Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
The iconic singer-songwriter released his most recent rock album in 1993, marking his final full-length record in the genre.
Billy Joel says he intentionally stepped away from writing rock music after the success of his 1993 album River of Dreams, believing it was the right time to end that chapter of his career.
In a recent interview with Rick Beato on YouTube, the 77-year-old music icon explained that completing River of Dreams gave him a sense of closure. At the time, he was married to Christie Brinkley and raising their daughter, and he no longer wanted to isolate himself for months at a time to focus solely on songwriting. Having created 12 studio albums, Joel felt satisfied with his body of work, noting that even The Beatles released the same number of albums.
He admitted that he had watched other artists continue releasing music long after their creative peak, sometimes producing work that failed to match their earlier standards. Joel said he wanted to avoid weakening the reputation he had built over the years and believed knowing when to stop was just as important as knowing when to continue, even if making that decision was difficult.
Although he retired from recording pop and rock albums, Joel did not completely abandon music. In 2001, he released Fantasies & Delusions, a collection of classical piano compositions, and returned briefly in 2024 with the single “Turn the Lights Back On.”
Joel explained that exploring classical music fulfilled a personal creative goal, while continuing to make pop records simply because of his fame no longer appealed to him. He felt his passion for writing songs had changed, and rather than forcing himself to keep going, he chose to stop before his work lost the quality he expected from himself.
The “Piano Man” singer also recalled that a songwriter from a newer band recently sought his advice about writing music. Joel responded that he could no longer offer much guidance because he no longer writes songs himself. He described songwriting as emotionally demanding, saying that after reaching a certain level of success, it becomes increasingly difficult to meet one’s own expectations. Instead of struggling with that pressure, he decided it was healthier to walk away.
Joel previously reflected on the decision in the 2025 documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, saying that ending his songwriting career felt like a natural conclusion. Although River of Dreams became a commercial success, he believed it marked the perfect point to close that chapter of his life and move forward.
