A Rock Diva’s Rise through the Decades

There are a few acts that have had more multi-generational success than Sir Elton John. As a holder of multiple Grammys, Tonys, and two Oscars, all he needs is an Emmy to join the rare ranks of EGOT holders. Elton is actually Sir Elton, as he also has been knighted by the Queen.

How did he get there? How did a boy raise in a Middlesex Council house end up performing for royalty, recognized throughout the world? Pure talent. This is the short story of Elton John’s rise.

Elton John’s professional music career started at age 15 when got a job at his local pub playing piano, but the artist we know didn’t exist in earnest until 1967 when he was hired at 20 to compose music to go with lyrics written by a young man named Bernie Taupin.

While Taupin and Elton’s partnership was nothing but dumb luck, it would form one of the longest-lasting and most well known writing partnerships in music history. Within six months of their meeting, Elton adopted his stage name in honor of two of his old bandmates, and the legend of Elton John began.

You’re Songs

Elton’s eponymously named second album in 1970 included a simple little melody that would become his first big hit and one of the tunes he is best known for. “Your Song” became everyone’s song.

John and Taupin were not slowing down any time soon. Between 1969 and 1973, Elton released 5 original albums and a film soundtrack album. By 1974, He was releasing his first “Greatest Hits” album.

In 1975, Elton was asked to play the “Local Lad” in The Who’s “Tommy”, a move which would greatly increase his visibility in a time before music videos. Around this time, he started developing his glam rock Liberace look, incorporating peacock feathers, sequins, and satin into his stage wardrobe.

To go along with his elaborate costumes, Elton also began to wear more and more garish glasses, something that would go on to become his signature look. No British man, other than Harry Potter, is more associated with glasses, and the idea of wearing glasses is visual shorthand for Elton.

Elton continued to crank out hits until 1976. Putting out more albums in this six-year span than most bands are ever able to. The frenetic rate of writing, recording, and touring eventually got the better of Elton, and he retired from performing (for the first time) in 1977, at the age of 30.

This would not be the last time Elton retired, but it would be one of the most significant. While Elton and Taupin’s creative output was on the downswing, The writing and recording didn’t really stop.

Even after Taupin went on to write with other artists for a period from 1977 until 1983, Elton continued cranking out albums. Between 1969 and 1987, Elton John had only 2 years where he did not release an album, but he had three years where he released two. That doesn’t even include soundtracks, which he did quite a few of.

Elton also has the odd distinction of having an “in Memorium” style song make it as a hit twice in two different decades, and for two different people, as his hit written for Marilyn Monroe “Candle in the Wind” got a quick rewrite to be released 10 years later for Princess Diana as “Candle in The Wind ‘97”.

The Later Years

Elton would eventually come out of touring retirement and go on to be one of the most popular touring artists in the world. By the time he was ready for his actual retirement tour, tickets to his shows would sell on the original market for thousands of dollars.

Elton John is timeless. Elton John songs have touched a lot of people over the years, and he is one of the few artists in the world who could appeal to children, their parents, their grandparents, and possibly even their great grandparents.