Few have left as indelible a mark on music and composing as Sir Elton John. His generation-defining music took genres like pop, rock, and ballads which he mixed with new-age sound to give us soundtracks that have turned into some of our favourite anthems.
With an iconic career that spans over 5 decades – Sir Elton John is not done yet. His new album, Who Believes In Angels?, with beloved songstress Brandi Carlile is out on April 4.
Ahead of the album’s release, we’ve decided to take a deep-dive into the depths of Elton John’s mind to uncover where he gets his musical inspiration from, but most importantly – find out what he listens to in his free time.
At one point–before the digital-age took the world by storm, Elton John had a record collection that comprised approximately 25,000 LPs and 23,000 singles. He sold the whole lot in 1993, with the sale’s proceeds going towards the Terrence Higgins Trust, a charity supporting people who are living with AIDS.
The master pianist has composed some of the most emotionally-wrecking songs that the human ear has heard, which also makes them some of the most beautiful tunes to exist. With a trademark style that many have tried to emulate and failed – Sir Elton John possesses vocal technique and musical mastery like no other.
Fondly referred to as the ‘Rocket Man’, ever since his 1972 hit single took the world by storm, Elton John has given us over 30 studio albums and created an enviable discography.
While technically a solo artist, his collaboration with Bernie Taupin has firmly cemented its place in music history. Giving words to his sound, Bernie and Elton have forged an unmatched collaboration ever since their 1967 meeting – an encounter that changed both of their lives.
Raised in London’s outskirts, Elton learned how to play the piano at a very young age and quickly mastered the sound, displaying his prodigal talent for the instrument. By 1970 he had released his first mega-successful hit single–Your Song–with the Elton John Band and there was no looking back.
In 2019, the EGOT winner appeared on BBC’s Radio 2 programme Tracks Of My Years and shared his top ten favourite songs of all time.
With songs as eclectic and iconic (as him) on the list, it’s exciting to get a rare insight into his preferences. Not surprisingly, Elton’s first choice is a certified banger (as Gen-Z calls it) – Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel. While talking about the 1956 classic, Elton shared: “This record changed my life, and it changed the face of music. Up till then, we’ve had Guy Mitchell, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Kay Starr and all those lovely American acts.”
Further elaborating, he said: “This record my mum brought home, she bought a record every week, and she said, ‘I heard this record in the record store, and I’ve never heard anything like it, so I had to buy it’. She put it on; it was a 7″, of course, it was on HMV, and it changed my life and propelled me into my love of rock ‘n’ roll… it changed the world socially and musically”.
The Beatles’ We Can Work It Out is another timeless classic that made its way onto the list, with the singer recalling his first tryst with the tune: “I remember being at school, at Pinner County Grammar School, and my friend Michael Johnson came with a 45″ he said, ‘I’ve just heard this band; they’re going to be the biggest band in the world’, and it was Love Me Do. I listened to it, and I thought, ‘It’s not bad, it’s not bad’, but I couldn’t see that they were going to be the biggest band in the world… he turned out to be right. I think he was number four in that fan club, so he spotted them a mile off.”
Sir Elton added: “And, of course, what the ’50s did with rock ‘n’ roll… The Beatles were extraordinary. They revolutionised the way things were recorded. Even though it was on quite simple equipment, they experimented, and they wrote fantastic songs. We Can Work It Out is such a wonderful song.”
Another cracking track on Sir Elton’s list is The Weight by Bob Dylan’s former accomplices The Band. Speaking about the song, he shared: “John Peel played the music from Big Pink on his show, and I was a religious follower of John Peel in those days. He played all the great new music, and Bernie and I freaked out when we heard it. We’d never heard anything like this before. It was Americana done in a very soulful, funky, kind of laid-back way.”
Speaking about the transformative effect the song had on him, Elton explained: “(The) next day we went up to Music Land in London and bought the import, and it changed my life again like Elvis Presley changed my life originally. This music changed my life because of the way the songs were written, the lyrics, the musicianship, was a huge influence on things like Tumbleweed Connection and Madman.”
Other iconic tracks on Sir Elton John’s favourite songs list include Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis–made a household anthem by Tom Cruise’s Top Gun – as well as songs like Peter Gabriel’s Don’t Give Up and Aretha Franklin’s Think.
Elton John’s 10 favourite songs:
- Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley
- Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
- Lucille – Little Richard
- We Can Work It Out – The Beatles
- Reach Out I’ll Be There – Four Tops
- A Song For You – Leon Russell
- Think – Aretha Franklin
- The Weight – The Band
- Whatever Gets You Thru The Night – John Lennon
- Don’t Give Up – Peter Gabriel