I admit that I have never paid a great deal of attention to Billy Joel, mostly because I was overseas when his career started in the early 1970s (“Piano Man,” his first hit, was released in 1973) and then when I got back to the States I had gotten out of the habit of listening to music on the radio. So I’m only casually familiar with him. I know some of the hits (is it possible to avoid “New York State of Mind” whenever there’s a sports team from the Big Apple which does well?), but I have never owned a single song or album of his. I’ve gotten the distinct impression that the rock critics aren’t particularly fond of him or his music.

Then I watched and listened to the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song award ceremony PBS televised last Friday night, during which Joel became the sixth winner. Preceding him were Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and Carole King. It occurred to me that if he’s considered to be in that kind of company maybe I should listen to more of his music.

I went out the following day with a gift card I happened to have and got “Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits Volume I and II”. This is excellent pop music, written and performed brilliantly.

So what the heck is it that has the critics unhappy with him? While you’re thinking about that, listen to Kevin Spacey play the harmonica and sing the opening two verses of “Piano Man” during that ceremony the other night.