I adored Elton as a teenager in the 70s, bought all the classic albums. Still a Top Ten artist for me now. This was just 2 hours plus of pure joy for me boys. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

I've had the pleasure of seeing Elton John twice (last September and March 2012). Truly an amazing artist, here's what I got: 35. Victim of Love 34. Reg Strikes Back 33. Leather Jackets 32. Ice on Fire 31. Lockdown Sessions 30. The Fox 29. Breaking Hearts 28. Wonderful Crazy Night 27. Duets 26. Jump Up 25. The Union 24. The Big Picture 23. Sleeping with the Past 22. Peachtree Road 21. The One 20. Made in England 19. Diving Board 18. Friends 17. Empty Sky 16. The Captain and The Kid 15. Songs from the West Coast 14. Regimental Sergeant Zippo 13. 21 at 33 12. Blue Moves 11. Two Low for Zero 10. Rock of the Westies 9. A Single Man 8. Caribou 7. Elton John 6. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy 5. Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player 4. Madman Across the Water 3. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 2. Honky Chateau 1. Tumbleweed Connection

My very first musical idol when I was 6 years old in ‘73…GYBR completely changed my life from the moment I heard it, blew my little mind, had never experienced anything like it before save for the early Moody Blues Lps my dad played incessantly. Elton John was so pivotal for me at age 6 that without having discovered him so young I sincerely believe I would not have become the lifetime music head I became and remain to this day fifty years on… He along with the Fab Four changed the way I listened to and heard music from that point onward and yes Johnstone is a King along with Murray and Olsson one of my favorite ensembles of all time, both playing and vocally they’re untouchables…too many mind-blowing performances to talk about here. May digress on some of my favorite moments in another post. All hail the great Reginald Dwight and company!!🙌🏼

Chloe (The Fox) is one of Elton's most underrated songs ♥️

I think one of the best uses of a song in a movie was "Amoreena" over the opening montage in 'Dog Day Afternoon.' Brilliant marriage of song and visuals.

I love Elton John (70's of course). This is where I really appreciate the work you put into these videos. No matter how much I love Elton I could NEVER sit through all of his albums. This is a Herculean task and you guys did a great job. My top 3 are Captain Fantastic, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Blue Moves. Blue Moves is only 1 or 2 songs too long for me. I've always loved that album.

I save TLM videos to watch during the NBA Playoffs every year, between commercial breaks. I've come to anticipate it as much as the games themselves and it makes every year's playoffs even more special for me, since coming across the channel in 2020. This was my most wanted list since I just started exploring Elton John more through your year lists. Can't wait to watch!

The timing on this video drop was hard for me right on busy morher's day weekend but I stayed up late to watch the whole thing. Thanks guys. I've loved Elton since I was 15 and doing this listography finally got me to fill in my gaps and hear every single record. I'm actually glad it got announced so early. It gave me time hear it all. I'd put Elton #2 behind McCartney for my favorite/best pop songwriters. An absolute legend and extraordinary talent. I think people kind of take his talent for granted, honestly. I love Bernie and the classic band too. Bernie's lyrics are so weird and I think really helped set Elton's work apart. I actually think that folks are too hard on the later catalog. There is a ton of great music there and I will admit that I missed out on a lot of it by just listening to the Classic Years for a long time. I'm a bigger fan of the post 2001 work than you guys. I even like most of the '80s material! I ranked the whole catalog on my Rate Your Music (BrightEye14). I don't have time to type it here but my top is Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. I give that plus Captain Fantastic, Tumbleweed and Madman 5 stars. Don't Shoot Me is a close 4.5 and my #5. Loved the video and all your comments. I agreed, I disagreed. I had a lot of fun. This was so much fun overall. I'm buying a ton of Elton stuff to fill out the collection too so thanks! - Shannon :)

Hi guys, glad to see you did a new Elton John ranking all together, I must catch up on two albums before drawing up a list, be back in a couple of days with my top 10 or 15, you did a great job as usual!

I've been asking for it!! Thanks guys :)

Thanks Guys, great job on this!

🤠 Captain Fantastic was a Christmas gift in 1975. The lyric book, comic, and poster included in the packaging blew my little mind. I look at this album as The Crash of Glam. There is a beautiful darkness throughout. Tracks like Tower of Babel sound proto-Suede . It's one of the first rock albums I ever owned, and still one of the most played. Stone cold masterpiece.⚡

Yay - we love content! Thank you!

Haven't heard all these albums, but enjoyed listening to you guys talk about them anyway! (Have been watching some of your older videos btw and it's noticeable how much better you've become over time.)

This is really quite the public service you performed here, gentleman, thank you. When it came to Elton I’ve been pretty much a Greatest Hits kind of gal, which worked out because I came of album purchasing age in his dry period of the 80s. This will definitely help me steer clear of some of stinkers and focus on the gems.

Oh, I've been waiting for this! I listened through all the albums and did my ranking a year ago before seeing EJ live in Oslo. Great show BTW. Now, for some coffee and biscuits so I can survive your two hour and fifteen minutes marathon!

1. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) 5 2. Honky Chateau (1972) 5 3. Elton John (1970) 5 4. Tumbleweed Connection (1970) 4.5 5. Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973) 4.5 6. Madman Across the Water (1971) 4.5 7. Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1974) 4.5 8. Caribou (1974) 4 9. Rock of the Westies (1975) 4 10. Empty Sky (1969) 3.5 11. Blue Moves (1976) 3.5 12. Jump Up! (1982) 3.5 13. Songs From the West Coast (2001) 3.5 14. Too Low for Zero (1983) 3 15. Sleeping With the Past (1989) 3 16. 21 at 33 (1980) 3 17. Made in England (1995) 3 18. Peachtree Road (2004) 3 19. A Single Man (1978) 2.5 20. The One (1992) 2.5 21. The Lockdown Sessions (2021) 2.5 22. The Big Picture (1997) 2.5 23. Wonderful Crazy Night (2016) 2.5 24. The Captain & The Kid (2006) 2.5 25. The Diving Board (2013) 2.5 26. Regimental Sgt. Zippo (2021) 2 27. The Fox (1981) 2 28. Breaking Hearts (1984) 2 29. Ice on Fire (1985) 2 30. Leather Jackets (1986) 1.5 31. Victim of Love (1979) 1.5 32. Reg Strikes Back (1988) 1.5 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER: 3.5 Empty Sky (1969) 5.0 Elton John (1970) 4.5 Tumbleweed Connection (1970) 4.5 Madman Across the Water (1971) 5.0 Honky Chateau (1972) 4.5 Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973) 5.0 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) 4.0 Caribou (1974) 4.5 Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1974) 4.0 Rock of the Westies (1975) 3.5 Blue Moves (1976) 2.5 A Single Man (1978) 1.5 Victim of Love (1979) 3.0 21 at 33 (1980) 2.0 The Fox (1981) 3.5 Jump Up! (1982) 3.0 Too Low for Zero (1983) 2.0 Breaking Hearts (1984) 2.0 Ice on Fire (1985) 1.5 Leather Jackets (1986) 1.5 Reg Strikes Back (1988) 3.0 Sleeping With the Past (1989) 2.5 The One (1992) 3.0 Made in England (1995) 2.5 The Big Picture (1997) 3.5 Songs From the West Coast (2001) 3.0 Peachtree Road (2004) 2.5 The Captain & The Kid (2006) 2.5 The Diving Board (2013) 2.5 Wonderful Crazy Night (2016) 2.0 Regimental Sgt. Zippo (2021) 2.5 The Lockdown Sessions (2021) For most musicians, the songwriting process starts with creating music and the lyrics follow from there. Turning words on a page into a memorable tune is an old school kind of talent, and Elton John seemed to do it effortlessly. It's been said that during his early 1970s heyday, Elton could've taken the words from the back of a Cracker Jack box and made an epic song out of them. I have no doubt that's true, but he didn't need to because he was working with the great Bernie Taupin. Elton's early efforts are heavily influenced by classical music. Harpsichord haters need not apply. Empty Sky (1969) oozes potential and rewards repeated listens, even if none of the songs reach classic status (the title track and "Syline Pigeon" come closest). His U.S. debut, Elton John (1970), relies on thick orchestral arrangements (some would say too thick) but all the songs ring true. "Take Me to the Pilot," "Border Song," and "The King Must Die" have stuck with me the longest. For being a British bloke, Elton pulls off the Old West theme of Tumbleweed Connection (1970) remarkably well. The music isn't really country & western, but has just enough of that flavor to be convincing. "Burn Down the Mission" gets the most press but the whole LP hunts, as they say. "My Father's Gun" might be his most underrated song. Honky Chateau (1971) takes the American vibe of 'Tumbleweed' and makes it even more rhythmic and catchy. Elton owns every genre he touches, from gospel ("Salvation") to New Orleans jazz ("I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself"). The penultimate track, "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters," is just a stunning piece of art. Arguably, the first half of Madman Across the Water (1972) constitutes the best 'side' in his discography ("Tiny Dancer," "Levon," "Razor Face," and the title track). But side two of 'Madman' fades a bit, which keeps it from getting to 5 stars in my book. Elton skirts closer to MOR than ever before on 1973's Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player ("Crocodile Rock," "Daniel"). On the other hand, it hosts a hoard of his strongest deep cuts, including "High Flying Bird," "Blues For My Baby & Me," "Elderberry Wine," "Have Mercy On the Criminal," "Texan Love Song," and "I'm Going to Be a Teenage Idol." Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (also 1973) is a couple-three tracks too long. Nevertheless, it's one of the most audacious and convincing double albums in existence, with a song for every mood. The opener, "Funeral For a Friend," stands up to the likes of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. "Candle in the Wind" is the most emotionally resonant entry in the John/Taupin songbook. The title track might be Elton's best melody. 1974's Caribou has moments as good as anything in his catalog ("Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me," "Ticking," "Pinky") but is relatively inconsistent compared to his previous 5 LPs. He rebounded with Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy (also 1974), an autobiographical album that tells the story of Elton and Bernie's early partnership. This includes their first meeting (the title track), writing songs for other artists ("Bitter Fingers"), Elton's suicide attempt ("Someone Saved My Life Tonight"), and their pursuit of a recording contract ("Gotta Get a Meal Ticket"). At this point, Elton was on the kind of roll most artists only dream about. Rock of the Westies (1975) largely continues that momentum, boasting the U.S. #1 single "Island Girl" and the boogie throwdown "Grow Some Funk on Your Own." Unfortunately, Elton jettisoned his great backing band just prior 'Westies,' which, in hindsight, portended a downturn in his career. Blue Moves (1976) is where Elton starts coming back down to Earth. It has some good tunes to be sure ("Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," "Out of the Blue," "Tonight," "Cage the Songbird") but it leans too heavily on balladry and isn't consistent enough to warrant double album length. 1978's A Single Man is the first LP Elton made without Bernie Taupin's lyrical input, and it shows. His next release, Victim of Love (1979), jumps on the disco bandwagon. Only "Thunder in the Night" saves it from the abyss. The rest of Elton's output is a pretty mixed bag. His early-'80s albums are serviceable (1982's Jump Up! being the highlight) but he falls off a cliff in the late-'80s. Leather Jackets (1986) and Reg Strikes Back (1988) are two of the worst albums made by a legacy act during that decade. In the 1990s he went full adult-contemporary, which puts a ceiling on how much I like those albums. His best release of the new millennium, Songs From the West Coast (2001), manages to unearth some of that old '70s glory. Whatever you think of Elton's music after 1976, his work ethic has to be admired. He can't be accused of being lazy. It's questionable how influential Elton was outside the world of pop music, which holds him back a bit compared to some of his contemporaries. However, for melody, he's one of the elites. He's such a natural he would've been a giant in any era- pretty much a no-brainer for my all-time top 50. MY RATING SYSTEM: 5.0 = major classic (consistently great *and* stratospheric highs) 4.5 = minor classic (consistently great *or* stratospheric highs, but not both) 4.0 = great (a clear majority is worth revisiting and it's one of the best things for this artist/style) 3.5 = seriously good (at least half is worth revisiting) 3.0 = nominally good (less than half is worth revisiting) 2.5 = fair (competent but uninspired, not worth revisiting) 2.0 = poor (difficult listen) 1.5 = awful (can't finish it) 1.0 = historically awful (musical apocalypse) ▪︎ "Consistently" does not mean "flawlessly." I allow for a few duds if the rest of the songs are good enough. "Stratospheric highs" refer to albums that feature iconic songs or have an iconic sound. (Albums I consider to be "perfect" can also reach 5 stars, even without containing legendary songs or being highly influential.) ▪︎ I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible, I don't care to differentiate anymore. ▪︎ Anything I rate 3.5 stars or better is an album I'm enthusiastic about and would likely revisit at some point.

