Billy Joel ‘Jeopardy!’ Questions: How Many Can You Correctly Answer?

In February of 2025, three celebrities appeared on a special episode of Jeopardy! and not one of them performed well in the Billy Joel category.

Curb Your Enthusiasm actress Susie Essman, comic Blake Anderson and Robin Thede, the creator of A Black Lady Sketch Show, were all stumped when it came to a section called "The Song Title Completes the Lyric (Billy Joel Edition)." Out of the five clues, they could only come up with responses for one of them — the rest drew blank stares.

Host Ken Jennings made a light-hearted joke in the moment: "The ratings are plummeting in Long Island right now."

For those that would like to prove themselves smarter than those aforementioned contestants  — or at least more knowledgeable on Joel — we've compiled a list of 24 Jeopardy! questions that have been asked on the show over the years. They start out in the $200 level and get progressively more expensive from there...

1. SONGS for $200: Billy Joel's "Sleeping With the Television On" samples this song played by TV stations at sign-off.

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Answer: The Star-Spangled Banner

2. MUSIC HISTORY for $400: In "We Didn't Start the Fire," Billy Joel sings of "trouble in" this Mideast canal region, the site of a 1956 crisis.

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Answer: Suez

3. STEP RIGHT "UP" for $400: It comes before "Girl" in a Billy Joel title and "Funk!" in a Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars title.

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Answer: "Uptown"

4. STATE SONGS? for $400: Billy Joel: "____ State of Mind."

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Answer: New York

Listen to Billy Joel's 'New York State of Mind'

5. BILLY JOEL for $400: In 2018 a banner honoring the 50th show of Billy's residency at this arena was raised into its rafters.

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Answer: Madison Square Garden

6. POP GO THE LYRICS! for $400: As Billy Joel put it, "Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound / Funny, but it's still" this.

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Answer: "rock and roll to me"

7. "LONG" SONGS for $500: Other than a bass, the only instrument used in this 1984 Billy Joel song was his voice.

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Answer: "The Longest Time"

8. LA GEOGRAPHY IN POP CULTURE for $600: Billy Joel wanted to "Say Goodbye to" this storied LA area.

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Answer: Hollywood

9. CONDUCTORS for $800: Conductor Alexander Joel is Billy's half brother; they met when Billy was in his 20s, in this European city that "waits for you."

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Answer: Vienna

Listen to Billy Joel's 'Vienna'

10. BILLY JOEL for $800: In 2009 Billy headed back out on the road for a "Face 2 Face" tour with this other legend of the 88 keys.

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Answer: Elton John

READ MORE: The Best Song From Every Billy Joel Album

11. HEAR HERE, NEW YORK! $800: After performing there in 1965, Paul McCartney got back to this large NY venue in 2008 to help Billy Joel play its last show.

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Answer: Shea Stadium

12. CITIES IN SONG for $800: Billy Joel: "Well, we're living here...and they're closing all the factories down."

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Answer: Allentown

13. INCLUDES A PAPAL NAME for $800: "Oh Yes I Am" this, just like in the title of a 1983 Billy Joel album and song.

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Answer: An Innocent Man

14. BEHIND THE MUSIC for $800: In concert, after playing this song that begins, "Don't go changing, to try and please me," Billy Joel said, "and then we got divorced."

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Answer: "Just the Way You Are"

Watch Billy Joel Perform 'Just the Way You Are' on 'The Old Grey Whistle Test'

15. QUOTES ABOUT SPORTS TEAMS? for $800: Billy Joel: "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the ____; the sinners are much more fun."

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Answer: Saints

16. AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES WITH IT for $1000: In Grease and Billy Joel's "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," this outerwear goes with blue jeans.

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Answer: Leather jacket

17. FASHION DESIGNERS for $1000: Billy Joel's song "Big Shot" namechecks this American designer who was frequently seen at Studio 54 back in the day.

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Answer: Halston

18. ODE TO BILLY JOEL for $1000: This album won a Grammy / And made you some real bones / Its title's a reminder / Some folks should not throw stones.

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Answer: Glass Houses

19. SONGS FOR THE YOUNG AND OLD for $1200: Billy Joel said that this song of his "wasn't so much anti-Catholic as pro-lust."

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Answer: "Only the Good Die Young"

20. DESCRIBING THE SONG for $1200: Various people who live lives of quiet desperation, like Davy in the Navy, yell at Billy Joel to sing at a watering hole.

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Answer: "Piano Man"

Listen to Billy Joel's 'Piano Man'

21. STORIES BEHIND THE SONGS for $1200: This song came about after a pal of Sean Lennon told Billy Joel that the 1950s were a boring time to grow up.

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Answer: "We Didn't Start the Fire"

22. THE FAMOUS MOM of $1600: Of Alexa Ray Joel.

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Answer: Christie Brinkley

READ MORE: Top 20 Billy Joel Songs

23. GRAMMY ALBUM OF THE YEAR for $2000: Billy Joel was the "Big Shot" in 1980, winning for this album that bears the name of a thoroughfare.

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Answer: 52nd Street

24. "M"USICALS for $2000: For this 2002 musical, Twyla Tharp used 28 Billy Joel songs.

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Answer: Movin' Out