Legendary musician Billy Joel has revealed the reason he won’t be making any more music in the future.

‘The Piano Man’, as he is fondly known, still regularly plays sold out shows but has revealed he will continue to play his old hits rather than producing new ones.

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In an interview with The New Yorker, Joel shared the real reason for his decision: he simply doesn’t have anything new to say.

“Over the years, Elton [John] would say, ‘Why don’t you make more albums?’ And I’d say, ‘Why don’t you make less?’… Some people think it’s because I’m lazy or I’m just being contrary. But, no, I think it’s just—I’ve had my say.”

Joel said he wants to avoid being a broken record and cashing in on his name and reputation rather than his talents.

“If I put out an album now, it would probably sell pretty well, because of who I am, but that’s no reason to do it. I’d want it to be good. And I’ve seen artists on that treadmill, putting out albums year after year, and the albums get worse and worse, less and less interesting, and it’s, like, maybe you should stop.”

The 65-year-old also touched on the challenges of maintaining artistic integrity with fame.

Having been through a high-profile marriage breakup with supermodel Christie Brinkley, Joel is aware of the lack of privacy that comes with public attention.

“[I]t’s easier to write more personal stuff when you’re not as well know,” Joel said.

“You can’t create something that’s an independent entity, made out of whole cloth. They know who you’re in a relationship with, what your past is. They tend to draw their own conclusions. Your image becomes more powerful than the things you create.”

Five of his best:

Uptown Girl

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New York State Of Mind

She’s Always A Woman To Me

My Life

Piano Man