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Billy Joel says he made a conscious decision to stop writing rock and pop music after his 1993 album River of Dreams because he didn't want to "dilute" his legacy.
In a new interview with Rick Beato, the 77-year-old musician explained that he felt he had reached a natural conclusion after completing his 12th studio album. "I had done it 12 times and I thought, 'You know what? The Beatles had 12 albums.' And that was just enough for me," he said.
Joel admitted that watching other artists continue releasing albums long after their creative peak reinforced his choice. He didn't want to trail off or keep producing music without the same passion that fueled his earlier hits.
"I recognized that I didn't have the same motivation that I used to have, so I said, 'Stop. Don't kill it.'"
Although he stepped away from pop songwriting, Joel didn't stop making music entirely. He released a classical piano album, Fantasies & Delusions, in 2001 and returned with his first new pop single in decades, Turn the Lights Back On, in 2024.
He also shared that younger songwriters sometimes ask him for advice, but he tells them that knowing when to walk away is part of the craft. "You get to a point you can't do it anymore. You've tapped it out... and I didn't want to put myself through that anymore."
Joel previously reflected on the decision in his 2025 HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, saying ending his songwriting career after River of Dreams "was the natural progression of things" despite the album's success.
Currently, Joel is on hiatus from performing after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a treatable brain condition. He reassured fans last year that while the diagnosis was "scary," he is recovering and doing well.
