springsteen. A hundred of most things is a lot, but for the 68-year old rock artist it is not just an amazing feat, but a necessary one.

Almost 95% of the Piano Man’s revenue in 2016 came from touring, with crumbs coming from streaming, sales, and publishing. Joel is now in his fifth consecutive year of performances, largely because streaming services, like Spotify, make recorded music accessible and cheaper for consumers. That accessibility that all of us non-rock stars benefit from comes at a direct cost to musicians, substantially cutting into their profits and forcing them on the road to make money.

You don’t have to feel too bad listening to “New York State of Mind” on your streaming service of choice though; Joel’s net worth is estimated at $180 million.