Why Billy Joel’s Last Top 40 Hit Helped Convince Him To Give up His Pop Career

If you watch the outstanding documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, you’ll hear origin stories for many of his most famous songs. You’ll even get a few of the tales behind songs that weren’t big hits but still meant a lot to Joel.

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There’s no mention, however, about the song that ended up being the last of Billy Joel’s 33 US Top 40 hits. Perhaps that’s because Joel’s frustration with the song’s reception caused it to be one of the last singles he would release.

A New Collaborator

Billy Joel’s intent to spend time with his family, including wife Christie Brinkley and daughter Alexa Ray, clashed with some unfortunate realities in the late 80s and early 90s. When he realized that he had much less money in his coffers than he originally thought, he had to stay active. That meant more recording and constant touring.

In 1992, he began work on the album that would eventually become River Of Dreams. After doing a lot of work on the songs that he’d written, Joel paused. He didn’t feel sure about the results that had been achieved with his touring band as the backing musicians.

Joel decided to get a second opinion. He played the tracks for Danny Kortchmar, a session legend who’d also earned his stripes as a producer with top artists like Don Henley. Kortchmar liked the songs and told Joel he’d help produce the record. But he’d only do so if he could call on session musicians to play on the tracks.

“Soul” Power

Billy Joel structured River Of Dreams in such a way that a loose story unfolds. The first side of the album features songs that touch on darker themes and are riddled with doubt. That turns around on the second side. The protagonists begin to revel in the love and blessings they’ve received in their lives.

As the first song on the second side, “All About Soul” starts that transformation. The song suggests that Brinkley brought Joel the intangible fortitude to help him deal with the struggles in his life. Gospel overtones flood the track. Color Me Badd, the pop vocal group, added to the backing vocals.

A Disappointing Hit

Billy Joel released the title track to River Of Dreams as the first single in 1993. It did very well, going all the way to No. 3. “All About Soul” looked like a natural as the follow-up single. After all, it powers along at a solid tempo. The chorus soars. And Joel delivers a message of positivity.

But “All About Soul” only made it to No. 29. Worse yet, two further singles from River Of Dreams failed to even make the Top 40. Joel felt disillusioned by the turn of events. He began to wonder if it was worth all the effort it took to write and record songs for an album if they were no longer going to be heard at the same levels as his previous work.

That was one of the reasons he’s cited over the years for deciding that River Of Dreams would be his last pop album. As such, “All About Soul” wins the trivia contest for being the final time Billy Joel hit the Top 40 charts, the same charts that he pretty much owned for much of his outstanding career.

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