Eight years before the debut of MTV, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, as a two-disc, three panel display of color, lyrics and imagery burst into existence. The hits were on the AM airwaves. The "deeper" tracks would eventually make their way onto FM radio. Captain Fantastic & TBDC stands as the most focused and interesting Elton John album but GBYBR is a cabaret of masterfully crafted rock/pop songs. The epic opening of "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" leads off a four sided masterpiece that resolves into the collision of cynicism and romanticism in the closer "Harmony".

Jason’s right, Jump Up! is Reginald’s peak 1980s album… hands down! I was there when it came out and l bought it new due to “Empty Garden.” I think it’s the best Lennon tribute song out there.

Great episode. I have over half his discography, still there are Elton John albums that I don’t own/listened to yet. This was a nice guide to those I haven’t gotten to yet.

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is his best album in my opinion. The self-titled, Tumbleweed Connection, and Madman Across The Water are also in my top 10. Blue Moves and A Single Man are maybe his most underrated. Honorable mentions to Empty Sky, 21 At 33, and The Fox.

Growing up as a teenager back in the 70's, it was pretty much wall to wall Elton John for a lot of us. I saw him live numerous times towards the end of that decade and throughout the 80's. I was also pretty much a "completist" when it came to all things EJ and vinyl. My 33rpm collection, which I still have, goes all the way from 1969's debut "Empty Sky" to the 1996 release "The One" A total of 24 studio albums (counting the "Friends" soundtrack as you have) I pretty much gave up collecting after 96, listening sporadically to later releases but truthfully, for me, I'd kinda checked out way back in 76' after the "Blue Moves" double album. An album that I happen to disagree with most people on and rate very highly. All that said, I was intrigued and I can't lie, a little excited, to see that you had turned your attention to Elton for your latest TLM Discography week. I didn't need to go back and listen to the early stuff as I know it off by heart and still play it regularly. I did take a listen to some of the later stuff but it was a real struggle, so I gave up and list you just my Top 10. So, in descending order. 10. Rock Of The Westies ⭐⭐⭐ 9. Caribou ⭐⭐⭐ 8. Blue Moves ⭐⭐⭐ 7. Elton John ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 6. Honky Chateau ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5. Don't Shoot Me... ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 3. Tumbleweed Connection ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2. Captain Fantastic ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1. Madman Across The Water ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Madman has risen to the top for me over the last few years. It was always a favourite but tended to get lost with the repeat plays of the other usual suspects. Not something I see you all agree with but hey ho! And the worst, hands down, EJ album "Leather Jackets" No Stars. Great review. Looking forward to the top 10 songs and the "Side 3" (great tracks that never made albums?)

Blessed to have grown up to his classics period.

Joe has the most fascinating taste in the group and some of his comments are amazingly right on point and insightful.

I already commented, but I'm commenting again... Really great job guys. I loved this video.

So looking forward to this 2 hour video!

Its nice to hear an artist you cover that I actually know! I’ve mentioned this before , but I feel if you can do Elton and The Beach Boys, you could also cover The Bee Gees. They have some great stuff. Also I would suggest Crowded House; Neil Finn is one of the best songwriters ever.

Hi Jason, Good to hear you mention Ball and Chain, which I first heard on an Earl Thomas Conley record (Don't Make it Easy for Me) back in the early 80's, when I was a young Amish kid and had to sneak around if I wanted to listen to music. I'm a huge fan of your channel __Thank you!

here goes 35 lockdown session 2.0 34 wonderful crazy night 2.0 33 regimental sargaent zipper 2.0 32 duets 2.5 31 the diving board 2.5 30 the big picture 2.5 29 the one 2'5 28 reg strikes back 2.5 27 peachtree road 2.5 26 the union 2.5 25 sleeping with the past 2.5 24 songs from the west coast 2.5 23 friends 2.5 22 blue moves 3.0 21 21 at 33 3.0 20 leather jackets 3.0 19 breaking hearts 3.0 18 victim of love 3.0 17 too low for zero 3.0 16 ice on fire 3.0 15 empty sky 3.0 14 a single man 3.0 13 caribou 3.0 12 the captain and the kid 3.0 11 elton john 3.5 10 the fox 3.5 9 jump up 3.5 8 made in england 3,5 7 rock of the westies 3,5 6 tumbleweed connection 3.5 5 madman across the water 4.0 4 dont shoot me im only the piano player 4.5 3 honkey chateau 4.5 2 goodbye yeollow brick road 5.0 1 captain fantastic and the brown dirt cowboy 5.0 my #1 has been my #1 since i heard it and always will fun long listo cheers 🐯🐯

Nice job on the EJ breakdown. A ton of material. A Single Man and Sleeping With The Past I think we’re underrated.

