"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Elton John | ||||
from the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | ||||
B-side | "Screw You (Young Man's Blues)" | |||
Released | 7 September 1973 (UK) 15 October 1973 (US) | |||
Recorded | 10 May 1973 | |||
Studio | Château d'Hérouville, France | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Gus Dudgeon | |||
Elton John singles chronology | ||||
|
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a ballad written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It is the title track on John's album of the same name. The titular road is a reference to L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz film and book series.
The song has been widely praised by critics; some consider it a strong contender for John's finest song ever.[2] Rolling Stone listed the song at No. 390 of its 500 greatest songs of all time in 2010.[4] In the US, it was certified gold on 4 January 1974 and platinum on 13 September 1995 and 2× platinum on 2 March 2020 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[5]
Taupin's words of ambivalence, when paired with an ascendant pop melody worthy of Broadway...