How to Watch Billy Joel’s ‘And So It Goes’ Documentary: Streaming Guide and Release Schedule
Holy moly my heart is still racing as I ramble at top speed about Billy Joel’s new documentary And So It Goes. Billy Joel’s four-part series premiered on Showtime on February 24, 2023, tracing his journey from a Queens kid with a piano obsession to the icon who sold over 150 million records worldwide. The docuseries lands exclusively on Showtime, dropping each episode at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on its weekly schedule, so set your alarms if you’re (like me) incapable of sleeping until hearing “Piano Man.”
In the very first installment, viewers get a backstage pass to Joel’s early influences—jazz legends, classical composers and an irate public school teacher who thought rock ’n’ roll was a phase. Interviews with Joel’s daughters Alexa Ray and Mary provide moving personal context, and rare footage of his first concerts reveals how he won over fans with cheeky banter and stadium-shaking chords. According to Variety, these intimate moments are intercut with commentary from Elton John and Paul McCartney, who praise Joel’s uncanny ability to blend pop hooks with heartfelt storytelling.
Episode two dives into Joel’s 1970s heyday, tackling the runaway success of The Stranger and the cutthroat music industry. Citing People Magazine, the series highlights the tension between Joel and his longtime producer Phil Ramone, revealing how studio battles over sound helped craft iconic tracks like “Just the Way You Are.” You get behind-the-scenes looks at the recording sessions that almost fell apart and the eventual triumph that cemented Joel’s place in rock history.
As the series moves into the 1980s and ’90s, episodes three and four chronicle Joel’s global superstardom, personal setbacks and triumphant return to New York City’s Madison Square Garden. We see him grappling with fame-induced burnout, a troubled marriage and the struggle to find fresh inspiration after hits like “Uptown Girl.” Each segment is packed with archival footage, candid interviews and gem-filled anecdotes, such as Joel’s impromptu jam with Bruce Springsteen at a charity event—details confirmed by Billboard’s on-set report.
For those without a traditional cable subscription, you can stream And So It Goes on Paramount+ with the Showtime add-on, which kicks off at the same midnight Eastern release. Free trials are available for new subscribers, and the series is also purchasable on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV for those who want to keep it in their personal library. International viewers can catch the documentary on Crave in Canada and on Sky Documentaries in the U.K., also matching Showtime’s Friday morning rollout.
Whether you’re a lifelong Joel fan or you only know him from wedding receptions, And So It Goes offers a vivid, affectionate portrait of a musician who turned piano pop into a global phenomenon. Pour another cup of coffee, grab your headphones and get ready to binge one of the year’s most anticipated music documentaries. I swear, I could talk about this all day.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and Variety, People Magazine, Billboard
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
