Elton John, real name Reginald Dwight, is an English singer-songwriter who has sold over 300 million records, making him one of the best record sellers of all time.
The figures make you dizzy : no less than 50 Top40, 27 Top10, 4 N°2 and 9 N°1 on the Singles side at the level of the English Charts. 58 Top40 on the Singles side and 7 consecutive albums ranked No.1 at the level of the American Charts.
Her version of "Candle in the Wind", revamped on the occasion of Lady Di's death, will sell more than 33 million copies !
Little Reginald started playing the piano at the age of 3 and showed obvious composing skills very early on. This is how he won at the age of 11 a school competition at the Royal Academy of Music. He will take courses there for 5 years.
At the age of 15, he started playing in pubs on weekends. And in 1964, he formed his first group "Bluesology".
Things started to pick up in 1967 when he responded to an ad from a music magazine. Announcement that puts him in touch with Ray Williams of Liberty Records. Which makes him meet a certain Bernie Taupin, author of his state. And this meeting will completely upset his destiny.
A first composition "Scarecrow" will see the light of day.
6 months later, Reginald Dwight officially becomes Elton John in reference to Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and musician Long John Baldry.
The first Single "I’ve been loving you" was released in 1968, followed in 1969 by "Lady Samantha".
The eponymous first album was released in 1970, an album from which the first classified Single, namely "Border song", was to be extracted. But it is above all another excerpt, "Yoursong" which will experience considerable and above all global success. The singer's career is this time beautiful and well launched.
In 1972 the album "Madman across the water" was released, with the flagship Singles "Levon" and "Tiny dancer". Shortly followed by the album "Honky Chanteau" which will produce the Singles "Rocket man" and especially "Honky cat" which will complete a very honorable career in the Charts.
A year later in 1973 the album "Don’t shoot me I’m only the piano player" was released. Album which will give the singer his first mega hit with the enormous “Crocodile rock”. As well as “Daniel” who will still rank N ° 2 in the USA.
The same year released the album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", a critically acclaimed album that was very well received by the public. Including the hit “Bennie and the Jets” and the original version of “Candle in the wind”. The singer's notoriety then skyrocketed.
The album “Caribou” was released in 1974, another success and new hit with the Single “Don’t let the sun go down on me”. Followed in 1975 by the album "Captain fantastic and the brown dirt cowboy" which caused a stir in the USA. Album from which the flagship Single “Someone saved my life tonight” will be extracted. The same year the album “Rock of the Westies” was released with the Single hit “Island girl”.
1976 turned out to be an exceptional year with the release of two mega hits, “Sorry seems to be the hardest word” from the album “Blue moves”. But also and above all the transcosmic "Don’t go breaking my heart", in duet with Kiki Dee, Single which is one of the biggest hits of that year. The singer achieved the status of a planetary mega star.
That same year, he announced that he was bisexual.
Little air hole in 1978 with an album "A single man" which did not meet the success of the preceding ones and a Bernie Taupin who began to work with other singers. 1979 will be even worse with an album "Victim of love" which turns out to be a failure.
Business resumed in 1980 with the release of the album "21 at 33" whose hit Single "Little Jeannie" brought the singer back to center stage.
New hole in 1981 with the album "The fox" which misses the public. The album "Jump up! "Which came out in 1982 will do slightly better but nothing more thanks to the Single " Empty garden (Hey hey Johnny)".
A resounding comeback in 1983 with the album "Too low for zero" which brought on a silver platter two mega hits that are "I'm still standing" and "I guess that’s why they call it the blues". The same year he married his sound engineer Renate Blaued.
Slow down in 1985 with the release of the album "Breaking hearts" which was saved by the Single hit "Sad songs (say no much)". Short-term drop in power because the album "Ice on fire" is released, from which the magnificent "Nikita" will be extracted.
The album "Leather jackets" came out in 1986 and the effect "one hit is good, one hit is not good" happened again, it was a relative failure.
In 1987 he went to the infirmary for an operation to remove polyps on his vocal cords. Operation successful but the singer's voice is changed.