Jason hit the nail on the head. I grew up on 80’s Elton John and every album had that one hit that kept him relevant. Most of those albums are tough to listen to now, but in the 80’s he was always up there with Phil Collins, Billy Joel and Lionel Richie with being able to stay on the radio.

Its great that your rankings are more expansive than the opinions of the time. It was generally accepted in the 70's that Elton's great run ended with Yellow Brick Road. This was selling him too short. All three of you have elevated the three albums post-Yellow Brick Road to their rightful place. Cheers.

Oh I'm looking forward to this one!

Completely agree with the drum sound on Captain....it is quite simply the best drum sound I've heard

Loved this video

This video is the three of you at your absolute best. Your roasting of those bottom five albums is 100 times better than the albums themselves. Classic.

I love The Camera Never Lies from Reg Strikes Back. No one mentioned The Club At The End Of The Street from Sleeping With The Past.

I never knew his discography was so large.

The best album ranking video I've seen. I'm an Elton fan but gave up listening after The Fox so I'll have to go back and listen to the recommended albums I haven't heard. Listened to 'Jump Up' for the first time and liked it. My initial ranking: Captain Fantastic; Honkey Chateau; Elton john; Goodbye; Madman; Tumbleweed; Don't Shoot; Blue; A Single; Empty; Caribou; The Fox; Jump Up

I’m going to check some of this out!

Love when the band & crew/ hangers on all are feeling blue when Tiny Dancer comes on & they all sing along in Almost Famous. Great scene ! 🚌

Great video.

Great in-depth dive into his catalog. I've been a stead fast fan since my dad's 8 track tape of Honky Chateau. I've seen him four times in concert. Even got to go up on stage with him in Vegas. You guys have pointed out something I've known for some time. Not everything he's done is great. Leather Jackets and Victim of Love were my known low points for him. Being a long time fan , you look for good to great in every album. You guys brought up some great points that I mostly agree with. Growing older gives you a better perspective on things you hold dear. I will say that Mad Man and The Diving Board are really good albums for me. But never rose to multiple listens status like many of the other albums. Upon release, I would listen to an album until it wore out. Not so much on those two. Anyway, great episode. Watched it twice.

Nothing Comes Close To Goodbye Yellow Brick Road I Mean Nothing Whole Album Is Epic!

I like your different ratings and rankings . Very entertaining . Kramzer gets it with Honky Chateau . Jason gets it with Pinky ( a wildly underrated song ) , and the Caribou album , and Joe gets it with his descriptions of the songs on Captain Fantastic . You're all correct . They're all great . My gateway to Elton was Honky Chateau in 1972 , and that album didn't leave my turntable for ages ( which explains its position in my ranking ) . I saw him for the first time at Maple Leaf Gardens on the Don't Shoot Me tour in 1973 , and he killed those songs live ( which , again , explains it's position in my ranking ) , and man , could that band cook on stage . I saw his subsequent tours for Goodbye Yellow Brick Road , Captain Fantastic , Caribou , and he killed all of those songs as well . My list in order of preference : Honky Chateau. ( hidden gem : Mellow ) Don't Shoot Me. ( hidden gem : Blues for My Baby & Me , with Teacher I Need You a close second ) Captain Fantastic ( hidden gem : We All Fall in Love Sometimes ) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ( Hidden Gem : Grey Seal. , with This Song Has No Title and Harmony right behind ) Caribou ( Hidden gem : Pinky , it's fabulous , listen to that synthesiser meandering through that song ) Madman Across the Water. ( hidden gem : Razor Face. , great keyboard solo ) Elton John ( Hidden gem : I Need You to Turn To ) Tumbleweed Connection. ( Hidden gem : Talking Old Soldiers ) Rock of the Westies. ( Hidden gem : I Feel Like a Bullet. , the live version on his 4cd boxset is even better ) Empty Sky ( Hidden gem : Skyline Pigeon , the piano version on the Don't Shoot Me Cd under bonus tracks is the definitive version ) Cheers !!

I like Elton's 80s output a lot more than the average fan, and I don't understand how most of it could be considered "bad". Sure, it's not as iconic as the earlier stuff, but I still have fun listening and don't find it offensive. I personally find super-80s production very enjoyable and interesting, and I'm tired of music critics hating on it so much. Come on people, it's 2023!

Loved this listography from you if for no other reason relistening to Tumbleweed👍. Ambitious effort just from the sheer quantity of material for you guys. If you did Zappa you might not make it. Love this content.

Kramzer's dog just submitted his own rankings. He's got The Bitch is Back as their #1 song.

Funny thing about Elton John. I love the albums from the early 70s in his heyday. I wan living in Montana when the single for I'm still standing came out. That is the precise point in time I gave up on Elton going forward. Everyone, and I mean everyone in town loved that song except me. It was played in every living room, grocery store, liquor store, and auto parts store. My theory is post 1980 Elton John is not him at all, but some imposter. And that lockdown session album cover is in the running for the most idiotic of all time, with music to match. At the end of the day, in my opinion, he recorded over 25 albums too many. Thanks guys.

Loving this!

What an undertaking to listen to all of this, personally I like a few songs but not so much that I. Would sit through all of that, it gives me the same feeling as queen albums, lots of filler and a few bangers here and there

Excellent rundown! Having not heard many of the post-1976 albums, I can only offer my Top 10, which is as follows: 10. Made In England 9. Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only The Piano Player 8. Caribou 7. Madman Across The Water 6. Blue Moves 5. Rock Of The Westies 4. Tumbleweed Connection 3. Honky Chateau 2. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy

Great video. Tumbleweed Connection and 11-17-70 are my favorite Elton John albums. But there are certainly arguments for his others. Yellow Brick Road is wonderful, but I think it's marred by one of Elton's few misogynistic songs, "Dirty Little Girl." At the same time, it does also have some of Elton's best songs.

Could this be you guys most civil countdown? Great job kudos!

