Billy Joel Slams Beatles’ White Album as ‘Half‑Assed’ Collection
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The Beatles’ White Album is often celebrated as a sprawling, genre-blending masterpiece, capturing the band’s creative peak even as they teetered on the edge of collapse. Released in 1968, it marked the group’s only official double album, featuring now-iconic tracks like “Helter Skelter,” “Dear Prudence,” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” But not everyone hears brilliance in its variety.
In a recent conversation on Club Random with Bill Maher, Billy Joel stunned fans by calling the White Album a “half-assed” collection. Despite his admiration for the Beatles’ overall impact, Joel pulled no punches when talking about this particular chapter in their discography.
His criticism quickly made waves online, stirring debates among music fans and Beatles loyalists. After all, it’s not every day a legend like Billy Joel questions the work of another rock ‘n’ roll institution.
“They Didn’t Care Anymore”
Billy Joel didn’t hold back when sharing his opinion of the White Album. He said it sounded like a group of half-finished songs written by a band that had lost interest—or gotten too high to care. “I hear it as a collection of half-assed songs,” he said bluntly, citing a lack of cohesion and intent behind the album’s experimental nature.
The record, created in part during the Beatles’ spiritual retreat in India, has long been seen as a result of individual exploration. But Joel’s take suggests that what some consider artistic freedom was actually creative burnout or distraction. “They had fragments, and they put them on the album,” he added.
His comments weren’t purely speculative. Joel’s decades of songwriting experience give weight to his analysis. To him, The White Album lacked the structure and polish of the Beatles’ earlier work—traits he clearly values in a great record.
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McCartney Carried the Album, Says Joel
Joel went even further, dissecting the roles of individual Beatles during that period. He claimed John Lennon had become emotionally distant, while Paul McCartney was left to carry much of the creative burden. “I think John was disassociating at that point. I think Paul was carrying the weight,” Joel told Maher.
While some might interpret the album’s fragmented nature as intentional, Joel sees it more as a breakdown of collaboration. He didn’t deny the Beatles’ greatness, but suggested this particular phase exposed the band’s internal struggles more than anything else.
Still, he offered a balanced perspective. “Sometimes they were more prolific and sometimes they weren’t,” he admitted. For Joel, The White Album simply represents one of those less-focused times, even for a band as revolutionary as the Beatles.
A Divisive Legacy That Endures
Not everyone agrees with Billy Joel’s sharp critique. Ringo Starr, for one, has spoken warmly about the White Album, citing the joy of returning to a more band-centric recording process. “I’ve loved the White Album all of my life because we were back to being a band,” Starr shared in a 2021 interview.
Fans also continue to defend the album as a daring mix of genres and personalities. Its imperfections are, to many, part of its charm—offering a raw look at four artists evolving in different directions. For all its unevenness, it remains one of the most influential albums in rock history.
In the end, Joel’s comments add to a conversation that has followed the album for decades. Whether you hear brilliance or burnout in those 30 tracks, one thing is clear: The White Album still inspires passionate debate, proving its place in the canon is as complex as the Beatles themselves.
Watch the Club Random episode below.