The year after in 1988 released the album "Reg strikes back" which saw the Single "I don’t wanna go on with you like that" getting very good cores. He also participates in the title "That’s what friends are for" with Dionne Warwick and Stevie Wonder in particular. Title that will make a real planetary success.
But it was 1989 that brought him one of his most enormous hits with the sumptuous and languid "Sacrifice", Single from the album "Sleeping with the past".
But here ends our dive into the life of this extraordinary artist, who will have marked several decades like few others before him. Both for its whimsical side, sometimes bordering on caricature, and for the exceptional quality of its discography.
Other albums and Singles would come out later, some of them huge ...
But that will be the subject of another article. To be continued !
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
60s Decade :
I've been loving you 1968
Lady Samantha 1969
70s Decade :
Border song 1970
Your song 1970
Friends 1971
Levon 1971
Tiny dancer 1971
Rocket man 1972
Honky cat 1972
Crocodile rock 1972
Daniel 1973
Saturday night's alright for fighting 1973
Goodbye yellow brick road 1973
Step into Christmas 1973
Bennie and the Jets 1974
Candle in the wind 1974
Don't let the sun go down on me 1974
The bitch is back 1974
Philadelphia freedom 1975
Someone saved my life tonight 1975
Island girl 1975
Grow some funk of your own 1976
Don’t go breaking my heart 1976
Sorry seems to be the hardest word 1976
Bite your lip (Get up and dance!) 1977
Ego 1978
Part time love 1978
Song for guy 1978
Are you ready for love 1979
Mama can't buy you love 1979
Victim of love 1979
80s Decade :
Little Jeannie 1980
Sartorial eloquence (Don't ya wanna play this game no more ?) 1980
Nobody wins 1981
Chloe 1981
Blue eyes 1982
Empty garden (Hey hey Johnny) 1982
I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues 1983
I’m still standing 1983
Kiss the bride 1983
Cold as Christmas 1983
Sad songs 1984
Passengers 1984
Who wears these choes 1984
In neon 1984
Act of war 1985
That's what friends are for 1985
Nikita 1985
Wrap her up 1985
Cry to heaven 1986
Heartache all over the world 1986
Slow rivers 1986
Flames of paradise 1987
I don't wanna go on with you like that 1988
A word in spanish 1988
Through the storm 1989
Healing hands 1989
Sacrifice 1989
Whispers 1989
Amazes me 1989
90s Decade :
Club at the end of the street 1990
You gotta love someone 1990
Easier to walk away 1990
The one 1992
Runaway train 1992
The last song 1992
Simple life 1993
True love 1993
Can you feel the love tonight 1994
Circle of life 1994
Believe 1995
Made in England 1995
Blessed 1995
You can make history (Young again) 1996
Live like horses 1996
Something about the way you look tonight 1997
Recover your soul 1998
If the river can bend 1998
Written in the stars 1999
2000s Decade :
Someday out of the blue 2000
Perfect day 2001
I want love 2001
This train d'ont stop anymore 2002
Original sin 2002
Sorry seems to be the hardest word 2002
The heart of every girl 2003
All that I'm allowed (I'm thankfull) 2004
Turn the lights out when you leave 2005
Electricity 2005
Dreamland 2005
The bridge 2006
Joseph, better you than me 2008
2010s Decade :
If it wasn't for bad 2010
Good morning to the night 2012
Sad 2012
Save rock and roll 2013
Face to face 2013
Home again 2013
Can't stay alone tonight 2014
Looking up 2015
Blue wonderful 2016
A good heart 2016
All in the name 2016
Running back to you 2017
High 2018
(I'm gonna) Love me again 2019
2020s Decade :
Learn to fly 2020
Chosen family 2021
Cold heart 2021
After all 2021
Finish line 2021
Always love you 2021
Merry Christmas 2021
Tracks :
1968 ... the first steps of the man who will become in a few decades one of the greatest singers of all time. But at this point, no one knows yet ...
1969 ... the ramp-up is smooth. It was not until the following decade to see the singer finally step up a gear ...
