Billy Joel: And So It Goes

An expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting. With unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs, along with extensive, in-depth one-on-one interviews, the documentary intimately explores the life and work of Joel, whose music has endured across generations.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes (2025) is an American two-part HBO music documentary miniseries created by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin. Its runtime is a long, unhurried 147 minutes per episode, and it follows the life and career of the singer-songwriter Billy Joel, who appears as himself in the interviews. Rather than a chronological checklist of hits, the film works like a personal reckoning: Joel reflects on the love, loss and private struggles that fed his songwriting, while the edit threads those confessions against rare home movies, personal photographs and never-before-seen performances. Interviews with his daughter Alexa Ray Joel and his wife Christie Brinkley appear alongside commentary from the violinist Itzhak Perlman, the broadcaster Howard Stern and the critic Anthony DeCurtis, placing his songs within the wider American popular music world. The tone is warm, reflective and candid, with the music doing much of the emotional work. Viewers who enjoyed intimate artist portraits such as Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me and the concert-driven candor of Shut Up and Play the Hits will find this a similarly absorbing look at an artist shaped by his own songs.

• Metallica: Some Kind of Monsterintimate music biography built on archival footage and candid interviews with an artist
• Glen Campbell: I'll Be Mecareer-spanning music documentary built on a musician's own reflections and archival performance
• Shut Up and Play the Hitsdocumentary portrait of a singer-songwriter through performance and personal reflection
• LEGO Hollywoodstylized documentary portrait of a famous musician shaped by candid interviews

Created by

Susan Lacy, Jessica Levin

Release Date

2025-07-18

Episode runtime

147 min

Rating

8.6 / 10 (16)

What is Billy Joel: And So It Goes about?

A two-part HBO documentary portrait of singer-songwriter Billy Joel, tracing the love, loss and struggles behind his enduring music.

What is Billy Joel: And So It Goes like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Billy Joel: And So It Goes as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Billy Joel: And So It Goes violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Billy Joel: And So It Goes.

Which shows are like Billy Joel: And So It Goes?

Shows with a similar feel include Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, Shut Up and Play the Hits, and LEGO Hollywood.

How long is Billy Joel: And So It Goes?

Billy Joel: And So It Goes: 1 season, 2 episodes.

Is Billy Joel: And So It Goes still running?

No, Billy Joel: And So It Goes has ended.

Where can I watch Billy Joel: And So It Goes?

In United States, Billy Joel: And So It Goes streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.