Elton John is my favourite artist too, and I can relate to everything you said, specifically that his music feels like home, especially from a perspective of a younger fan. Listing my top 10 was one of the hardest things to do, so I added an extra two songs and did it in no particular order to make it slightly easier: Curtains Ticking Original Sin Tiny Dancer Funeral for a Friend/Love lies bleeding Candle in the wind (live at Hammersmith Odeon 1973) I guess that's why the call it the blues Elton's song Bennie and the Jets I'm still standing Skyline pigeon (Piano Version) Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters I love your Elton John videos, and I think it would be a really nice idea if you breakdown some of his song lyrically, especially those with not so easy to interpret lyrics like Curtains.
Most people have never heard of Elton's actual top songs, all were pre 75-76. Talking Old Soldiers, Rotten Peaches, I've seen that Movie Too, Indian Sunset, Amoreena, My Fathers Gun, Ticking, Feel like a Bullet in the gun of Robert Ford. Darkside of the moon, Take me to the Pilot. You had to live in the times to understand. The pop songs always sell more singles, but the Albums were being bought by the guys because of his better songs, not fir his pop stuff. He could rock, but he also had so very good compositions that even ricker like me loved, songs that will move you.
Hello Shelby I discovered your channel this morning and wrote a note on your 10-month old Elton John Live video, which was a great tribute to the great man. It was a very long 'note' but I hope you read it. I write a lot, I can't help it. So, my Top 10 EJ songs, as a lifelong fan. This was very difficult because though I like many of those early songs, I tend to veer towards the later parts of his career when it comes to picking favourites. Maybe it's over familiarity - I've been hearing Your Song and GYBR for 50 years. I can't sort out an order, except that number one is number one and 2 is 2. 1. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. I don't think I appreciated this one when I was young, had to grow up a bit. The very first time I saw Elton Live, this was the first song he played. 2. This Train Don't Stop There Any More. There are 12 outstanding songs on Songs From the West Coast, but this is the best. Slow and melancholy, beautifully written by Bernie and sung by Elton. 3. Friends Never Say Goodbye. From The Road to El Dorado soundtrack, with lyrics by Sir Tim Rice (of Jesus Christ Superstar fame) and backing vocals by The Backstreet Boys, this is a fabulous power ballad. (There are several versions of this, and the one in the film is different. This version is 4.20 long, if that helps.) There are a number of good songs on this overlooked soundtrack - The Panic In Me really deserves a place in my Top 10. 4. Someone Saved My Life Tonight. Lovely, powerful song from the autobiographical Captain Fantastic. 5. Idol. A quiet, jazzy song from Blue Moves. This album has a lot of filler but the good songs are great. Sorry Seems To Be ... was the hit but there's Crazy Water, Chameleon, Someone's Final Song. Idol is my favourite, however. Really classy song. 6. Healing Hands. In a toss-up between this and Sacrifice from Sleeping With the Past, I have to go for this one, for it's gospelly uptempo positivity. 7. Blues Never Fade Away. From The Captain and the Kid, their second autobiographical album. I love every single song on this 2006 album but this AIDS song, with its sense of wonder that he's still alive, is spine-tingling. How did we get so lucky, targets on the rifle range? Who makes the call and who gets to choose? Damn, maybe this should be number one. This is like choosing between your favourite ice creams. 8. Give Me The Love. From 21 at 33, a wonderful album from 1980, soundtrack to a year at University. I love this album but this song, with lyrics by Judy Tzuke, has always stood out to me as being pretty unique for Elton, with gorgeous Philly strings and brass and female backing vocals. Just love it. Listening to it right now and Elton's performance on vocals and piano is awesome. 9. The One. From the album of the same name. I'm not completely in love with the album but this is one of Elton's best love songs - strong, mature, beautiful twinkly piano. (I'm no musician, twinkly is as technical as I get.) 10. Legal Boys. From the Jump Up! album. In Wikipedia, Bernie is very dismissive of this album, but I love it. There's the Lennon Tribute, Empty Garden; All Quiet On the Western Front, Blue Eyes, Where Have All the Good Times Gone, all by Bernie. But the song that strikes home the most for me (won't go into why) is this one, the second one in this list with lyrics by Tim Rice. It's about the end of a marriage and how the only winners are the lawyers. Short, powerful, devastating. So a Top 10 with no Your Song, or Tiny Dancer, or Daniel? Well, to be honest (and I have been shouted at on TH-cam before about this) but I've never really rated Daniel, I think it's a pretty tune but it doesn't go anywhere. And while Tiny Dancer is lovely, it is ultimately frustrating because instead of a third verse and out, it simply repeats the two verses all over again, it's basically two copies of the song jammed together. If there was a third verse it would be a definite candidate for my Top 10. If this was a Top 20, Your Song would of course be in there. And three songs with other lyricists than Bernie Taupin? Well, I think working with other people stretches Elton a bit, makes him do things a bit differently, because other people write in different rhythms. Sartorial Eloquence (lyrics by Tom Robinson) from 21 at 33 almost made the list and is definite Top 20. Anyway, I have just written an article rather than a comment so I'll leave it there. It's great to see someone with such a love for my favourite recording artist and I will be checking out other videos.