1970 ... the title of the revelation. The singer by changing decade has passed an obvious level and now everything is finally reunited for the start of the great fireworks display : the style, the voice, the extraordinary inspiration. All he has to do is unroll !
1970 ... and a year later, it is already the 1st interplanetary hit. On one of his most beautiful compositions ... The rest and especially the 20 years that will follow will be HUGE !
1971 ... hard to compete with the previous gem. A new quality ballad but which does not play in the same category, that's clear ...
1971 ... despite titles of more than obvious quality, he struggles to confirm the incredible enthusiasm he enjoyed the previous year. Let it be time ...
1972 ... the year 1972 starts again on the same bases as the year 1971. We will therefore have to be a little more patient to see him take off again ...
1972 ... then suddenly things accelerate. From this title there, it is an almost uninterrupted series of mega hits that will follow ... An absolutely amazing discography will be born !
1972 ... a small transitional title before the arrival of a new mega hit. Story to prepare the ground as best as possible ...
1972 ... and the mega hit, here it is ! A GIGANTIC hit that elevates the artist One Shot to the rank of global star. The legend is now on ...
1973 ... almost as loud, this time in Intimist mode ! From now on, it is almost 1 title = 1 hit for the next 30 years !
1973 ... little air hole with that 'simple' hit. A 'single' hit which for everyone else would be a top hit. But given what he is capable of producing, we cannot be satisfied with the union minimum ...
1973 ... we knew it wasn't going to last. Surely one of his most iconic titles and one of the strongest of the decade
1973 ... a second year at the highest level which saw him maintain a level of success for the less bluffing. A career acceleration that he owes only to one thing, his extraordinary talent ...
1974 ... change of vintage. A veritable deluge of hits is on the horizon, starting with this one !
1974 ... a very simple song...which on its release will only have a limited success ... We know the rest ...
1974 ... still one of his most famous titles. A staggering inspiration for the time and which produced hits after hits ...
1974 ... the number of titles produced each year is impressive to say the least. Not to mention that there is quantity and quality, which makes him a real war machine ...
1975 ... we can change the year, everything is stable ... The slightest song that comes out is a guaranteed success ! No need to worry more than that ...
1975 ... of course, 1975 will not be remembered as its best. But wines like that, 95 % of the common artists of the time would have largely been satisfied ...
1975 ... come on, business picks up and we end the year in style with this title which spins at 200 km/h ! Everything is under control as they say ...
1976 ... yet another year which promises to be plethora in terms of titles. An inspiration without limit and which asks only to be expressed !
1976 ... a scorching year for a scorching song that sets all Dancefloor on the planet on fire. Here he signs an HUGE transcosmic hit which has already established him as one of the best artists of the decade and of his generation
1976 ... an absolutely incredible sequel, with nameless lyricism that suspends time as if by magic !
1977 ... a 1977 year 'inside' with a somewhat declining level of success. It must be said that given everything he has produced in previous years, we suspected that at some point the bellows would fall back somewhat ...
1978 ... after a year in 1977 when not much was happening, he came back in great shape with this title which opened a year which was to prove to be great again !
1978 ... if there is a typical 'Elton John' sound, it is this one. A style of rhythm and instruments recognizable among all ...
1978 ... one of the most famous titles of this decade. And as paradoxical as it may seem, it is an almost un-sung title. Even in vocal silence he excels !
1979 ... when Elton plays Disco. Yes, yes, he can do it too and it works perfectly, like everything else !
1979 ... in the same vein. A perfectly mastered orchestration typical of the end of the decade. And that makes this song literally shine
1979 ... the last hit of a decade which saw him reach the heights of glory with disconcerting ease ... Can't wait for the next one !
1980 ... a change of decade negotiated to perfection and which allows a transition in the best conditions. Thanks who, thanks Jeannie !
1980 ... this title will not be able to compete with its predecessor but allows the artist to maintain himself at the highest level without too much difficulty. Isn't that the main thing ...
1981 ... still one of his most iconic titles. He signed here the English version of a title which would become a huge hit in France under the name 'J'veux d'la tendresse'. MAS-TER-FUL !
