Elton John’s 10 Greatest Songs To Celebrate His 75th Birthday

British rock legend Elton John turned 75 this week, but seems to have been busier than ever. Besides his 2019 biopic Rocketman, autobiography Me that came soon after, there was the album Regimental Sgt Zippo, featuring unreleased songs recorded at the beginning of his career in the late 1960s. This was followed by the collaborative album The Lockdown Sessions, featuring guests like Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and contemporary artists like Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Brandi Carlisle and Charlie Puth, all of who sent in their parts online. And with the pandemic now on the decline, he has resumed his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour after a two-year hiatus.

Having sold over 300 million records, Elton is one of the most successful solo artists of all time. Unlike many other rock bands from that era, his music was driven by piano and keyboards, which went perfectly with his distinct style of singing. Indian fans will remember his show in Bengaluru in November 2002, where he sang solo with only a grand piano for company.

To shortlist only 10 songs was obviously a mammoth task, but these numbers are representative of his discography. Eight of them have been written by Bernie. The order is chronological.

1. “Your Song” / Elton John (1970) 

Written by Bernie, it is part of Elton’s self-titled second album. However, it was actually released earlier by the band Three Dog Night, who Elton opened for on tour. The song’s piano is said to have been inspired by Leon Russell. Some of its memorable lines are, “My gift is my song, and this one’s for you” and “I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind, that I put down in words, how wonderful life is when you’re in the world.” The song has been covered by many, including Rod Stewart and Lady Gaga, besides being sung by Taron in Rocketman.

2. “Tiny Dancer” / Madman Across The Water (1971)

Though the song received a sudden boost in popularity following its use in Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film Almost Famous, it was originally released in 1972. Bernie was inspired by his first visit to the US and dedicated this to the women of California with lines like, “Blue-jean baby, LA lady, seamstress for the band” and “Ballerina, you must’ve seen her, dancing in the sand.” The song uses intricate pedal steel guitar and string arrangements.

3. “Rocket Man” / Honky Chateau (1972)

April 17th will mark 50 years since this classic was released as a single. It is inspired by a Ray Bradbury short story. Bernie disagrees with the comments of critics that it is similar to David Bowie’s 1969 song “Space Oddity” though both songs are about astronauts and share a common producer in Gus Dudgeon. The song brings out space effects through synthesizers and processed slide guitar. The line “And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time” was sung along by audiences at shows. Appropriately, it was used as the title of Elton’s 2019 biopic, with a change to a one-word spelling.

4. “Crocodile Rock” / Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player (1973)

This uptempo number was written as a fun tribute and even makes reference to the Bill Haley & His Comets song “Rock Around The Clock” on the lines “While the kids were rocking around the clock.” Elton and Bernie were also inspired by the song ‘Eagle Rock’ by the Australian band Daddy Cool. The song was a huge hit at shows, because of its hum-along hook. Elton later admitted he got tired of it but played it only because fans requested it. A highlight is his use of the Farfisa organ. The album also featured the hit song ‘Daniel’, about a Vietnam War veteran.

5. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” / Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)

One of Elton’s most hard-rocking songs, it was also meant as a tribute to American rock ‘n’ roll. The piano is inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis, and Davey Johnstone’s guitar has traces of the Rolling Stones and The Who. In fact, while The Who covered it later, some critics even described it as a Stones parody. In fact, the Rocketman film features a brilliantly-choreographed street dance version of the song. A highlight is the “Saturday, Saturday, Saturday” climax.

6. “Pinball Wizard” / Tommy soundtrack (1975)

Elton made a guest appearance in the Ken Russell film adaptation of the rock opera Tommy. Originally performed by The Who and written by Pete Townshend, it gave Elton’s music a fresh twist as he had primarily done songs written by Bernie earlier. Elton’s version uses the piano as the centerpiece, as against the acoustic guitar in the original. In the film, his character is shown playing a pinball machine via a small piano keyboard. Other star guests in the film were Tina Turner and Eric Clapton.

7. “Nikita” / Ice On Fire (1985)

This song is about an East German border guard, and how the existing rules prevented people from meeting him. Set in the backdrop of the Cold War, it includes the lyrics, “Oh I saw you by the wall, ten of your tin soldiers in a row, with eyes that looked like ice on fire, the human heart a captive in the snow”. Though the video features English actress and athlete Anya Major, Elton says he was aware that Nikita was a male name in East Europe. The song features George Michael on backing vocals.

8. “Sacrifice” / Sleeping With The Past (1989)

One of Elton’s biggest hits, this song talks about how difficult it is to stay loyal in a marriage. “It’s a human sign, when things go wrong, when the scent of her lingers, and temptation’s strong; into the boundary, of each married man, sweet deceit comes calling, and negativity lands”, it begins. The song was in the news last year following the release of the PNAU Remix called “Cold Cold Heart,” featuring Elton and British singer Dua Lipa, and blending “Sacrifice” with a line from “Rocket Man.”

9. “Circle Of Life” / The Lion King soundtrack (1994)

The songs for this animated Disney film were composed by Elton with lyrics by Tim Rice. The film version of “Circle Of Life” has vocals by Carmen Twillie and Lebo M. Elton recorded his vocals on a separate pop version with the London Community Gospel Choir. This was released as a music video. The lyrics are, “It’s the circle of life, and it moves us all, through despair and hope, through faith and love, till we find our place, on the path unwinding, in the circle, the circle of life”. Elton and Tim also collaborate on four other songs, including “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight.” The two later worked together on the musical Aida.

10. “Candle In The Wind” / Lady Diana Tribute (1997)

The song was originally sung in the 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road as a tribute to actress Marilyn Monroe, beginning with the lines, “Goodbye Norma Jean.” In 1997, Elton re-recorded it as a dedication to Lady Diana after her death, singing, “Goodbye England’s Rose”. The recreated version became one of the biggest hits of its time. It had the line, “It seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind, never fading with the sunset when the rain set in; and your footsteps will always fall here along England’s greenest hills, your candles burned out long before your legend ever will”. The song was released with “Something About The Way You Look Tonight,” which became a big hit too.

Earlier this year, the singer resumed his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic. This takes him across North America till April, and continues in other regions till next year. To mark the 75th birthday, BBC is having a special two-hour show this Saturday, and the Hanford Fox Theatre in California is having a listening party, followed by a screening of Rocketman. Also in the US, tribute band Elton Dan & The Rocket Band did a special show on March 23. The party has just begun, and with things opening up in the events field, plenty will be in store.