Elton John singles discography

Elton John singles discography
John in 1975
Singles as main artist140
Singles as featured artist22
Other appearances56
Charity singles2
Other charted songs3

The singles discography of British singer, songwriter and pianist Elton John consists of 140 official singles as main artist, 22 as a featured artist, as well as 56 other non-single guest appearances, 2 charity singles, and 3 other charted songs.

In 1970, a year after starting his solo career, John released his first hit single, "Your Song", which became his first top ten in both the UK and the US. His critical success was at its peak in the 1970s, when he released a streak of chart-topping singles in the US and UK, including "Rocket Man" (1972), "Honky Cat" (1972), "Crocodile Rock" (1972), "Daniel' (1973), "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (1973), "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973), "Step into Christmas" (1973), "Bennie and the Jets" (1974), "The Bitch Is Back" (1974), "Philadelphia Freedom" (1975), "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (1975), and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976).[1]

John continued his success in the 1980s and 1990s, having several hit singles including "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (1983), "I'm Still Standing" (1983), "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (1984), "Nikita" (1985), "Sacrifice" (1989), "The One" (1992), and "Believe" (1995).[2][3] In 1997, John released the double A-side single "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle in the Wind 1997" in dedication to the memory of Princess Diana. The single subsequently hit number one in every country that it charted in and became the biggest-selling single of all time since the UK and US charts began in the 1950s, with worldwide sales of 33 million.[4] John has continued to record new music since then, including the singles "I Want Love" (2001), "Electricity" (2005), "Looking Up" (2015), "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" (2019), "Cold Heart" (2021), and "Hold Me Closer" (2022).[5][6]

Throughout his career, John has sold 100 million singles worldwide, making him one of the biggest selling music artists of all time.[7][8][9] He has had 57 top 40 hits in the United States, with 27 of these hitting the top ten and 9 reaching number one. In his native United Kingdom, John has accumulated 70 top 40 singles, including 35 top tens and 10 number ones, making him joint ninth on the list of artists with most number-one singles on the UK Singles Chart (with Eminem). In 2021, John became the first solo artist with UK Top 10 singles across six decades.[10][11][12]

  1. ^ "The Seventies". Elton John. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  2. ^ "The Eighties". Elton John. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  3. ^ "1990s". Elton John. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  4. ^ Guinness Book of Records 2009 states that "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the "best-selling single since charts began"; however, not of all time. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is still recognized as the best selling single of all time, but since it was released prior to the start of many charts, its sales prior to the 1950s are estimated. John's 1997 song has sold the most copies when looking at copies sold since charts began, as verified in Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records. 2008. ISBN 978-1-904994-37-4. See also: Guinness Book of Records, 2009 Edition, pages 14, 15 & 169 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "2000s". Elton John. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  6. ^ "2010s". Elton John. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Elton John | Songwriters Hall of Fame". www.songhall.org. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  8. ^ Garcia, Thania (26 October 2021). "What's Your Favorite Elton John Collaboration? Vote!". Billboard. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Sir Elton John adds an extra date to his tour - Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. 22 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  10. ^ "Elton John sets new Official Chart record with Top 10s across six decades". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  11. ^ Sexton, Paul (13 October 2021). "Elton John Becomes First Act To Have UK Top Ten Hits In Six Decades". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Elton John sets new UK charts record with his latest single". NME. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2022.