1981 ... he alternates more and more between 'non-standard' titles followed directly by titles at the average level. Passing air gap or underlying trend ? Given what is on the horizon, not too much to worry about ...
1982 ... the start of the mega hits of the 1980s. Starting with one of his finest Ultimate Slows, a monument of tenderness and gentleness
1982 ... completely unable to compete with the previous gem, this title will have to be content with a 'small' success. Well then Elton ?
1983 ... we suspected that Elton could not stay on a small success. A comeback of which he has the secret !
1983 ... but that's without counting on this HUGE interstellar hit which will literally set fire to all the Dancefloor on the planet. What will surely remain as one of the biggest dance hits of the end of the 20th century !
1983 ... another BIG year with a third world class hit. Certainly less successful than the previous one, but still !
1983 ... in an ocean of mega hits, this title will go unnoticed to say the least. It is necessary all the same to relativize because a 'small' hit for him is a top hit for the rest of the competition ...
1984 ... each year its mega hit. For 1984, it will be that one. One among so many others, we can't even count them by force ...
1984 ... an indescribable title, totally outside the standard patterns. Anyway, even when he leaves in the wacky, it works !
1984 ... a title which will not be remembered as its best but which deserves a bit of a detour. And the detour with him rhymes with top hit, that is to say ...
1984 ... come on, we end very gently this magnificent year 1984 which will have brought to the artist a surplus of glory which he does not even know what to do with force ...
1985 ... and we start again with fanfare with this track which spins at the speed of light. A supercharged title that starts a year that will see him land one of his most enormous hits ...
1985 ... a little beef between friends which will lead to one of the biggest hits of the decade. When we see the sizes that participate, obviously, it can only produce a result of phew !
1985 ... one of his biggest hits of the decade and of his career. An interstellar hit which, once again, reinforces its status as an undisputed and indisputable star
1985 ... in an ocean of exceptional titles, the slightest drop in inspiration becomes a task as they say. This will not prevent this title from achieving a notorious level of success ...
1986 ... new foray into the 'emotional' register. All carried by a seriously surprising clip coming from him ...
1986 ... titles which follow one another but which are poles apart from each other. This one is playful, festive, light, airy ... Everything and its opposite ...
1986 ... bringing together 2 of the biggest names in the English music scene started with a good feeling. The result is at the height of their respective talent but without more paradoxically ...
1987 ... a new shocking and above all charming duo with one of the female stars of the moment. And it rocks my faith !
1988 ... for the year 1988, the mega hit will be this one. Very big caliber hit Dance once again and which necessarily hits the mark !
1988 ... well, we are far from the Masterpiece but it is very 'Youngsters' and therefore perfectly in tune with the times ...
1989 ... here he begins the last year of an equally remarkable decade. The 1970s saw him hatch and then explode at the highest level. But it was the 1980s that definitively consecrated him as one of the greatest artists of the end of the 20th century ...
1989 ... a decade which ends like the previous one, at the top once again ! It's been 20 years since little Reginald has been laying hits like chicken eggs every morning ... That is to say at an incredible frequency. What talent !
1989 .... surely one of his finest Masterpieces. A marvel of softness and finesse which will remain as one of the most beautiful Ultimate Slows of the end of the 20th century ! And it's not over, far from it. A fabulous new decade is on the horizon ...
1989 ... a hallucinating end of decade for the artist where everything succeeds him in an incredible way once again. But how does he manage to renew his inspiration at such an incredible speed ...?
1989 ... a year 1989 that never ends and which will undoubtedly remain as one of its best vintages of the decade. And it is far from over !
1990 ... a 90s decade that started off with a bang. He will have gone through the 1960s, then the 1970s, then the 1980s and here he is entering the 1990s with an obvious desire to do well. And the result is once again up to the task !
1990 ... one would have thought that the 1990s would see him decline slowly but surely, but the opposite is going to happen. All thanks to an almost unique talent !
1990 ... there is quantity, but also and above all quality, a constant that can only be found with the greatest. And let's go to last like that for a few more years ...
