Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, musical genius Sir Elton Hercules John has kept fans astounded over five decades with his timeless hits and outlandish outfits.
The British singer-songwriter has recorded more than 250 million equivalent album sales, dotted by five Grammys, five Brit Awards, two Oscars, a Tony Award, and recognition on Billboard's Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists as its third overall, following The Beatles and Madonna.
His equally colorful life was the subject of 2019's "Rocketman," which starred Taron Egerton and received general acclaim. To better appreciate the one and only Rocketman, here are some essential vinyl for you to listen to.
Madman Across The Water [LP]
Listen to Elton John's fourth studio album first released in 1971, when he was on the fast track to superstardom. The nine-track album contains songs composed and recorded by John himself, with lyrics made by his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin.
Among the tracks in the album is the highly-popular "Tiny Dancer" and "Indian Sunset." This vinyl, which features the original 1971 cover art, also marks John's last work with his touring band.
Elton John [LP]
Aside from the album cover featuring a younger Elton John against a black background, the eponymous 1970 album is the British artist's US debut work. "Elton John" is iconic as an album as it contained the breakthrough hit "Your Song," which would cement his career as a singer-songwriter.
Listen as Elton John releases tracks ranging from soft and symphonic rock to melodic R&B. Aside from "Your Song," the album also contains classics such as the parody "Rock and Roll Madonna" and "Border Song."
One Night Only - The Greatest Hits [2 LP]
This vinyl is a concert in a disk, containing a one-night recording on October 21, 2000 at the Madison Square Garden. Fun fact: the album is called "One Night Only" because they failed to record the audio from the earlier October 20 session.
The vinyl contains fifteen songs, including "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," "Can You Feel The Love Tonight," and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," in addition to his timeless hits.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road [2 LP][Remastered]
Elton John fans will definitely love this remastered version of his seventh studio album, originally released in 1973 in the same two-vinyl format. This album is widely known as among his best works, being inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003.
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" has spawned the classic hits "Candle in the Wind," "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," and the title track for the album. It also originally contained John's live favorites "Harmony" and "Funeral for a Friend/ Love Lies Bleeding."
Diamonds [2 LP]
It is called the Ultimate Greatest Hits Album by Elton John, and for a good reason. The two-vinyl set contains most hits produced by The Pinball Wizard himself from 1970 to 2016, updating the earlier compilation "Greatest Hits 1970-2002."
Two pieces of heavy-duty 180-gram vinyl will allow you to keep playing across its 34-track playlist. The oldest song available is "Your Song" from his eponymous 1970 album.
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