# The only performer Billy Joel considered better than Mick Jagger: “The most dynamic show I’ve ever seen”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-only-performer-billy-joel-considered-better-than-mick-jagger-the-most-dynamic-show-ive-ever-seen/
- Published: 2026-10-25T14:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-25T15:23:50+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-only-performer-billy-joel-considered-better-than-mick-jagger/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Billy Joel ranked James Brown above Mick Jagger as a showman.
- He praised Brown’s energetic performances and tight band.
- Brown’s stage style influenced Jagger and Michael Jackson.

## Summary

Billy Joel said James Brown was the greatest showman he had seen, rating him above Mick Jagger. The comment highlights Brown’s influence on rock performance and the way his singing, movement and command of the stage set a standard for later artists.

Joel praised Brown’s distinctive singing, stage presence and exceptionally precise band, describing the performance as “the most dynamic show” he had ever seen. The article also notes that Jagger drew on Brown’s example, while Joel himself preferred performing at the piano to elaborate dance routines.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.