1992 ... the year 1991 will see him resume his title "Don't let the sun go down on me" in the company of a certain...George Michael. A title that will give him just a new global mega hit, one more ! We find him in this year 1992 in once again Olympic form, a year which allows him to add one more star to his prize list, which already have quite a few !
1992 ... when 2 legends push the song, we suspect that the result will be equal to the sum of the 2 talents. Which is necessarily the case here !
1992 ... an exceptional year 1992 with no less than 3 mega planetary hits during this year alone. The singer continues to fly to stratospheric heights and one really wonders who could stop him !
1993 ... a year 1993 which started slowly in terms of success in the Charts. But with him, the air holes never last very long ...
1993 ... the reunion. Even if this title will not meet the exceptional level of their last joint performance, the fact remains that this title still largely holds up !
1994 ... during each decade, he will have produced at least 1 exceptional title, if not several. For the 90s, the Masterpiece, here it is. All for the soundtrack of the Walt Disney film The Lion King. He simply signs here one of the most outstanding soundtracks of the end of the 20th century. MA-GIS-TRAL !
1994 ... he achieves a real feat by not signing 1 incredible track on this soundtrack but downright 2 ! Even if it will be a little notch below, the fact remains that in 2 tracks he will have reached almost musical perfection !
1995 ... an incredible dynamic of success that does not weaken by an Iota despite the weight of years and especially decades that accumulate. A truly exceptional and almost unique longevity. But he is well worth it !
1995 ... and yet, while we thought the unlikely thing, the little grain of sand will still manage to get into this perfectly oiled tube machine. A very small grain of sand, of course, but which will succeed in slowing down the machine which until then had been operating at full speed ...
1995 ... after a hallucinatory start to the 1990s, the second part of the decade turned out to be somewhat disappointing. And yet he does not demerit, far from it. But the public is starting to get bored and take an interest in young people who are at least 20 years younger. Hard law of the trade ...
1996 ... the level of success is downright in free fall in this year 1996. The singer is at a turning point in his career, it is obvious. While he literally flew over the competition until then, here he is forced to return to the level of ordinary people by force of circumstances. We suspected that this would happen at one point or another ...
1996 ... how could this title have gone under the radar at this point ? A title that would have largely deserved to be among his greatest masterpieces and yet will only experience a very limited level of success. Incomprehensible...
1996 ... it must be said that this duet version with Lucianno Pavarotti will be officially released as a Single. Not necessarily the best version of the title despite the extreme talent of the 2 protagonists ...
1997 ... a year 1997 which will see him return to the race in a sensational way but not necessarily as he had imagined. Because that year, the fate of a princess and not the least will change definitively one August evening under the Alma bridge and move the entire planet ... Just like her 'Candle in the wind' that he will especially re-adapt for the occasion ...
1998 ... returned to the race by force of circumstances, this unexpected leap will allow him to get back to the leading pack. Certainly, he will never again touch the stars as he has done many times before, but he will come very close ...
1998 ... yet another title which will pass somewhat under the radar. An end of the 90s which will prove to be a little more complicated to manage than expected ...
1999 ... the female duets succeeding him rather well, why deny them ? The result is once again up to the task and allows him to end the 90s in the best possible way. Will we find him again the following decade ? It could well be that yes ...
2000 ... three decades will have made him one of the major artists of his time. What will this new decade of 2000 have in store for him, it is the future that will tell us ...
2001 ... the start of the decade is like the end of the previous decade, that is to say rather quiet. From there to saying that he is only a shadow of himself, it may be to go quickly ...
2001 ... with him, nothing is ever finished, the proof. He bounces once again in spectacular fashion with this title and reminds anyone who will listen to him that we will have to count on him in the years to come ...
2002 ... we must not hide our face too much, this decade will see him fall from its pedestal slowly but surely. The opposite would have been surprising...
2002 ... the quantity of titles produced does not weaken. On the other hand, it is the level of inspiration which begins to weaken somewhat, it is clear ...
2002 ... how to make something new with old ? His 1976 title will experience a second life, to say the least unexpected, and make this meeting with Blue a real event and above all a real success ...