Awesome work! Kramzer nails EJ"s catalogue, it was a thrill to see *Friends* as high as #8. I've been listening to this catalogue for nearly half a century and it is one of my "go to" albums. Captain Fantastic is just about my all-time favourite album, Honky Château, Madman, Tumbleweed and GYBR are all 5 stars. And for good measure, the live album 17-11-70 is sensational!

Wow, The Flaming Lips and Smashing Pumpkins next! That sounds great!

Another great job guys, my list was closest to Kramzers

I agree 100% with Kramzer about the underrated-ness of the “Friends” album which was perfectly stated. I think also, that people may tend to write it off strictly by the awful album cover, which, in an interview, Elton referred to as “that f--king pink massacre” - enjoyed the video guys..

Thanks. I think I have to listen to some good old Elton John more. Starting today. 🤗

Does anybody else think that The Lockdown Sessions should be disregarded as an Elton John studio album due to the fact that several of the tracks were previously released on albums by the performers that Elton collaborated with?

What an incredible discography

The packaging of Captain Fantastic was a masterpiece in itself!

Ok, here I go. As i was typing out my list, it slightly changed. My top 14 can change at any time. 35. The Lockdown Sessions 1.0/5 34. Leather Jackets 1.5/5 33. Ice on Fire 1.5/5 32. Duets 1.5/6 31. Victim of Love 2/5 30. The Big Picture 2/5 29. Reg Strikes Back 2/5 28. Breaking Hearts 2/5 27. The Diving Board 2.5/5 26. Sleeping With the Past 2.5/5 25. Friends 2.5/5 24. Too Low For Zero 2.5/5 23. Wonderful Crazy Night 3/5 22. Regimental Sgt. Zippo 3/5 21. Empty Sky 3/5 20. The Union 3/5 19. 21 on 33 3/5 18. The Captain and the Kid 3.5/5 17. The One 3.5/5 16. Blue Moves 3.5/5 15. Peachtree Road 3.5/5 14. Songs From the West Coast 4/5 13. Jump Up 4/5 12. The Fox 4/5 11. A Rock of the Westies 4/5 10. A Single Man 4/5 9. Elton John 4.5/5 8. Made In England 4.5/5 7. Caribou 4.5/5 6. Don't Shoot Me, I'm the Piano Man 5/5 5. Honky Chateau 5/5 4. Captain Fantastic & the Dirt Brown Cowboy 5/5 3. Tumbleweed Connection 5/5 2. Madman Across the Water 5/5 1. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 5/5

I've been looking forward to all 3 of you doing this one. Enjoyed it alot. EJ from Madman through to Blue Moves has one of the best runs of classic albums of any artist. Definitely, one of my favourite artists. On the other hand, I do not like one of his 80s albums For what it's worth, here's my shorter list of the ones I really like. 1) Tumbleweed Connection 2) Goodbye yellow road ( this has always been my fav but I just cannot stand Benny and the Jets so I have moved it to 2. Still fantastic though). Talking of which.... 3) Captain Fantastic (Curtains!! what a song) 4) Honky Chateau 5) Don't shoot me... 6) Blue Moves ( thought you all slightly underrated this) 7) Caribou

Love ❤ you guys When are you going to review Rickie Lee Jones catalog?

Jason's passionately scathing review of the bottom five rocked. Metal level critical venom. Love the unbridled honesty.

Great lists from you all. I will definitely be dusting down Caribou after what Joe and Jason have said. It's not one I've ever had on rotation, but I trust you guys. My list is only 5 long, as it's almost midnight and I've work tomorrow - 5. Madman Across The Water 4/5 4. Honky Chateu 4.5/5 3. GYBR 5/5 2. Tumbleweed Connection 5/5 1. Captain Fantastic and the Dirt Brown Cowboy 5/5

Cheers to Joe for giving 'Rock of the Westies' a proper showing. Terrific album, great singles. 'Yell Help' cool opener, 'Robert Ford' better than some of his more celebrated ballads, 'Feed Me' a nice, moody sleeper tucked in near the end. And 'Grow Some Funk' is one of his very best fast ones. Can't beat that vocal, "Oh, he was so macho..

It was quite a journey going through this discography. Probably not helped by the fact that I got through all the worst period binging three albums a day 😅. But I came out of it still loving the best stuff as much as before or even more, so I consider that a win! Some interesting listens, some boring listens and some surprises along the way (even made a last minute revision just now). Even with all the stuff that was not so great I am still happy I heard all of these somehow. Completing a big discography like this always has a satisfying feeling of achievement at the end. 35) The Lockdown Sessions - 1(1.8) 34) Duets - 1 (2.2) 33) Ice on Fire - 1.5 (2.8) 32) Leather Jackets - 1.5 (3.1) 31) Reg Strikes Back - 1.5 (3.2) 30) The One - 1.5 (3.3) 29) Victim of Love - 2 (3.7) 28) The Big Picture - 2.5 (4.8) 27) 21 at 33 - 2.5 (4.8) 26) Sleeping With the Past - 2.5 (5.0) 25) Wonderful Crazy Night - 2.5 (5.1) 24) The Diving Board - 2.5 (5.2) 23) Too Low For Zero - 2.5 (5.2) 22) Breaking Hearts - 2.5 (5.4) 21) The Union - 2.5 (5.5) 20) Regimental Sgt Zippo - 3 (5.7) 19) Peachtree Road - 3 (5.7) 18) The Captain & The Kid - 3 (5.9) 17) A Single Man - 3 (6.1) 16) Friends - 3 (6.4) 15) Jump Up! - 3.5 (6.8) 14) Empty Sky - 3.5 (6.9) 13)Blue Moves - 3.5 (7.0) 12) Made in England - 3.5 (7.4) 11) Rock of the Westies - 3.5 (7.5) 10) The Fox - 4 (7.8) 9) Songs From the West Coast - 4 (8.0) 8) Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only the Piano Player - 4 (8.1) 7) Elton John - 4 (8.4) 6) Madman Across the Water - 4.5 (9.0) 5) Caribou - 4.5 (9.0) 4) Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy - 4.5 (9.1) 3) Honky Chateau - 4.5 (9.2) 2) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - 4.5 (9.3) 1) Tumbleweed Connection - 4.5 (9.4)

I kind of laugh because being a teenager in the 70s, I’m probably old enough to be your grandmother, but I really enjoy all your comments! It makes me want to go back now and listen to some of the albums that I didn’t buy or bother to listen to when Elton John changed his music after the 70s! Thanks for this it’s really interesting hearing all your comments and critiques!

