10 best Elton John songs

Sir Elton Hercules John (real name: Reginald Kenneth Dwight, 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Critics and the public appreciate his work, especially in the 1970s.

"His contributions to the music industry," Singers Room says, "have had a significant impact on pop music, and his songwriting partnership with poet  Bernie Taupin is widely regarded as one of the longest and most successful in history." Here are the 10 best songs by Elton John according to this site.

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a collaboration between Elton John and Bernie Taupin, which is the title track of the singer's album of the same name. The title of the piece is an obvious reference to the movie and book series The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

The song was well received by critics; some even consider it a contender for John's best song. Rolling Stone included "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at number 390 in 2010. In the United States, it was certified gold by the RIAA in 1974, platinum in 1995, and double platinum on March 2, 2020.

"I'm Still Standing"

"I'm Still Standing" is a song from John's studio album Too Low for Zero, 1983. It was the second single released from the album in the United Kingdom and the first single released in the United States.

With a music video promoting the song on MTV, "I'm Still Standing" became a big hit for John on both sides of the Atlantic, peaking at number one in Canada and Switzerland, number four in the UK, and number twelve on the US Billboard Hot 100.

"Tiny Dancer"

"Tiny Dancer" was originally released on John's 1971 album Madman Across the Water and then released as a single in 1972.

In the US, it was certified gold in 2005, platinum in 2011, and triple platinum on April 26, 2018.

"Candle in the Wind"

"Candle in the Wind" is a sensitive song written written in 1973 in honor of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier.

In 1997, John performed a reworked version of the song, "Candle in the Wind 1997", as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales.

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine included the original version of the song in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at number 347.

"Bennie and the Jets"

"Bennie and the Jets" ("Benny & the Jets") first appeared on the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in 1973. The song quickly became one of the most popular in John's repertoire and was performed by him during his Live Aid performance.

The track became a massive hit in the United States and Canada and was released in 1974 as an A-side with the inscription "Bennie".

The song is currently ranked #371 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"

"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" was originally recorded by John for his eighth studio album Caribou (1974) and released as a single, which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.

A version of the song recorded live by the duo John and George Michael reached number one in the UK in 1991 and in the US in 1992. They first performed "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" together at the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in July 1985.

"Crocodile Rock"

"Crocodile Rock" was recorded in the summer of 1972 at the Château d'Hérouville studio in France (listed in the album credits as "Strawberry Studios"), where John and his team had previously recorded the album Honky Château.

On October 27, 1972, the song was released in the UK and on November 20 of the same year in the US as a pre-release single from the upcoming album. It became his first number one single in the United States, reaching number one in February 1973 and staying there for three consecutive weeks.

In the US, "Crocodile Rock" was certified gold on February 5, 1973 and platinum on September 13, 1995.

"Daniel"

"Daniel" first appeared on John's album "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player".

In the UK, the song reached No. 4 on the official chart, No. 2 on the US pop chart (the first place was left to "My Love" by Paul McCartney and Wings) and No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart for two weeks in the spring of 1973.

In the United States, the single was certified gold in September 1995 and platinum in May 2018. In Canada, "Daniel" became his second No. 1 single after "Crocodile Rock".

John and Taupin received the Ivor Novello Award in 1973 for "Daniel" as the best musical and lyrical song. The song was also featured on the soundtrack of the 1974 movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

"Your Song"

"Your Song" was John's first single to reach the top ten on the international charts.

This song was first released by the American rock band Three Dog Night in March 1970 as an album track on the album It Ain't Easy. At the time, John was opening for the band and allowed them to record it.

Three Dog Night didn't release it as a single because they wanted to give John, who was still a budding artist, a chance to try it out. John's version was recorded at Trident Studios in London in January 1970 and appeared in April as the first track on his second self-titled studio album.

Following "Border Song" as the first album single, "Your Song" was released in the United States in October 1970 as the B-side to "Take Me to the Pilot". Both sides received airplay, but "Your Song" was preferred by disc jockeys and replaced "Take Me to the Pilot" as the A-side, eventually reaching number eight on the Billboard chart.

The song also peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 10 in several other countries.

"Rocket Man"

"Rocket Man" (official title: "I Think's Going to Be a Long, Long Time") was released on April 17, 1972 in the United States as the lead single to John's album Honky Château. In the UK, the song first entered the charts on April 22, peaking at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming a major hit for the singer.

On January 21, 2022, the song was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). With sales of 3 million in the United States, the song was recognized as triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Rolling Stone magazine included it in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at number 149.

The song has been covered by many artists, including Kate Bush in 1991 with a reggae version and Portuguese singer David Fonseca in 2007. John himself included this song in his 2021 single "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)".