Bernie Taupin Is A Godawful Lyricist Whose Lyrics Sound Amazing Coming Out Of Elton John's Mouth — ILM ARTIST POLL #41: ELTON JOHN

03. "Tiny Dancer" (1971) [631 points, 24 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xuSYEeo9Wc

"Levon"
this is okay, the belabored pun in the chorus is a bit much. I don't think I'd heard this before.

"Heartache All Over The World"
man what an amazing song. when the blazing guitar solo shreds its way through those gated drums you just know you are in the presence of greatness. Elton's heartfelt search for female companionship has never sounded more achingly convincing then it does here, and for once the gospel backing is appropriate, as if their voices are echoing resoundingly across the capitals of the globe. should've been #1 imo

"I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues"
have hated this song since hearing it when it came out. sorry.

"Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding"
man has every song on this album posted now or what? Even though I haven't listened to this album all the way through, just judging from the cuts here it's clear this contained a lot of his most sonically ambitious material, there's a pretty wide range of instrumentation represented. Great mellotron opening, then gets melancholy with the lonely piano and flute duet. ooh twin guitar leads! this is SUPER-proggy, really pulling out all the stops. Is this the last track on the album or something? Cool harmonies, rhythm section really working overtime too. In general 10-minute prog-pop epics are not my thing but this is very well done, the rock parts actually rock for once.

"Recover Your Soul"
ugh this is something that I sonically just have a lot of problems with from top to bottom (ie from the chiming synths to the drum loop). about the only instruments that don't sound like total gloopy underwater shit are the hammond, the bass, and Elton's voice. vocal performance is pretty good for what it is, could do without the call and response with the backing singer on those "recover"s. lyrically pretty good, although I did lol at "What's going on, it's cold in here"

Got all the way to #3 with no first place votes. xp

I'd've had it at no.1 on another day

Is this the last track on the album or something? Cool harmonies, rhythm section really working overtime too. In general 10-minute prog-pop epics are not my thing but this is very well done, the rock parts actually rock for once.

It's the opener.

(xpost) Same. I wonder how many people first heard it in Almost Famous--it used to get occasional classic-rock airplay, but not that much.

"Heartache All Over The World"
"Recover Your Soul"

These were joeks btw.

Is it okay to admit that Almost Famous plays quite a big part in why I love Tiny Dancer?

I was familiar with Tiny Dancer before Almost Famous, as I went through my heavy Elton phase in 1995/96 when the first cd reissues came out. Always liked it before, and thought it was used really well in the film.

Hope I didn't imply that coming to it through Almost Famous was not good. That's a great scene.

I dunno. It's certainly better than that. and pace other comments itt I remember it as a pretty solid aor staple. think moulin rouge did more for "your song" than almost famous did for this.

(agree it was used well tho)

"Tiny Dancer" was a modest Classic Rock staple pre-AF (heard it and "Levon" more often than several of the mid-'70s hits), but yeah, that movie...

"Bennie and the Jets"
yeah I know this one cuz of hip hop. it's weird how slow it is. the swooping falsetto in the chorus refrain again reminding me of Bowie, and then yeah the whole mythical band thing (altho that's a gimmick much older than Bowie). the chord structure of this seems much simpler than usual, the way it just pounds back and forth from the major and then a step down to the minor 7th, lumbering along while the falsetto squeals over the top. synth fills are a nice little detail. I can get with this song.

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
Agree the lyrics work here for once, and tied to one of his better melodies. hard for me not to think the Judy Garland/gay icon allusion was not some intentional, coded gesture. This is impeccably arranged, the strings buttressing the vocal effectively, stately chiming guitar arpeggios and all. and under 3 1/2 minutes, no bloat.

"Tiny Dancer"
Tony Danza

These were joeks btw.

you don't say

"Heartache all Over The World" somehow was a top-10 hit in Austrailia. Bombed everywhere else. Never heard it before today - and hopefully never will again

02. "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time)" (1972) [650 points, 26 votes, 3 first place votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76itSz-QEcE

Taupin's finest moment imo, clanger and all

and much much much better than "Space Oddity"

TOO LOW

ismael otm. our number one is grebt but rocket man is perfect.

"I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" my #1 also

didn't vote for "Rocket Man", verses not my thing

Never realized it officially had a parenthetical title.

