When Mets Fans Serenaded Billy Joel With ‘Piano Man,’ He Sang, Too

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Billy Joel waving to the fans at Citi Field during Game 3 of the 2015 World Series on Oct. 30.

Billy Joel was enjoying a ball game in a luxury suite at Citi Field—home of the New York Mets—one night when the crowd of more than 44,000 began to serenade him by singing “Piano Man.” Now, this wasn’t just any game. It was Game 3 of the 2015 World Series. The Mets had lost the first two games at Kansas City: in Game 1 the upstart Royals won a nail-biter 5-4 by first tying the score in the bottom of the 9th with a home run off Mets closer Jeurys Familia and then walked it off in the 14th inning. Game 2 was a rout as Kansas City crushed New York 7-1 behind an increasingly rare complete game by starter Johnny Cueto.

The teams then traveled to New York to continue the Series and “New York’s own” was there to sing the National Anthem for Game 3. The legendary singer-songwriter was no stranger to performing at the major New York venues, with a history of sold-out concerts during his long-running residency at Madison Square Garden, as well as shows at Yankee Stadium, MetLife Stadium, and the Mets’ former home. His “Last Play at Shea” concerts—two shows in 2008—were the basis of a concert album during the team’s final season there. [It’s available here.] Citi Field opened in 2009 and on this October 30, 2015 night, the native son was a solid choice to energize the crowd and help deliver a win for the home team.

Late in the game, with the Mets winning big on the way to a 9-3 victory, the scoreboard camera showed Joel in his suite as the loudspeakers began to play his recorded version of “Piano Man.” The legend soaked it all in, grinning broadly along with the TV audience on FOX, as he watched the crowd singing and swaying to his classic rock favorite.

New York Mets fans singing “Piano Man” at Citi Field during Game 3 of the 2015 World Series.

As the chorus began, Joel joined in and then, beaming, waved to the crowd.

That game was the Mets’ lone bright spot of the Series and the Royals went on to take the next two games to win the title.

Joel was scheduled to play Citi Field on August 21, 2025, with a co-headlining concert with Sting, but the show was cancelled—as were all of Joel’s remaining dates—when he was diagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus that impacted his hearing, vision and balance.

Joel’s albums have been released in vinyl collections in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.