So, the takeaways are: 1. Elton John has a 25% hit rate - but ask yourself, honestly, what's yours? 2. Don't worry about anything after 1978 - even if there's an occasional (disputed) return to form 3. He did all his really good stuff between 1970 and 1978 - so no need to feel guilty about not listening to all that stuff you weren't going to listen to anyway (I won't) 4. But, depending on which of these guys you speak to, the bath water might have started to cool as early as 1976 or even 1975 5. Given he's only just retiring in 2023, that's at least a 45-year career after he peaked - I assume he'll now be moving into senior management or consulting 6. It's all in a name - imagine if his debut had been Saturday Night's Alright With Dwight 7. Jason is right about 'I'm Still Standing' - it is absolutely nail-gun godawful I don't have the massive love for Elton that you three do, but when I was wet behind the ears in the 1970s, Elton was always part of the musical landscape. I knew and liked lots of songs, had my 'best of' collections on tape and even bought Captain Fantastic on vinyl when it came out. Liked some songs on it then, like some now. Some more now than then, and none less. There are lots of good songs on all those albums between 'Elton John' and 'Blue Moves', though I still think of him more in terms of songs than albums. But, if I had to pick a best one, I'd plump for Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Another fine trawl, gentlemen. I'll certainly be revisiting Reg's most fecund years over the coming week and cooking up a whole new personal 'best of Hercules'. Because I'm too old to be a purist.

I'm big Elton John fan for long time

I'm coming late to the party and I extend my apologies. I am of an age whereby I can remember when Elton John was current in the early seventies and I can tell you confidently that when "Friends" came out in 1971`, people were stunned by its beauty and sophistication. I suspect that working with Paul Buckmaster reigned in the more extravagant flourishes that Elton and Taupin were inclined towards and I find that it holds up well to this day. It was clearly an inspired decision to pair Elton John with Buckmaster. Of course they had worked together on his 1970 album "Elton John" but it was on "Friends" that a maturation of the relationship became evident, I'm glad that you lads recognise the importance of the an album whose pleasures grow with each passing day.

I saw Elton for the first time in 1974, when I was 15 years old.

Gotta say about "Friends". So it's got 5 original and fully fleshed out John/Taupin songs on it. I love each one of them so much! They're as great as the very best songs off his masterpieces like say Tumbleweed, Honky Chateau or Goodbye Yellow. So damn, how do I rate that record, ya know? Also, I think "Empty Sky" doesn't get enough love, as a really good debut! Finally, "Rock of the Westies" - I love the vibe on that record, which I wish Elton did a little more of. Hard rocking, raw & spontaneous sounding.

Ranking the albums I own! #14. The One (1992) #13. Caribou (1974) #12. The Union (with Leon Russell) (2010) #11. Songs from the West Coast (2001) #10. Wonderful Crazy Night (2016) #9. The Complete Thom Bell Sessions (1989) #8. The Lion King (1994) #7. Elton John (1970) #6. Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973) #5. Tumbleweed Connection (1970) #4. Honky Château (1972) #3. Madman Across the Water (1971) #2. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) #1. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975) Some thoughts: #13. Never really cared for Caribou for some reason. It "should" rank higher than the later albums I guess but something is just missing for me. #9. The Complete Thom Bell Sessions is a hidden gem. Recorded in late 1970's and just very fun and upbeat. One song is waaaay too long.. Besides that. I love it! #8. It might be because of my age and all the memories but The Lion King Soundtrack with the cartoon songs, Elton John songs and the work of Hans Zimmer just make it very enjoyable. Playful and quite dark at times. All within top 7-1 especially 5-1 is albums I rank very highly. I also like that they cover different moods. I find Madman much deeper than Honky but Honky is perhaps the most perfect pop album Elton John ever did. Two great albums for different moods. Yellow Brick Road contains so much good work but honestly.. Some filler and is just too long. Cut down a few tracks on it and it might have been number 1!

Definitely the biggest week I've participated along with. Some awesome highs, regrettable lows, and lots somewhere in between. 1. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - ★★★★½ (Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding) 2. Honky Château - ★★★★½ (Rocket Man) 3. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy - ★★★★½ (Someone Saved My Life Tonight) 4. Tumbleweed Connection ★★★★ (Where to Now St. Peter?) 5. Empty Sky - ★★★★ (Valhalla) 6. Elton John- ★★★★ (Your Song) 7. Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player - ★★★½ (Daniel) 8. Madman Across the Water - ★★★½ (Levon) 9. Too Low for Zero - ★★★½ (I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues) 10. Caribou - ★★★ (Ticking) 11. Peachtree Road - ★★★ (It's Getting Dark in Here) 12. Rock of the Westies - ★★★ (I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)) 13. Friends - ★★★ (Friends) 14. Blue Moves - ★★★ (Chameleon) 15. Songs from the West Coast - ★★★ (The Emperor's New Clothes) 16. A Single Man - ★★★ (Song for Guy) 17. Made in England - ★★★ (Believe) 18. Regimental Sgt. Zippo - ★★★ (A Dandelion Dies in the Wind) 19. 21 at 33 - ★★½ (Little Jeannie) 20. The Fox - ★★½ (Elton's Song) 21. Wonderful Crazy Night - ★★½ (In the Name of You) 22. The Union - ★★½ (Gone to Shiloh) 23. Jump Up! - ★★½ (Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)) 24. The Captain & the Kid - ★★½ (And the House Fell Down) 25. The Big Picture - ★★½ (Something About the Way You Look Tonight) 26. The One - ★★½ (The One) 27. Breaking Hearts - ★★½ (Sad Songs (Say So Much)) 28. The Diving Board - ★★½ (Oscar Wilde Gets Out) 29. Sleeping With the Past - ★★ (Sacrifice) 30. Duets - ★★ (Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me) 31. Victim of Love - ★★ (Victim of Love) 32. Reg Strikes Back - ★★ (Since God Invented Girls) 33. Ice on Fire - ★★ (Nikita) 34. The Lockdown Sessions - ★½ (Finish Line) 35. Leather Jackets - ★½ (Gypsy Heart)