I really love your list and descriptions. Elton is my favorite artist. Here are my favorite songs: Tiny Dancer Levon Razor face Elderberry Wine Writing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Funeral For A Friend Mellow Hercules Your Song 🦓
I used to think Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was the best overall Elton John album until Sleeping with the Past was released. It's full of great songs and I think it's now at the top of my list.
My favourites are: Daniel, Skyline Pigeon, Empty Garden, Someone saved my life tonight, sweet painted lady, levon, indian sunset, there is so much, of course i love all of them
Great list, Shelby, very difficult to make a top ten list. This songs I additional would put in my list: Where to now St. Peter, Ticking and Indian Sunset. And I absolutely agree with your love for Levon and I want love.
My favs in no perticular order are.... Sixty years on, skyline pigeon, emily, word in spanish, mansfield, the brigde, levon, empty garden, indian sunset, and... its hard to narrow it down to 10 but a song that got in my head recently is Big man in a little suit. Im 30 but my mother has been a HUGE fan of eltons since 1970. It was the soundtrack of my life... i think i know more elton john songs than any other artist! Bernies lyric style is the best in the business and i love how he can turn a phrase into something so familiar yet exotic, it's beautiful, i dont know how he does it...
Elton John is my favourite artist too, and I can relate to everything you said, specifically that his music feels like home, especially from a perspective of a younger fan.
Listing my top 10 was one of the hardest things to do, so I added an extra two songs and did it in no particular order to make it slightly easier:
Curtains
Ticking
Original Sin
Tiny Dancer
Funeral for a Friend/Love lies bleeding
Candle in the wind (live at Hammersmith Odeon 1973)
I guess that's why the call it the blues
Elton's song
Bennie and the Jets
I'm still standing
Skyline pigeon (Piano Version)
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
I love your Elton John videos, and I think it would be a really nice idea if you breakdown some of his song lyrically, especially those with not so easy to interpret lyrics like Curtains.
Most people have never heard of Elton's actual top songs, all were pre 75-76. Talking Old Soldiers, Rotten Peaches, I've seen that Movie Too, Indian Sunset, Amoreena, My Fathers Gun, Ticking, Feel like a Bullet in the gun of Robert Ford. Darkside of the moon, Take me to the Pilot. You had to live in the times to understand. The pop songs always sell more singles, but the Albums were being bought by the guys because of his better songs, not fir his pop stuff. He could rock, but he also had so very good compositions that even ricker like me loved, songs that will move you.
Hello Shelby
I discovered your channel this morning and wrote a note on your 10-month old Elton John Live video, which was a great tribute to the great man. It was a very long 'note' but I hope you read it. I write a lot, I can't help it.
So, my Top 10 EJ songs, as a lifelong fan. This was very difficult because though I like many of those early songs, I tend to veer towards the later parts of his career when it comes to picking favourites. Maybe it's over familiarity - I've been hearing Your Song and GYBR for 50 years.
I can't sort out an order, except that number one is number one and 2 is 2.
1. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. I don't think I appreciated this one when I was young, had to grow up a bit. The very first time I saw Elton Live, this was the first song he played.
2. This Train Don't Stop There Any More. There are 12 outstanding songs on Songs From the West Coast, but this is the best. Slow and melancholy, beautifully written by Bernie and sung by Elton.
3. Friends Never Say Goodbye. From The Road to El Dorado soundtrack, with lyrics by Sir Tim Rice (of Jesus Christ Superstar fame) and backing vocals by The Backstreet Boys, this is a fabulous power ballad. (There are several versions of this, and the one in the film is different. This version is 4.20 long, if that helps.) There are a number of good songs on this overlooked soundtrack - The Panic In Me really deserves a place in my Top 10.
4. Someone Saved My Life Tonight. Lovely, powerful song from the autobiographical Captain Fantastic.
5. Idol. A quiet, jazzy song from Blue Moves. This album has a lot of filler but the good songs are great. Sorry Seems To Be ... was the hit but there's Crazy Water, Chameleon, Someone's Final Song. Idol is my favourite, however. Really classy song.
