#110 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

110

2011 Album Rank

97

Total Points

553

Year Released

1973

Genre

Rock

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

1

Weeks at #1

8

RIAA Sales Certification

8,000,000 (Multi-Platinum)

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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Album Details

Released in October 1973, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is Elton John's magnum opus, a double LP that showcases his genre-hopping mastery, cinematic songwriting, and the peak of his creative partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin. Sprawling across 17 tracks, the album shifts effortlessly from glam rock to soulful ballads to theatrical pastiche, all anchored by John's melodic inventiveness and the band's dynamic playing.

Recorded in just two weeks at Château d'Hérouville in France, the album was originally intended to be done in Jamaica, a plan scrapped due to political unrest and subpar studio conditions. The result is one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s, yielding classics like "Bennie and the Jets," "Candle in the Wind," and the title track, while deeper cuts like "All the Girls Love Alice" and "Harmony" demonstrate its rich emotional range and sonic ambition.

Interesting Facts about Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

• The original plan was to record the album in Kingston, Jamaica, at the same studio where the Rolling Stones had just tracked Goats Head Soup. Technical issues and social unrest forced Elton and the band to leave after just a few days.
• Despite being a double album, it was recorded in only 18 days. The band, already in top form from extensive touring, cut most tracks live with minimal overdubs.
• The album opens with the dramatic suite "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," which was initially two separate songs. Elton realized they segued perfectly when played back-to-back, creating one of the most iconic album intros of the decade.
• "Bennie and the Jets" was released as a single in the U.S. only after DJs in Detroit and other cities began playing it heavily. Its success helped Elton cross over to a broader R&B audience, it even topped the Billboard Hot 100.
• The crowd noise in "Bennie and the Jets" was added in post-production to simulate a live concert feel, using recordings from a Jimi Hendrix show and some archival crowd effects.
• "Candle in the Wind" was originally written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, using her real name ("Norma Jean") in the opening lines. It later took on new life with revised lyrics for Princess Diana in 1997.
• The title track, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," was Taupin's reflection on fame and disillusionment. He was inspired by his rural upbringing and a desire to return to simpler roots, a sharp contrast to the excesses of rock stardom.
• "All the Girls Love Alice" tells the story of a young lesbian woman and her tragic downfall. It was one of the first openly queer-themed songs to appear on a mainstream rock album.
• Several songs were left off the final tracklist, including "Jack Rabbit" and "Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again)," which appeared later on B-sides and the Rare Masters compilation.
• The song "Grey Seal" had been previously recorded in 1970 as a B-side. The version included on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a complete re-recording with a new arrangement and more confident vocal performance.
• Producer Gus Dudgeon used extensive layering techniques on this album, including early multi-tracking and orchestral overdubs that were unusually lush for a rock record of the time.
• "Harmony," the album's closing track, was not released as a single in the U.S. but has become a fan favorite and was even considered for release years later due to popular demand.
• Some early U.K. pressings included a fold-out illustration of Elton in a yellow suit stepping into a fantasy world, underscoring the album's thematic blend of escapism, nostalgia, and fame.
• The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003 for its cultural and historical significance.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Track List

1. Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
2. Candle in the Wind
3. Bennie and the Jets - Reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Reached #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
5. This Song Has No Title
6. Grey Seal
7. Jamaica Jerk-Off
8. I've Seen That Movie Too
9. Sweet Painted Lady
10. The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-34)
11. Dirty Little Girl
12. All the Girls Love Alice
13. Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n' Roll)
14. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting - Reached #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
15. Roy Rogers
16. Social Disease
17. Harmony