Elton John and His Number One Hits

Sir Elton John is in the charts with a single called “Looking Up,” and it made us realize that Elton’s been on the charts for nearly half a century. This song may or may not be a #1 song, but it’s a great opportunity to remind everyone of his number one songs.

“Crocodile Rock,” released in 1972, was Elton’s homage to the early days of doo-wop, using the piano in familiar cords to woe his fans. The song is a tribute to one of Elton’s early American influencers, Del Shannon.

“Daniel” from 1972 is a Bernie Taupin song that was inspired by an article Bernie had read regarding a Vietnam War veteran who had been wounded in battle and the hardships of returning to the states to live out his life. Yes, the song had political overtones as the war was wrapping up, leaving behind millions of veterans struggling with distress and guilt.

“Bennie and the Jets” is an interesting song in that Elton was against every releasing it as a single, yet CKLW, the Canadian AM powerhouse, played it until the label released it as a radio single worldwide.

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