@tastes like music Fantastic video from you guys as usual...I have to say I think Blue Moves deserves far more love as the bold experimental step it was after the disappointing Rock of the Westies...probably the most underrated album of the classic years... Here's my best of the classic years anyway... 1. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 2. Honky Chateau 3. Captain Fantastic 4. Madman across the Water 5. Don't Shoot Me... 6. Tumbleweed Connection 7. Blue Moves 8. Caribou 9. Elton John 10. A Single Man 11. Rock of the Westies 12. Empty Sky 13. Regimental Sgt Zippo

Well done on the ranking of Elton John's studio albums. I think each of you gave a fair assessment on why you ranked each album in that particular position. Can you mention or recommend any live albums you think are good?

So I'm a "Victim of Love" defender. I know. Cheese but so damn catchy. I love "Warm Love in a Cold World" "Thunder in the Night". Hilarious. Those sun glasses. Look up the clip of him doing "Johnny B Goode" live on the australian show countdown. In full biker gear. 3)Victim of Love 2)Victim of Love 1)Victim of Love

A few of the duds I love. Religion, Fascist Faces, Birds, Town of Plenty, The Greatest Discovery, Simple Life, Believe, Come Down in Time….

35) Reg Strikes Back (1988) 2/5 34) Leather Jackets (1986) 2/5 33) Too Low for Zero (1983) 2.25/5 32) Victim of Love (1979) 2.75/5 31) Ice on Fire (1985) 2.75/5 30) Breaking Hearts (1984) 3/5 29) Jump Up! (1982) 3/5 28) Sleeping with the Past (1989) 3/5 27) The Fox (1981) 3.25/5 26) The Big Picture (1997) 3.5/5 25) Peachtree Road (2004) 3.5/5 24) A Single Man (1978) 3.5/5 23) 21 at 33 (1980) 3.5/5 22) The Lockdown Sessions (2021) 3.75/5 21) The Union (2010) 3.75/5 20) The One (1992) 4/5 19) Made in England (1995) 4/5 18) Friends (1971) 4/5 17) Duets (1993) 4/5 16) Regimental Sgt. Zippo (2021) 4/5 15) Wonderful Crazy Night (2016) 4/5 14) Songs from the West Coast (2001) 4/5 13) Rock of the Westies (1975) 4/5 12) Elton John (1970) 4/5 11) Caribou (1974) 4.25/5 10) The Captain and the Kid (2006) 4.25/5 09) Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973) 4.25/5 08) Empty Sky (1969) 4.25/5 07) Blue Moves (1976) 4.25/5 06) The Diving Board (2013) 4.5/5 05) Madman Across the Water (1971) 4.5/5 04) Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975) 4.5/5 03) Honky Château (1972) 5/5 02) Tumbleweed Connection (1970) 5/5 01) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) 5/5 Ratings Scale: 0 stars - irredeemably terrible/insultingly bad/the worst .5 stars - terrible 1 star - bad 1.5 stars - pretty bad 2 stars - weak/mediocre 2.5 stars - meh 2.75 stars - "It's OK, but quit playing it." 3 stars - OK/decent 3.25 stars - pretty good 3.5 stars - good 3.75 stars - really good 4 stars - very good 4.25 stars - very, very good 4.5 stars - excellent 5 stars - electric boots Chronological Order: 1969 - 4.25 - Empty Sky 1970 - 4.00 - Elton John 1970 - 5.00 - Tumbleweed Connection 1971 - 4.00 - Friends 1971 - 4.50 - Madman Across the Water 1972 - 5.00 - Honky Château 1973 - 4.25 - Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player 1973 - 5.00 - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1974 - 4.25 - Caribou 1975 - 4.50 - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy 1975 - 4.00 - Rock of the Westies 1976 - 4.25 - Blue Moves 1978 - 3.50 - A Single Man 1979 - 2.75 - Victim of Love 1980 - 3.50 - 21 at 33 1981 - 3.25 - The Fox 1982 - 3.00 - Jump Up! 1983 - 2.25 - Too Low for Zero 1984 - 3.00 - Breaking Hearts 1985 - 2.75 - Ice on Fire 1986 - 2.00 - Leather Jackets 1988 - 2.00 - Reg Strikes Back 1989 - 3.00 - Sleeping with the Past 1992 - 4.00 - The One 1993 - 4.00 - Duets 1995 - 4.00 - Made in England 1997 - 3.50 - The Big Picture 2001 - 4.00 - Songs from the West Coast 2004 - 3.50 - Peachtree Road 2006 - 4.25 - The Captain & the Kid 2010 - 3.75 - The Union 2013 - 4.50 - The Diving Board 2016 - 4.00 - Wonderful Crazy Night 2021 - 4.00 - Regimental Sgt. Zippo 2021 - 3.75 - The Lockdown Sessions Notes: * I was born in 1970 and grew up hearing plenty of Elton on the radio. * I had Elton's Greatest Hits on tape back in the day. Never bought another album of his. * Sometimes, Elton's songs could be greatly improved with just a little tweak of the lyrics. For example, the line from Rocket Man that goes, "And there's no one there to raise them if you did" would make much more sense grammatically if it was, "if you went." * As usual, I rated these songs/albums according to how good I think they are, not just by how much I like them. If I rated strictly according to how much I liked them, it would be a bloodbath. * I think Elton is one of the greats. * Cheers mates!!!!!!!!!!

