Released in 1973, Piano Man became one of Billy Joel's most enduring signatures, blending storytelling balladry with a warm, lived-in piano-and-harmonica feel that defined a particular strain of early-seventies singer-songwriter rock. The opening progression — C to G, then F to Am — moves with a natural, almost inevitable logic, each chord resolving comfortably into the next before the minor landing on Am adds just a touch of wistfulness to offset the brightness of the major chords. That gentle ache is the key to the song's character: it feels welcoming and melancholic in the same breath. For pianists and guitarists alike, those four chords sit beautifully under the fingers, and the progression has a satisfying forward momentum that immediately signals something both familiar and quietly emotional.