Elton John

Elton John is a British singer, pianist and composer who rose from a shy session musician to one of the most extravagant pop stars of the 1970s.

The statistics are impressive. Elton John sold more than 300 million albums during his long career. A new version of his "Candle in the Wind," reworked as a tribute to the tragically deceased Princess Diana, sold 33 million copies and is the best-selling single of all time in England and America. And people still talk with awe about the extravagant stage shows he staged in the 1970s.

For a long time, there was no indication that Elton John would become such a colorful pop star. In the 1960s, he performed with his own band, but as a musician and composer, he primarily served other musicians. However, from 1967 onwards, he collaborated with Bernie Taupin, his regular lyricist, with whom he would create his best and most successful work. His first album, "Empty Sky" (1969), went largely unnoticed, but thanks to the hit "Your Song," "Elton John" (1970) also became a success. The albums that followed further increased the popularity of the gifted singer, pianist, and composer: "Tumbleweed Connection" (1970), "Madman Across the Water" (1971), "Honky Château" (1972), "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player" (1973), and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973). That last album is widely considered his masterpiece, although Caribou (1974), Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975), and Rock Of The Westies (1975) were hardly inferior. His shows were just as lavish as his albums were musical. Elton John donned outrageous outfits and wore the most striking frames on his nose.

In the latter half of the 1970s, his career experienced an artistic slump, but in the 1980s, he rediscovered himself as a writer and performer of crafted pop songs. This was demonstrated in 1983 with the album Too Low For Zero, featuring the self-assured hit "I'm Still Standing." Two years later, he scored another worldwide hit with "Nikita," from the album Ice On Fire. From the 1990s onward, he also focused on composing for films and musicals, such as "The Lion King" and "The Devil Wears Prada." He also remained relevant to a younger rock audience thanks to contributions to albums by Alice In Chains (Black Gives Way To Blue) and Queens Of The Stone Age (…Like Clockwork).

In January 2018, he began a farewell that would include 300 performances and keep him busy until the end of 2020. In 2019, the biographical film Rocketman was released, in which the artist was played by Taron Egerton, who also provided the vocals for the soundtrack. The impending farewell was completed in October 2019 with the autobiography Me.

At Platenzaak.nl we have a great selection of Elton John CDs and LPs, including exclusive editions.