Billy Joel, the renowned Piano Man, once revealed a musical piece that had been with him for years. Despite believing in its potential, he had never transformed it into a full-fledged song. This revelation came during his appearance on John Mayer's new SiriusXM radio show How's Life.

The Unusual Question and Joel's Response

Host John Mayer posed an unusual question to Billy Joel, asking if he had a favorite "spare part" – a piece of music that might never become a song but held a special place in his heart. Joel moved to a keyboard in the studio and shared his story. "I've had this for years and years and years and years. I always told myself, 'Gonna do something with this; something's gonna happen with this – this is a really nice piece of music.' And no one's ever heard this," he said before playing the piece, which can be heard in the video clip below.

Joel's Dislike for His Own Voice

On the same show, as previously reported, Joel revealed that he had never been a fan of his own voice. "I always wanted to sing like somebody else. I would go in the studio and do a recording and come back in the control room and listen, and go, 'Oh God, it's that guy.' And I'd always be disappointed. No matter how good I thought the writing was, I never liked my own voice."

Why the Song Might Remain Unfinished

Billy Joel's unfinished song seems likely to stay that way. In June, he expressed his dislike for the challenge of writing. Speaking about his piano, he said, "There's this big black beast with 88 teeth that wants to bite my fingers off… I drive myself nuts. It's just not as good as I want it to be. It's a great deal of torment, and I decided I don't want to put myself through that anymore." He also reflected on the changes in the music industry, asking, "Who makes albums anymore anyway?… I don't know other people who make albums. I don't know what the marketing of that is like now."

Ranking Billy Joel's Albums

From 'Cold Spring Harbor' to 'River of Dreams,' we take a comprehensive look at Billy Joel's LPs and rank them from worst to best. Each album offers a unique musical experience and showcases his talent in different ways. The Piano Man's discography is a testament to his enduring popularity and musical prowess.