Billy Joel’s groundbreaking 100th Madison Square Garden Residency Show was commemorated with an edited version of the concert airing on network television. The special entitled “The 100th: Billy Joel At Madison Square Garden” was broadcast in prime time on April 14, 2024 on CBS. 

For fans, this was a step up in production from even the official concert clips on YouTube. The high-end production, song resequencing, and interviews with band, crew members and fans made this televised event much more than just concert footage.

The special also chronicled one of the first live renditions of Turn the Lights Back On, Billy’s first  single release in 17 years.  And, it was a ratings success: More than 5.7 million viewers tuned in for the first airing, resulting in the special surpassing even the most popular holiday programming for viewership. 

However, not everything went as planned: The concert was cut short by a few minutes on the East Coast to make way for the 11:00 news. Fan outcry prompted the network to re-air the special 5 days later. 

Still, it’s a crystal-clear document of the current lineup, which has been in place for more than a decade. And, it’s a love letter of sorts to fans, with today’s high-end video technology able to spotlight the audience much better than in older concert videos. 

These make the show worth the watch, even if you’ve heard all but one of the songs countless times. So join us as we dig deep into the television special, “The 100th: Billy Joel At Madison Square Garden.”

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