In the notes for Sleeping With The Past Elton and Bernie mentioned how this album was inspired or dedicated to their 50s-60s idols. If you listen closely to how Elton sings a Stones Throw From Hurting, it sounds like I Heard It Through The Grapevine.

They did play Harmony on the radio. I remember hearing it when I was a kid. Not a whole lot, but when I finally bought GYBR years later, I remembered it.

Hi, i spent the afternoon listening to Elton John albums i forgot about, not all of them! here's my top 10, it could change in the future 1) Captain fantastic and the brown dirt cowboy 2) Tumbleweed connection 3) Honky Chateau 4) Goodbye yellow brick road 5) Elton John 6) Madman across the water 7) Caribou ( this is the one it could climb up a little) 8) don't shoot me, i'm only the piano player 9) Rock of the westies 10) A single man

Can you post a link to a video where you guys explain your individual ranking systems? I would be interested to know the process you follow to come up with your scores.

GREAT VIDEO GUYS MY TOP 15 ELTON JOHN ALBUMS?? 1)BLUE MOVES 2)GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD 3)TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION 4)HONKY CHATAU 5)MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER 6)CAPTAIN FANTASTIC.... 7)DON'T SHOOT ME... 8)CARIBU 9)SONGS FROM THE WEST COAST 10)THE BIG PICTURE 11)JUMP UP 12)THE FOX 13)TOO LOW FOR ZERO 14)BREAKING HEARTS 15)VICTIM OF LOVE Cheers Timmy J.

Although I’m familiar with most of his discography there’s some albums I missed from 1980 on, so a Top 10 is my best option. 10. Blue Moves 9. Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only The Piano Player 8. Elton John 7. Tumbleweed Connection 6. Madman Across The Water 5. Caribou 4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 3. Rock Of The Westies 2. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy 1. Honky Chateau (Kramz, YOU THE MAN!!!) All of em classics with A Single Man bubbling under and 11-17-70 is a live album EVERYONE should have in their collection!!!

Top 10: 1. Goodbye yellow brick road 2. Honky Chateau 3. Captain fantastic 4. Madman across the water 5. Tumbleweed connection 6. Caribou 7. Rock of the westies 8. Self titled 9. Don't shoot me 10. Blue moves

First album I ever bought was Captain Fantastic, to me that is his best. However, Goodbye is a damn close second. To me, the greatest double album ever made. Where I truly differ from most is that my top 3 favorite EJ tracks came after the classic years. I did not think his 80’s output was that bad with the exception of Leather Jackets and Reg Strikes Back. That being said, top 3 songs: 3. Part Time Love 2. Little Jeannie 1. Chloe . EJ could rock, do a ballad , do country, do it all really, but he was the ultimate pop star. And I think he truly shines with a good pop song. These 3 had that special feel and great vocals. To each his own, but when an artist records that many albums there are bound to be clunkers. But I think Rock of the Westes, Jump Up and The Fox are highly under-rated.

Never really liked Elton John, though respect his longevity and skill. Good review here.

Bernie Taupin is being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year. Elton John was inducted in 1994. Both of them were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992.

My favorites are of course the classic seventies albums, they're the ones I grew up with, I read a review years ago and the writer said that Elton's music in the eightys had lost the "sly edge" it had in the seventies, I always agreed with that, it's just not the same. There is some stuff I like from the last forty plus years, but not a whole lot.

I couldn't agree more with the criticism of Chris Thomas's production in the 80s. I feel like the one for example could have been pretty great but that same drum machine beat throughout the whole album, ugh. Also imagine how much better something like I'm still standing could have been if Elton's piano would have been prominent.

I don't feel like ranking all of the Albums, so I'll just do a Top 5. 5: Tumbleweed Connection 4: Madman across the Water 3: Elton John 2: Honky Chateau 1: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road I'll give an Honorable Mention to Empty Sky.

1 GYBR 2.Captain fantastic 3 honky château 4 Don’t shoot me 5 caribou 6 Elton John 7 madman across the water 8 tumbleweed connection 9 Blue Moves 10 Rock of the Westies 11 A single man 12 jump up 13 The fox 14 Captain and the kid 15 too low for zero 16 sleeping with the past 17 made in England 18 empty sky 19 Breaking hearts 20 songs from the west coast 21 Peachtree Road 22 21 at 33 23 The diving board 24 ice on fire 25 wonderful crazy night 26 The big picture 27 The one 28 leather jackets 29 victim of love

Captain Fantastic is my #1 by a mile (Honky Chateau is a distant second). Captain Fantastic played a huge part in me getting through the pandemic.

Interesting to hear these guys’ take on the EJ discography. They are well educated on the topic so I can accept our differences in opinion. Also, I stopped buying Elton’s stuff after Made In England so I can’t even comment on late 90s on. Well, I do have The Union. I always say take Victim of Love out of the discussion, it’s a side project at best and I’m sure something the record company insisted on putting his voice and name on. It’s fun fluff… but a proper studio album it is not. Honky Chateau is my #1 as well. Can’t believe the track “Mellow” didn’t get a shout out! Entertaining debate.

I am not familiar with any Elton albums past Blues Moves. It's very difficult to place his classic albums in order for me. (other than number 1 and possibly 2). I saw Elton in 1973 or 1974 when he did his Yellow Brick Road tour. I really love Caribou and have very distinct memories from that period of my life. The lyrics from "Ticking" are so appropriate for the times we live in today. I think that is a great song. The way I would rank my top 6 right now would be 1. Yellow Brick Road 2. Madman Across the Water 3. Caribou 4. Brown Dirt Cowboy 4. Don't Shoot Me 5 Honky Chateau and 6 Tumbleweed Connection.

I love early EJ. Late '60s and '70s. I don't care for anything past that.