I skipped it to. I'll sing along when it's on the radio but never one of my favorites.

^^ disgusting savages itt

I like the guitar slides.

and much much much better than "Space Oddity"

disagree on almost every level - Space Oddity much more evocative of the narrator's alienation ("tell my wife I love her very much/she knows" cuts several different ways) and much more disorienting sonically, pings and beeps orbiting around the listener. Rocket Man is good but it's not THAT good.

I have no idea what no. 1 is btw

You'll find out soon, sugar bear.

i think "space oddity" is a league above "rocket man," for the reasons shakey lays out and more. and i love "rocket man." it would've been fitting, though, for bernie's most obvi bowie moment to win the poll after all the bowie discussion herein.

01. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (1975) [655 points, 21 votes, 5 first place votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia-s7rY175k

this poll has repped for elton really well. not the biggest fan of #1 though.

A personal poll first: my #1 is the poll #1. Yay!

"i miss the earth so much/i miss my wife" > "tell my wife i love her very much/she knows"

Wow it was close.

Hurray at this being number one, easily my favourite song of his. The "DAMMIT, Listen to me good" bit gets me every single time.

I had no idea either, I think only the Neil Young poll has kept it under wraps all the way

I'm glad this poll exists but it made me realize that I don't really like Elton John, only a tiny subset before he became a chart topping machine.

Thanks for running this Johnny!

I like and voted for "Saved My Life" but don't get what makes this so #1-worthy endearing. Thought either "Tiny Dancer" or "Your Song" would be on top.

"i miss the earth so much/i miss my wife" > "tell my wife i love her very much/she knows"

Can I just...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H06kpn2C3Fk

Not quite my #1, but great way to finish.

Some radio stations refused to play or altered the song, due to the use of the phrase "Damn it" in the second verse.(citation needed)

I would hope so--that sounds a little far-fetched. (I went to Wikipedia to see if the song had been used in some '70s film, often an explanation for why certain songs are still so evocative for me. Apparently not, though.)

disagree on almost every level - Space Oddity much more evocative of the narrator's alienation ("tell my wife I love her very much/she knows" cuts several different ways) and much more disorienting sonically, pings and beeps orbiting around the listener. Rocket Man is good but it's not THAT good.

As a Bowie fan, I've never thought "Space Oddity" sounds anything other than a tentative attempt at a hit. "Rocket Man" has those excellent instrumental parts (those slides) and is a melodic wonder.

I've said it before and I hope I'll say it again - Johnny Fever polls are the best polls. Thanks a ton.

I've had great fun these last two weeks, walking round town with my big headphones on and glowering at delinquents; little did they know I'm checking out something like Can You Feel The Love Tonight?

oh, right. this is a song I've read about but never knowingly heard. "singing like a princess perched in her electric chair" and "we've all gone crazy lately" are good lines. The falsetto "oowoowoos" are VERY Brian Wilson. forced "bear/dear" rhyme is unfortunate. this is pretty good I guess. is it a solo piano thing or is there a full instrumental version?

xp

weird #1 but whatever
dope results overall
thx for puttin it all together

I thought "A Word in Spanish" would top :(

Thanks e'rybody! Here's the full rundown:

1 	Someone Saved My Life Tonight 	5 	21 	655
2 	Rocket Man 	3 	26 	650
3 	Tiny Dancer 		24 	631
4 	Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 	2 	21 	531
5 	Bennie And The Jets 	4 	18 	486
6 	Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding 	2 	17 	478
7 	I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues 	2 	17 	452
8 	Levon 		21 	448
9 	I'm Still Standing 		15 	371
10 	Your Song 	2 	13 	365
11 	Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting 	1 	16 	363
12 	Madman Across The Water 	1 	14 	345
13 	Philadelphia Freedom 	1 	13 	325
14 	Grey Seal 		14 	306
15 	Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters 	2 	12 	302
16 	The Bitch Is Back 		15 	293
17 	Take Me To The Pilot 		14 	286
18 	Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word 	1 	12 	261
19 	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 		12 	261
20 	Honky Cat 		13 	254
21 	Burn Down The Mission 	1 	9 	244
22 	Daniel 		11 	219
23 	Elderberry Wine 	1 	9 	214
24 	Candle In The Wind 		11 	201
25 	Sacrifice 		9 	183
26 	Amoreena 	1 	8 	173
27 	Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me 		7 	147
28 	Tower Of Babel 		6 	139
29 	Harmony 		5 	138
30 	Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy 		6 	131
31 	All The Girls Love Alice 		7 	129
32 	The Ballad Of Danny Bailey 		5 	124
33 	I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 		7 	123
34 	Mellow 		7 	115
35 	Crocodile Rock 		5 	113
36 	My Father's Gun 		5 	111
37 	High Flying Bird 		4 	108
38 	I've Seen That Movie Too 		5 	95
39 	Razor Face 		4 	93
40 	I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford) 		5 	90
41 	The Last Song 		4 	89
42 	We All Fall In Love Sometimes 	1 	3 	87
43 	Where To Now St. Peter? 		4 	85
44 	Island Girl 		5 	84
45 	Are You Ready For Love? 		4 	83
45 	Holiday Inn 		4 	83
47 	Blue Eyes 		3 	83
48 	Border Song 		5 	82
49 	Too Low For Zero 		4 	81
50 	Little Jeannie 		4 	73
	I Want Love 		4 	71
	Original Sin 		2 	66
	I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself 		3 	64
	Bitter Fingers 		3 	63
	Better Off Dead 		3 	61
	Sad Songs (Say So Much) 		3 	60
	Grow Some Funk Of Your Own 		3 	59
	Mama Can't Buy You Love 		3 	59
	This Song Has No Title 		3 	57
	Sixty Years On 		3 	56
	Empty Garden 		3 	54
	The Cage 		3 	52
	Song For Guy 	1 	2 	52
	Blues For My Baby And Me 		2 	49
	Gotta Get A Meal Ticket 		2 	49
	Crystal 		2 	47
	I'm Gonna Be A Teenage Idol 		2 	47
	Teacher I Need You 		2 	47
	Bad Side Of The Moon 		2 	46
	Friends 		2 	46
	Whatever Gets You Through The Night 		2 	46
	Curtains 		2 	42
	Lady Samantha 		2 	42
	Country Comfort 	1 	1 	40
	Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds 		2 	39
	Sartorial Eloquence 		2 	39
	Part-Time Love 		2 	38
	Passengers 		2 	38
	Kiss The Bride 		2 	37
	Ego 		1 	36
	Dirty Little Girl 		2 	30
	Grimsby 		1 	30
	A Word In Spanish 		2 	29
	Rotten Peaches 		2 	29
	Something About The Way You Look Tonight 		1 	28
	Son Of Your Father 		1 	28
	Your Sister Can't Twist But She Can Rock and Roll  		1 	28
	Club At The End Of The Street 		2 	27
	Can I Put You On 		2 	26
	Street Kids 		1 	26
	Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun 		1 	25
	Tonight 		1 	25
	Come Down In Time 		1 	24
	Blues For Baby And Me 		1 	23
	Can You Feel The Love Tonight 		1 	23
	Hard Luck Story 		1 	23
	Nikita 		1 	23
	Writing 		1 	22
	Hercules 		1 	21
	If It Wasn't For Bad 		1 	21
	Roy Rogers 		1 	21
	No Shoe Strings On Louise 		1 	20
	Nobody Wins 		1 	20
	Sweet Painted Lady 		1 	20
	All The Nasties 		1 	19
	Healing Hands 		1 	18
	Circle Of Life 		1 	17
	Cold As Christmas 		1 	17
	Ticking 		1 	17
	Step Into Christmas 		1 	16
	This Train Don't Stop There Anymore 		1 	15
	Indian Sunset 		1 	14
	Pain 		1 	14
	Susie (Dramas) 		1 	14
	Empty Sky 		1 	13
	Dark Diamond 		1 	12
	Made In England 		1 	12
	Save Rock N Roll (Fall Out Boy Featuring Elton John) 		1 	12
	Skyline Pigeon 		1 	12

No surprise - I'm the only voter for my number one tune.

woe @ Original Sin not placing
actual physical pain @ Just Like Belgium failing entirely

#51 "I Want Love"
damn so close

#69 "Friends"
#70 "Whatever Gets You Through The Night"
didn't expect much love for these, but i had my hopes up.

#73 "Country Comfort"
i assumed this was more of a fan favorite.