Which song's live radio popularity helped Billy Joel sign with Columbia Records?

“Captain Jack” was the Billy Joel song whose live radio popularity helped bring him to Columbia Records' attention. The performance was recorded on April 15, 1972, during a live concert broadcast from Sigma Sound Studios for Philadelphia station WMMR-FM.

WMMR began playing a tape of the performance, and listeners responded strongly to the song. Its repeated airplay created regional buzz around Joel before he had become a national star. The recording also gave record executives a vivid example of his songwriting and stage presence, helping attract interest from major labels.

“Captain Jack” was later recorded in the studio for Joel's 1973 album Piano Man, where it appears as the closing track. Joel had already released his debut album, Cold Spring Harbor, through Family Productions, and he turned down an offer from Atlantic Records before signing with Columbia in spring 1973. The song was influential as a career catalyst, even though it was not a conventional mainstream hit single.