If you walk into a pub in 2026 and ask a twenty-something to name their favorite Elton John song, they aren’t going to say "Daniel." They won’t even say "Crocodile Rock."
They’re going to say "Cold Heart."
That’s the weird, brilliant reality of Elton John top hits today. We’re looking at a guy who has been famous longer than most of his current listeners have been alive, yet his "biggest" songs are constantly shifting like tectonic plates. Honestly, it’s kinda wild. One minute he’s the 1970s glam king in oversized glasses, the next he’s the voice of a Disney lion, and now? He’s the king of the club remix.
But if you really want to understand the music that defined him, you have to look past the shiny 2020s coatings. You have to look at how a failed audition and a sealed envelope changed pop history forever.
The Weird Science of the Elton/Bernie Factory
Most people think bands sit in a room and jam until a song appears. Not these guys. Elton John and Bernie Taupin basically invented the "ghost partner" model.
Back in 1967, they both answered a "seeking talent" ad in New Musical Express. Elton (then still Reg Dwight) told the recruiters he could write tunes but was hopeless at lyrics. They handed him a random, sealed envelope from a pile. Inside were poems by Bernie.
They didn’t even meet face-to-face before they started "writing" together.
The process hasn’t changed much in fifty years. Bernie writes the words in private—usually deep, introspective stuff about being a "brown dirt cowboy" or the loneliness of space—and sends them to Elton. Elton sits at a piano and finds the melody in about twenty minutes. If it takes longer than half an hour, he usually tosses it. It’s a gut-reaction style of composing that makes Elton John top hits feel so immediate, even when the lyrics are about 19th-century sailors or dead movie stars.
The 1970s: When the World Turned Yellow
If we’re talking about pure chart dominance, nothing touches the mid-70s. This was the era of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. That album is basically a greatest hits collection on its own.
"Bennie and the Jets" (The Hit Elton Thought Would Fail)
It’s funny to think about now, but Elton actually fought against releasing "Bennie and the Jets" as a single. He thought it was too weird. The "live" sound effects? Fake. They were dubbed in later. But the song exploded on R&B radio in Detroit, and suddenly, a white guy from Pinner was a soul star. It eventually hit Number 1 in the US and has sold nearly 3 million copies of the physical 45 alone.
"Rocket Man" and the Space Race
"Rocket Man" (1972) is the song that officially launched him into the stratosphere. Bernie was inspired by a shooting star—or maybe just a plane—and wrote about the mundanity of space travel. Mars is "cold as hell," after all. It’s arguably his most enduring 70s track, especially after the 2019 biopic took its name.
"Tiny Dancer" – The Flop That Stayed Alive
Here’s a fact that trips people up: "Tiny Dancer" was not a big hit when it first came out. In the UK, it wasn't even released as a single at first. In the US, it barely cracked the Top 40. It only became a "top hit" decades later, largely thanks to that bus sing-along scene in the movie Almost Famous. Now, it has over 900 million streams on Spotify.
The Tragic Weight of "Candle in the Wind"
You can’t talk about Elton John top hits without addressing the elephant in the room. "Candle in the Wind" is technically two different songs with the same soul.
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The 1973 original was a tribute to Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jean). It was a solid hit, reached Number 11 in the UK. But the 1997 version—re-written by Bernie in a few hours following the death of Princess Diana—became a cultural phenomenon that we’ll likely never see again.
- It sold 33 million copies worldwide.
- It stayed at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks.
- It is the second best-selling physical single of all time.
The 1997 version is so tied to that specific moment of global mourning that Elton hasn't performed it live since the funeral. He doesn't want to exploit the grief. That kind of restraint is rare in the music business.
The "Cold Heart" Effect: How Elton Conquered the 2020s
For a while, critics thought Elton was a legacy act. Someone you see at a stadium for the nostalgia. Then "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" with Dua Lipa happened in 2021.
It wasn't just a new song; it was a mashup of "Sacrifice," "Rocket Man," "Kiss the Bride," and "Where’s the Shoorah?" It went to Number 1 in over 20 countries. Suddenly, kids who didn't know who Kiki Dee was were dancing to Elton's voice.
By the time he finished his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in 2023—which, by the way, is the highest-grossing tour of all time at over $900 million—he had successfully bridged the gap between boomers and Gen Z.
What Most People Get Wrong About His "Best" Songs
Music critics often point to "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" as his actual masterpiece. It’s a 6-minute epic about a real suicide attempt Elton made in the late 60s when he was engaged to a woman he didn't love. Bernie found him with his head in the oven (with the windows open and a pillow under his head—Elton was always a bit theatrical).
It’s a dark, painful song that somehow became a Top 5 hit. That’s the magic. He takes Bernie's heavy, poetic baggage and wraps it in a melody so catchy you forget you're singing about a mental health crisis.
Essential Tracks for a Deep Dive
If you're building a playlist, don't just stick to the radio edits.
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- "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding": An 11-minute prog-rock opener that proves he’s more than just a ballad singer.
- "I'm Still Standing": The ultimate comeback anthem. It’s seen a massive resurgence thanks to the movie Sing.
- "Your Song": The first big one. Bernie wrote the lyrics over breakfast (there was literally a coffee stain on the paper).
- "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters": Elton’s "New York" song. It wasn’t a massive chart-topper, but it’s the one die-hard fans love most.
Getting the Most Out of Elton’s Catalog
To truly appreciate Elton John top hits, stop listening to the "Radio Edit" versions. Go back to the original 1970s vinyl masters if you can. The production by Gus Dudgeon was incredibly dense and warm—something that gets lost in modern digital compression.
Your next steps: Start with the Diamonds compilation for the hits, but then listen to the full Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album from start to finish. It explains the transition from piano-playing singer-songwriter to the global rock icon better than any documentary ever could. If you're feeling adventurous, look up the 1970 17-11-70 live album. It’s just Elton, a bassist, and a drummer, and it’s absolute fire.