The Beatles’ 1968 “White Album” is often hailed as a masterpiece, but Billy Joel isn’t convinced. The legendary musician, who has always admired The Beatles, recently called the album “a collection of half-assed songs they didn’t finish writing because they were too stoned, or they didn’t care anymore.” Joel believes John Lennon was “dissociating at that point,” leaving Paul McCartney to carry much of the creative weight. Despite his critique, Joel still respects the band’s legacy and also opened up about his recent health diagnosis, showing strength beyond the stage.

The Beatles’ 1968 “White Album” is often hailed as a masterpiece, but Billy Joel isn’t convinced.
The legendary musician, who has always admired The Beatles, recently called the album “a collection of half-assed songs they didn’t finish writing because they were too stoned, or they didn’t care anymore.” Joel believes John Lennon was “dissociating at that point,” leaving Paul McCartney to carry much of the creative weight.
Despite his critique, Joel still respects the band’s legacy and also opened up about his recent health diagnosis, showing strength beyond the stage.

Billy Joel’s Candid Take on the “White Album” and His Battle Beyond the Stage

When you think of reverence in the rock world, The Beatles typically sit atop the summit of musical influence. But not everyone sees their work through rose-tinted glasses — including one of their biggest admirers. Billy Joel, the piano man himself, has always credited The Beatles as a foundational influence on his own career. Yet in a recent interview that caught many by surprise, Joel voiced a brutally honest opinion about the band’s 1968 double LP, commonly known as the “White Album.”

“They were unraveling,” Joel said flatly. “The ‘White Album’ sounds like a collection of half-assed songs they didn’t finish writing because they were too stoned, or they didn’t care anymore.” It was a rare moment of critique from the usually diplomatic musician, who added, “I say that with love. I worship The Beatles — I owe them everything. But let’s be real: it’s not cohesive. It’s not Sgt. Pepper’s, it’s not Rubber Soul. It’s a breakup in real time.”

His most pointed comments were directed toward John Lennon. “John was dissociating at that point,” Joel said. “He was drifting. There’s this emotional vacancy in some of his tracks. Like he was already checking out. And Paul — well, Paul was doing most of the heavy lifting creatively, trying to hold the band together while making sense of the chaos.”

Joel’s critique mirrors long-held debates in music circles. The “White Album,” with its 30 eclectic tracks ranging from the tender “Blackbird” to the chaotic “Revolution 9,” has always divided fans. Some view its sprawl and experimental nature as evidence of genius; others, like Joel, see it as a fragmented mirror of a band in decline.

Still, even in critique, Joel’s tone held a certain reverence. “It’s still The Beatles,” he clarified. “Even their mistakes are better than most people’s best work.”

A Deeper Battle

But Billy Joel didn’t stop at musical analysis. In that same interview, he revealed a far more personal and vulnerable struggle: a recent health diagnosis that has caused him to take stock of more than just music.

“I was diagnosed earlier this year,” he shared quietly. “It’s not terminal. It’s manageable. But it does change the way you look at everything. The clock starts ticking a little louder.”

Joel declined to name the exact condition, but sources close to the singer have said it affects his energy and mobility. And while the prognosis is said to be optimistic with ongoing treatment, Joel acknowledged that performing night after night is becoming increasingly taxing.

“I don’t want to be the guy wheezing his way through ‘Piano Man’ on stage,” he said with a smile that didn’t quite hide the pain. “If I’m gonna do it, I want to do it right.”

Despite his diagnosis, Joel has shown no signs of retreating from the public eye. He’s continued his long-running residency at Madison Square Garden — a history-making streak that has become synonymous with his career’s second wind. Fans continue to sell out shows, drawn not just by nostalgia, but by the chance to hear an artist who still gives his all, night after night.

“There’s a kind of strength you find when you’re faced with your limits,” he said. “The same way I felt when I was young, broke, and writing songs in a crappy apartment — that fight, that fire. It comes back. Maybe even stronger now.”

A New Perspective on Legacy

As Joel reflects on The Beatles’ late-era creative fractures, it’s clear he’s doing more than critiquing music — he’s considering his own legacy. “What lasts?” he asked during the interview. “What do people remember? I think about that now more than I used to.”

And maybe that’s what his comments about the “White Album” were really about. Not disrespect, but the recognition that even the greatest are flawed — and that flaws are part of the beauty.

“When people ask me if I regret not making more albums, I say, ‘Not really,’” Joel explained. “I said what I needed to say. Music’s not about perfection. It’s about honesty. That’s what people feel.”

Billy Joel’s remarks may ruffle feathers among Beatles loyalists, but they also offer a rare window into the mind of an artist who refuses to mythologize the past. Whether talking about Lennon’s distance or McCartney’s resilience, Joel’s take is raw, real, and — like the man himself — uncompromising.

And as he faces his own challenges, both personal and professional, Joel seems to be drawing strength from that same sense of brutal honesty.

“You don’t need to be immortal to matter,” he said, pausing for a moment. “You just have to be real.”