Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (2xLP)

This album produced a true superstar. Elton John was already known in 1973 thanks to the growing success of his previous albums such as "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player", "Elton John" and "Honky Chateau", but after the release of the double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" he was a household name. The album combines all elements of Elton John's music: timeless songwriting, glam, R&B, gospel, soul, impressive musicality and remarkable entertainer qualities. Over time, it sold 31 million copies

The album stayed at number 1 for eight weeks and reached platinum status seven times in the USA. The tracklist also includes the most successful song written by Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin: "Candle In The Wind". The song was a world hit three times, in three different versions and for three consecutive decades, and eventually became the best-selling single of all time

The album also features explosive classics such as "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" and "Bennie And The Jets", the latter of which has earned Elton John his status as the first white artist to appear on the influential American TV show Soul Train. The Rolling Stone lists the album in its Top 100 of the best albums of all time. In a career consisting almost entirely of highlights, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" stands out as one of the most significant points in one of the most exciting phases in rock history

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is considered the culmination of the creative work and commercial success of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was the eighth studio album they released in three years. The original plan to use a studio in Kingston, Jamaica, had to be abandoned because the studio was on strike and a boxing world championship fight plunged the city into chaos. That's why Elton and his band returned to the familiar surroundings of Chateau d'Herouville. The album was completely recorded and mixed in 17 days and the result sounds extremely ambitious - starting with the grandiose progrock sounds of "Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding" it goes over into pop, hard rock, soul and indescribably emotional ballads

From a creative point of view, the artwork was also a huge step forward for Elton John: On the previous albums the artist was either not pictured at all or he was a thoughtful songwriter; but on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road you can see him in full splendour with glittering platform boots, a satin jacket and of course one of his now legendary extravagant sunglasses. In the picture he leaves the normal grey street and enters an enchanted fantasy world, which not only symbolized his artistic development, but also became a symbol of rock music of the early 70s

The legacy of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is very much alive and is reflected in a number of young bands and musicians who like to emphasize the album's influence on their own careers.