In terms of sales and lasting popularity, Elton John is the biggest pop superstar to emerge from the early ’70s. Unlike many pop stars, John was able to sustain his popularity, charting a Top 40 single every single year from 1970 to 1996. 1997’s The Big Picture delivered more of the same well-crafted pop, made the Top Ten, and produced a hit in “Something About the Way You Look Tonight.” However, its success was overshadowed by John’s response to the tragic death of Princess Diana — he re-recorded “Candle in the Wind” as a tribute to his slain friend. With the profits earmarked for Diana’s favorite charities, “Candle in the Wind 1997” became the fastest-selling hit of all time in both Britain and the U.S. with first-week sales of over three million copies in the U.S. alone and 14 weeks in the top spot. It was John’s biggest hit ever. For his next project, John reunited with Lion King collaborator Tim Rice to write songs for Disney’s musical adaptation of Aida; an album was released in early 1999, going gold by the end of the year. 2001’s Songs from the West Coast was a return to form for John, however, it wasn’t until 2004’s Peachtree Road that he matched his 80’s successes commercially. In 2006, John and Taupin released The Captain & the Kid, a sequel to 1975’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. More recently, Elton released Wonderful Crazy Night in 2016. Elton John continues to chart a musical path that has made him a cornerstone of pop history.