6. Healing Hands. In a toss-up between this and Sacrifice from Sleeping With the Past, I have to go for this one, for it's gospelly uptempo positivity.
7. Blues Never Fade Away. From The Captain and the Kid, their second autobiographical album. I love every single song on this 2006 album but this AIDS song, with its sense of wonder that he's still alive, is spine-tingling. How did we get so lucky, targets on the rifle range? Who makes the call and who gets to choose? Damn, maybe this should be number one. This is like choosing between your favourite ice creams.
8. Give Me The Love. From 21 at 33, a wonderful album from 1980, soundtrack to a year at University. I love this album but this song, with lyrics by Judy Tzuke, has always stood out to me as being pretty unique for Elton, with gorgeous Philly strings and brass and female backing vocals. Just love it. Listening to it right now and Elton's performance on vocals and piano is awesome.
9. The One. From the album of the same name. I'm not completely in love with the album but this is one of Elton's best love songs - strong, mature, beautiful twinkly piano. (I'm no musician, twinkly is as technical as I get.)
10. Legal Boys. From the Jump Up! album. In Wikipedia, Bernie is very dismissive of this album, but I love it. There's the Lennon Tribute, Empty Garden; All Quiet On the Western Front, Blue Eyes, Where Have All the Good Times Gone, all by Bernie. But the song that strikes home the most for me (won't go into why) is this one, the second one in this list with lyrics by Tim Rice. It's about the end of a marriage and how the only winners are the lawyers. Short, powerful, devastating.
So a Top 10 with no Your Song, or Tiny Dancer, or Daniel? Well, to be honest (and I have been shouted at on TH-cam before about this) but I've never really rated Daniel, I think it's a pretty tune but it doesn't go anywhere. And while Tiny Dancer is lovely, it is ultimately frustrating because instead of a third verse and out, it simply repeats the two verses all over again, it's basically two copies of the song jammed together. If there was a third verse it would be a definite candidate for my Top 10. If this was a Top 20, Your Song would of course be in there.
And three songs with other lyricists than Bernie Taupin? Well, I think working with other people stretches Elton a bit, makes him do things a bit differently, because other people write in different rhythms. Sartorial Eloquence (lyrics by Tom Robinson) from 21 at 33 almost made the list and is definite Top 20.
Anyway, I have just written an article rather than a comment so I'll leave it there. It's great to see someone with such a love for my favourite recording artist and I will be checking out other videos.
I really love your list and descriptions. Elton is my favorite artist. Here are my favorite songs:
Tiny Dancer
Levon
Razor face
Elderberry Wine
Writing
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Funeral For A Friend
Mellow
Hercules
Your Song
🦓
I used to think Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was the best overall Elton John album until Sleeping with the Past was released. It's full of great songs and I think it's now at the top of my list.
daniel is my all time favourite Elton song, it’s incredible
for real its top teir
My favourites are: Daniel, Skyline Pigeon, Empty Garden, Someone saved my life tonight, sweet painted lady, levon, indian sunset, there is so much, of course i love all of them
My all-time favorite is Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
Same same sameeeee
Great list, Shelby, very difficult to make a top ten list. This songs I additional would put in my list: Where to now St. Peter, Ticking and Indian Sunset. And I absolutely agree with your love for Levon and I want love.
My favs in no perticular order are....
Sixty years on, skyline pigeon, emily, word in spanish, mansfield, the brigde, levon, empty garden, indian sunset, and... its hard to narrow it down to 10 but a song that got in my head recently is Big man in a little suit.
Im 30 but my mother has been a HUGE fan of eltons since 1970. It was the soundtrack of my life... i think i know more elton john songs than any other artist! Bernies lyric style is the best in the business and i love how he can turn a phrase into something so familiar yet exotic, it's beautiful, i dont know how he does it...
Once I heard Funeral for a Friend from Elton 60, its rating went right through the roof!
I have seen Elton in concert 5 times. The first was in 1976 at the Chicago Stadium.
Love your list. Check out these deep cuts: Blue Avenue, You Gotta Love Someone, The Retreat, The Bridge, Blues Never Fade Away, Oceans Away.
The Bridge is such a gorgeous ballad!
Someone saved; Don't let sun; Philadelphia; Harmony; High Flying bird ect.
Blessed is my favorite song
wheres ggodbye yellow brick road? easily top 3
1. Good bye yellow brick road
2. Still Standing
3. Tiny Dancer
4. Rocket man
5. Levon