Welcome to this post on Elton John album covers. Obviously this is a 70s site so I will be concentrating on Elton’s albums from then. I will try and add as many covers I can of all his albums.
Elton John had 16 albums out in the UK in the 70s, 13 of which made the top ten in the charts. This included 4 number 1 albums.
Elton John
In 1970 he released his first album to make the charts called Elton John which reached number 5 in the UK album charts. Elton and songwriter Bernie Taupin were only just into their twenties when this was released.
TRACK LISTING
1. Your Song
2. I Need You To Turn To
3. Take Me To The Pilot
4. No Shoe Strings On Louise
5. First Episode At Hienton
6. Sixty Years On
7. Border Song
8. The Greatest Discovery
9. The Cage
10. The King Must Die
Tumbleweed Connection
The follow up album to Elton John was Tumbleweed Connection in 1971. This album reached number 2 in the UK album chart.
Track Listings
1. Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun
2. Come Down In Time
3. Country Comfort
4. Son Of Your Father
5. My Father’s Gun
6. Where To Now St. Peter?
7. Love Song
8. Talking Old Soldiers
9. Burn Down The Mission
The Elton John Live Album
Also in 1971 Elton released The Elton John Live album. This did not do so well in the charts peaking at number 20.
Side 1
- Take Me To The Pilot
- Honky Tonk Woman (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards)
- Sixty Years On
- Can I Put You On
Side 2
- Bad Side Of The Moon
- Burn Down The Mission (Includes parts of “My Baby Left Me” and “Get Back”)
Madman Across The Water
This album released in 1972 did not do well in the charts only reaching number 41. It included the song Tiny Dancer which was not released as a single in the UK but gets lots of airplay nowadays in 2021.
TRACK LISTING
1. Tiny Dancer
2. Levon
3. Razor Face
4. Madman Across The Water
5. Indian Sunset
6. Holiday Inn
7. Rotten Peaches
8. All The Nasties
9. Goodbye
Honky Chateau
Elton John was riding high in the charts at number 2 with this offering also released in 1972.
Side 1
- Honky Cat
- Mellow
- I Think I’m Going To Kill Myself
- Susie (Dramas)
- Rocket Man
Side 2
- Salvation
- Slave
- Amy
- Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
- Hercules
Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player
His First Album to hit the top spot. Elton John made number 1 in 1973 with Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player.
Side 1
- Daniel
- Teacher I Need You
- Elderberry Wine
- Blues For Baby And Me
Side 2
- Have Mercy On The Criminal
- I’m Going To Be A Teenage Idol
- Texan Love Song
- Crocodile Rock
- High Flying Bird
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton quickly followed up his number one success with another album chart topper Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
Side 1
- Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
- Candle In The Wind
- Bennie And The Jets
Side 2
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- This Song Has No Title
- Grey Seal
- Jamaica Jerk-Off
- I’ve Seen That Movie Too
Side 3
- Sweet Painted Lady
- The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-1934)
- Dirty Little Girl
- All The Girls Love Alice
Side 4
- Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)
- Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting
- Roy Rogers
- Social Disease
- Harmony
Caribou
Another Number 1 album for Elton in 1974.
Side 1
- The Bitch Is Back
- Pinky
- Grimsby
- Dixie Lily
- Solar Prestige A Gammon
- You’re So Static
Side 2
- I’ve Seen The Saucers
- Stinker
- Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
- Ticking
Elton John’s Greatest Hits (1970 to 1974)
It is no surprise that this album made it to the top of the charts. Released in 1974.
Side 1
- Your Song
- Daniel
- Honky Cat
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
Side 2
- Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)
- Bennie and the Jets
- Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
- Border Song
- Crocodile Rock
Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy
This album was released in 1975 and reached number 2.
Side 1
- Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy
- Tower Of Babel
- Bitter Fingers
- Tell Me When The Whistle Blows
- Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Side 2
- (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket
- Better Of Dead
- Writing
- We All Fall In Love Sometimes
- Curtains
Rock Of The Westies
Another album from 1975 and it reached number 5 in the album charts.
Side 1
- Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly (John, Davey Johnstone, Taupin)
- Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)
- Island Girl
- Grow Some Funk of Your Own (John, Johnstone, Taupin)
- I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)
Side 2
- Street Kids
- Hard Luck Story (Ann Orson & Carte Blanche)
- Feed Me
- Billy Bones and the White Bird
Here And There
This album made it to number 6 in 1976.
Side 1
- Skyline Pigeon
- Border Song
- Honky Cat
- Love Song (with Lesley Duncan)
- Crocodile Rock
Side 2
- Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
- Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)
- Bennie and the Jets
- Take Me to the Pilot
Blue Moves
Elton also released this album in 1976 and made it to number 3.
Side 1
- Your Starter For…
- Tonight
- One Horse Town
- Chameleon
Side 2
- Boogie Pilgrim
- Cage the Songbird
- Crazy Water
- Shoulder Holster
Side 3
- Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
- Out of the Blue
- Between Seventeen and Twenty
- The Wide Eyed and Laughing
- Someone’s Final Song
Side 4
- Where’s the Shoorah?
- If There’s a God in Heaven (What’s He Waiting For?)
- Idol
- Theme From a Non-Existent TV Series
- Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)
Elton John’s Greatest Hits Vol II
Volume II didn’t do as well as the first greatest hits album. It peaked at number 6 in 1977.
Original international version
- The Bitch Is Back (fades out early)
- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
- Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
- Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Duet with Kiki Dee)
- Someone Saved My Life Tonight
- Philadelphia Freedom
- Island Girl
- Grow Some Funk of Your Own
- Bennie and the Jets
- Pinball Wizard
A Single Man
This was the album Elton released in 1978. It managed to get to number 8.
Side 1
- Shine on Through
- Return to Paradise
- I Don’t Care
- Big Dipper
- It Ain’t Gonna Be Easy
Side 2
- Part-Time Love
- Georgia
- Shooting Star
- Madness
- Reverie
- Song for Guy
Victim Of Love
Elton’s final album of the decade did not do well in the charts only getting to number 41.
Side 1
- Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry)
- Warm Love in a Cold World (Pete Bellotte, Stefan Wisnet, Gunther Moll)
- Born Bad (Bellotte, Geoff Bastow)
Side 2
- Thunder in the Night (Bellotte, Michael Hofmann)
- Spotlight (Bellotte, Wisnet, Moll)
- Street Boogie (Bellotte, Wisnet, Moll)
- Victim of Love (Bellotte, Sylvester Levay, Jerry Rix)
I hope you enjoyed this post on Elton John album covers.
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Frank
frank@musicofthe70s.co.uk