Billy Joel says he stopped writing songs after releasing his 1993 album River of Dreams because he felt he had reached the point where he was finished, according to Rolling Stone.
In an interview with Rick Beato, Joel said he did not want to spend years locked away writing music and felt that after making 12 albums, he had done enough. He also said he did not want to keep making records in a way that might weaken his reputation over time.
Joel explained that some artists continue releasing music even as the work becomes less inspired, which he believes can dilute their legacy. He said he wanted to avoid that path and chose to stop before reaching that stage.
Although he stepped away from regular songwriting, Joel did release the classical album Fantasies & Delusions in 2001. He also returned to original songwriting in 2024 with “Turn the Lights Back On,” his first original song in 17 years.