2003 ... a year 2003 when not much will happen except for this title and a remixed version of its title 'Are you ready for love'. Times are hard as they say ...
2004 ... a mid-decade 2000 that sees him really struggling with a level of success in the Charts flush with the daisies. Far, very far from its usual level ...
2005 ... and the year 2005 will not do much better. The artist ensures the minimum union and the brilliant inspiration of previous decades is indeed absent subscribers ...
2005 ... only this title will more or less succeed in the game. Even if the level of inspiration has seriously weakened for a few years he remains nonetheless among the best in the Intimist field. It's already that...
2005 ... henceforth the adventure will be combined mainly in duo, even altogether with several. It starts from a good feeling but it will not change the situation much, especially in terms of success in the Charts ...
2006 ... we should not wait for a major improvement by the end of the decade at first sight. The singer continues the adventure for whatever reason but far, very far, from the summit of the Charts ...
2008 ... a hell of a bunch of talents gathered on this title, to say the least. A nice Christmas title that works very well, that's clear ...
2010 ... here he begins his 6th decade of career, a real feat. After that not sure this new decade will allow him to come back in the race ...
2012 ... after a year 2011 where not much will happen, here he is back in this year 2012 in a relative form. Fortunately, the young generation is there to bring him up to date ...
2012 ... same team for this new title. And the least we can say is that the shock old/new generation works pretty well ...
2013 ... he multiplies the associations with the young generation. Young people benefit from the artist's aura and him is brought by young people on new musical niches. Winner/winner ...
2013 ... there we can not really talk about the young generation since he joins here the leader of Take That, singer who is no longer really part of the young first...
2013 ... another bloated year in terms of titles. There is the quantity, of course, but the result in the Charts will be very random depending on each title ...
2014 ... a decade of 2010 that he will go through far from the glitter and the star system, in his own way and at his speed. And why not...
2015 ... he will be on the sidelines of the system throughout the decade so no improvement in sight to be expected. Hard law of the trade ...
2016 ... he is nonetheless extremely active. Nothing, and no one, is able to tell him to stop and especially to pass the hand. It must be said that given his pedigree, who would dare to do that ...
2016 ... the singer continues to believe it anyway and certainly does not intend to stop there. Rightly or wrongly afterwards, that's something else ...
2016 ... here he is again with the younger generation. He is doing everything he can to remain 'visible' during this decade but nothing helps. When it doesn't want anymore, it doesn't want anymore ...
2017 ... he gives the cover with the same team and inevitably the result will be the same. Well, all is not lost since this title, like its predecessor, will work somewhat in the USA. It's always better than nothing ...
2018 ... if he is no longer very 'trendy', its titles, on the other hand, are. Isn't it essential to continue to exist through his work ...
2019 ... the last title in a decade that will have seen him slowly but surely disappear from the radar. Difficult to continue to exist at the highest level when you began your career at the end of the 1960s ...
2020 ... he will have gone through the 1960s, then the 1970s, then the 1980s, then the 1990s, then the 2000s, then the 2010s. And here he is proudly entering the 2020 decade. Who could have imagined...?
2021 ... but how far will he go, good question. Not sure that he knows the answer to the question either, but he's going anyway, that's for sure ...
2021 ... another sampling of one of his particularly successful titles. It must be said that with a raw material of such quality, it would have been a shame to miss everything ...
2021 ... he multiplies the associations with the young generation at the beginning of the 2020 decade. It worked perfectly on the previous title, this title on the other hand will experience a very different fate despite a certain quality ...
2021 ... the 2 legends had already crossed paths in 1985 and had signed with Dionne Warwick one of the most significant titles of the decade. They will not be able to repeat the exploit with this one unfortunately...
2021 ... and here he is once again surrounded by the young generation. He takes a more than obvious pleasure to evolve in the middle of these young talents and they return him well ...
2021 ... and what to say about this dream duo where the best of the previous decades pushes the song with the best of the current decade. The perfect combination as they say ! While waiting for the continuation of course because there will be one inevitably ...
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