Sir Elton John

Not many people are walking around right now who haven’t listened to something composed by Elton John. Since 1970, the pianist has transversed styles and unleashed countless hits. Now you can download music from his entire catalog online. From dominating the club scene to selling out the Grand Marquee and writing pieces for Broadway musicals, it seems this musician has a presence that cannot be limited to a specific taste in music. He’s everywhere at once. Here’s our choice for the top 5 Elton John masterpieces we can’t do without:

1.  Tiny Dancer - One of his earlier songs, listeners are introduced to Elton John’s free-form piano style and how it comes together to present a song. Tiny Dancer does this beautifully taking the listener in one direction until the chorus kicks in. His unique vocal style backed with another vocal track in unison has appeared on plenty of Elton tracks, this being one of the first, and has become a staple in peaks in his tracks.

2. Rocket Man (I think it’s going to be a long long time) - Again this track opens up with a similar piano introduction, though we’re not waiting in anticipation nearly as long for that hook in the chorus. Rocket Man went on to be interpreted in a number of ways as well as appear in countless productions of plays and movies. It’s recognized as one of Elton John’s finest songs that haven’t been written specifically for a film or musical.

3. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues – Where Tiny Dancer and Rocket Man start with a damp tone and build up for some major harmonies, this song properly tells a story of sorts without becoming obnoxious and repetitive. What remains interesting about this song is his ability to convey the narrative through the music. Though Elton John does this plenty of times throughout his albums, we think he does it at his absolute best with this track.

4. Bennie And The Jets – The first time listening to this song, I could’ve swore it was something composed by Pink Floyd. The incredible sound effects of marching soldiers, waterfalls, and plane take-offs thrashed together with a dreary melody–it sounds nothing like Elton John until a couple of seconds in. The listener never hears this again as the song gradually becomes more positive with each passing chorus. Most people will think of this track when remembering Elton John for its absolute catchy nature. It’s beautiful in its simplicity with falsetto vocals in random moments and the sound effect of applause. This song proves Elton John’s ability as a songwriter. No blows and whistles.

5. Crocodile Rock – Quite honestly, Crocodile Rock is one of the funnest compositions I know of. A true minimalist at heart, Elton John’s Crocodile Rock is mainly just percussion and piano with his signature vocal style. Though it might not be his most popular song, it most certainly has to be his happiest. Plenty of his songs as we’ve stated carry out narratives. Others are quite dark, such as Candle In The Wind, which gave tribute to Princess Diana. This is anything but dark. It’s nonsensical, zealous, and imaginative. A perfect Elton John hit encompassing his very persona.

Check out the video of Elton John singing Crocodile Rock on The Muppet Show: