He was really on the Hudson River line, on his way home to Highland Falls, New York, when he began composing the song in a notepad. He proceeded to the keyboard as soon as he came home and finished the text and lyrics in about an hour. The melody came naturally to him. Billy Joel is one of the most successful singer-songwriters of all time, with more than 60 million records sold worldwide. He's also one of the most requested musicians for television shows and film scores. His songs have been covered by many other artists, including Elton John, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, and Barbra Streisand. Joel wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on his first six albums. His seventh album, 52 Songs, featured songs written by several different people. His latest album, 50th Anniversary, features one song each from Joel and his wife Christie Brinkley. He has won two Grammy Awards and has been nominated a total of 11 times. Joel says that his favorite song to perform is "My Favorite Song". He claims that anyone who hears it thinks it's their favorite song too. He knows this because everyone asks him to play it at their wedding or funeral.