25 of the Best Elton John Songs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard
Rocketman is here. And it’s spectacular. As such, I’ve got Elton on the mind.
I didn’t go to the church of Jesus Christ when I was a kid. I went to the church of Elton John. Still do. We had portraits of Elton and his lyricist Bernie Taupin framed, matted, and hanging in the hallway as if they were fuckin’ family members. LOL. Mom took me to my first concert in 1994. I was 11. It was Elton and Ray Cooper at the Greek Theater in LA. In 7th grade, I had a picture of Elton on the front of my school folder and one of Taupin on the back. Caught a lot of shit for it too. It was middle school, it was the mid-‘90s, I was a weirdo.
So I’m a mega-fan for sure.
When people ask me where to start with Elton’s catalog, here’s what I tell ‘em: All the studio albums from the 1970 self-titled Elton John through 1976’s Blue Moves are essential. That’s 10 albums people. 10 ALBUMS IN 6 YEARS. All of them essential. And no, we’re not gonna get into anything after Blue Moves. Don’t have time. Too controversial. But do check out 1981’s The Fox and 1983’s Too Low for Zero if you have the appetite.
Those 10 studio albums aren’t just essential because of their brain-scramblingly good singles, but also because the non-single album tracks are Just. Un. Real. To celebrate all that incredible music and the release of Rocketman, I’ve compiled 25 of the very best Elton John songs I reckon you’ve never heard.
What’d we miss? BRING IT.
By Kenny S McGuane
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June 10th 2019
11:56am
Very nice list; as a long-time Elton fan, I’m submitting a completely different list from the same time frame, to illustrate just how good he was in the 70s:
1. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Honky Chateau)
2. Tonight (Blue Moves)
3. Madman Across the Water (Madman Across the Water)
4. Indian Sunset (Madman Across the Water)
5. Blues For Baby and Me (Don’t Shoot Me…)
6. High Flying Bird (Don’t Shoot Me…)
7. Curtains (Captain Fantastic…)
8. We All Fall in Love Sometimes (Captain Fantastic…)
9. Roy Rogers (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
10. Tower of Babel (Captain Fantastic…)
11. I Feel Like a Bullet in the Gun of Robert Ford (Rock of the Westies)
12. Come Down in Time (Tumbleweed Connection)
13. Where to Now St. Peter? (Tumbleweed Connection)
14. Sixty Years On (Elton John)
15. Your Sister Can’t Twist (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
16. Dirty Little Girl (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
17. Sweet Painted Lady (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
18. All the Girls Love Alice (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
19. Bitter Fingers (Captain Fantastic…)
20. Tell Me When the Whistle Blows (Captain Fantastic..)
21. One Horse Town (Blue Moves)
22. Yell Help Medley (Rock of the Westies)
23. Chameleon (Blue Moves)
24. Texan Love Song (Don’t Shoot Me…)
25. Elderberry Wine (Don’t Shoot Me…)
June 10th 2019
6:56pm
1. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Honky Chateau)
2. Tonight (Blue Moves)
3. Madman Across the Water (Madman Across the Water)
4. Indian Sunset (Madman Across the Water)
5. Blues For Baby and Me (Don’t Shoot Me…)
6. High Flying Bird (Don’t Shoot Me…)
7. Curtains (Captain Fantastic…)
June 11th 2019
3:01pm
Joseph Belli,
Thanks for that list. I only discovered the Elton ‘deep cuts’ recently due to a prejudice I had about his music growing up. It’s that top 40 radio flogged his really famous hits so much that I’d long ago tuned him out. I hadn’t realized all the brilliant songs he’d recorded in the 1970-1976 period. The last month has been revelatory.
Your first song ‘Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters’ is my new favorite song and top 10 all time.
June 15th 2019
5:39am
A younger brother from another mother! We have the exact same Elton trajectory, album wise, but I lived it as it happened. Every song from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Captain Fantastic, & Blue Moves, plus, Dixie Lilly.
Ah, who are we kidding, for those years Elton & Bernie we’re pure pop genius.
June 15th 2019
4:54pm
I have been in Elton John fan all of my life the first time I saw Elton John was in 1972 at the Rosegarden Portland Oregon very very very interesting show the Eagles were the back up band who knew at any rate I have all of Elton John‘s albums I have listen to all of his songs probably more than 2000 times I have seen him 34 times and The very last time I took my wife who is from Israel good never seen Elton John to his second to last show in Las Vegas last year now she is a big Elton John fan I have loved I have lost I have regained my hope in humanity and songs and words from Bernie Toppin and Elton John there is no other showman there is no other band the Elton John band should be in inducted into the rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame now he has a movie about his life and he’s about to come out with a biography of his life Elton John and Bernie Toppin have change peoples lives for the better I can tell you exactly where I was exactly who I was with and exactly how I felt when I first heard every song that I ever heard Listening to Elton John
June 24th 2019
6:21pm
A true Elton fan knows all of these songs already!
July 26th 2019
2:24pm
Does anybody like anything after 1980? I mean…there’s another 40 years after that. Love your choices but they seem pretty time-specific…
August 2nd 2019
1:21pm
I am so happy to come across this piece of write up, very much advanced my understanding to the next top level. Great job and continue to do same.
August 6th 2019
12:23pm
good list, the best list of my life.
August 12th 2019
3:25pm
Ducimus anim tenetu
September 16th 2019
1:56pm
I would have to say my best Elton John song from this list would be #19
September 22nd 2019
1:47pm
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great.
1. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Honky Chateau)
2. Tonight (Blue Moves)
3. Madman Across the Water (Madman Across the Water)
4. Indian Sunset (Madman Across the Water)
5. Blues For Baby and Me (Don’t Shoot Me…)
6. High Flying Bird (Don’t Shoot Me…)
7. Curtains (Captain Fantastic…)
8. We All Fall in Love Sometimes (Captain Fantastic…)
9. Roy Rogers (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
10. Tower of Babel (Captain Fantastic…)
11. I Feel Like a Bullet in the Gun of Robert Ford (Rock of the Westies)
12. Come Down in Time (Tumbleweed Connection)
13. Where to Now St. Peter? (Tumbleweed Connection)
14. Sixty Years On (Elton John)
15. Your Sister Can’t Twist (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
16. Dirty Little Girl (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
17. Sweet Painted Lady (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
18. All the Girls Love Alice (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
19. Bitter Fingers (Captain Fantastic…)
20. Tell Me When the Whistle Blows (Captain Fantastic..)
21. One Horse Town (Blue Moves)
22. Yell Help Medley (Rock of the Westies)
23. Chameleon (Blue Moves)
24. Texan Love Song (Don’t Shoot Me…)
25. Elderberry Wine (Don’t Shoot Me…)
October 31st 2019
1:30pm
Gracias! Una lista de música perfecta para mi <a >radio de bolsillo</a>!!!
November 14th 2019
9:37am
nice song collection of elton john
November 20th 2019
3:36am
I discovered some great songs! Thanks for sharing!
November 23rd 2019
2:35am
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December 5th 2019
10:39pm
Thanks for the great post.this very valuable content.
December 11th 2019
5:15am
wow, indeed its amazing list. I have heard some of these songs but will listen all these songs. They seems pretty awesome
December 16th 2019
3:07am
It she saw u and then posted on fb that she was. just being nice. she could of told u. like that id say shes interested and if shes not then.
January 4th 2020
3:34pm
Very nice list. I’m fan Elton John. I listen his every day.
January 7th 2020
4:08pm
Very good list. I like often listen it. if I don’t listen it I almost don’t feel complete.