Sir Elton John has lived a rock and roll life filled with all the excesses one might imagine and has lived to tell the tale, so why not celebrate the acclaimed pianist’s 77th birthday today by taking a look back at his remarkable contributions to popular music.

Throughout his 50+ years in show business, John has written and/or appeared on over 700 song recordings, with over 500 of those being his own original compositions alongside his longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin. John has released over 30 studio albums and multiple all-original soundtracks to match his 50 Top 40 hits. In fact, over the course of 31 straight years between 1970 and 2000, Elton had at least one song in the top 100 every year, a feat no artist has even come close to matching.

Sales numbers, however, are not the only reason why John has been elevated to legendary status by music fans. Rather, it’s the quality of songs that he and Taupin have written since the 1960s.

Together, John and Taupin crafted a catalog of material that has become ingrained in the lives of millions. While his outward appearance might be stylistically shocking and at times absurd, John’s message has always been one of acceptance and love. It would take far more time and space than we have here to give a true retrospective of this icon’s body of work, but here are a few of the more memorable melodies and moments.

By the mid-70s, Elton John was a powerhouse within popular music in America and cemented his reputation as a premier showman with his concerts at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in October 1975. Revisit John’s cover of The Who‘s “Pinball Wizard” at Dodger Stadium below.

Elton John — “Pinball Wizard” (The Who) — Dodger Stadium, 1975

Revisit John’s performance of “Skyline Pigeon” during a show at the Playhouse Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland on September 17th, 1976.

Elton John – “Skyline Pigeon” – 9/17/76

[Video: Philip Anness]

Taupin gave Elton one of his more memorable love songs from his early period with this attempt to capture the spirit and beauty of the women of California with “Tiny Dancer”. Relive John’s performance of the fan-favorite ballad during a 1980 performance in Central Park below.

Elton John – “Tiny Dancer” – 9/13/80

[Video: Philip Anness]

Of course, Elton’s solo rendition of “Candle In The Wind” played during the globally-viewed funeral for Diana, Princess of Wales will go down as arguably one of the most emotional moments of his career. Fans will remember that John re-worded some of the song’s lyrics to make for a fitting goodbye to his friend and member of the British royal family. Revisit his performance during the 1997 funeral below.

Elton John — “Candle In The Wind” — 9/6/97

[Video: Philip Anness]

Elton was initially against releasing “Bennie And The Jets” off 1973’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road as a single, believing it had no chance of catching on. Over 500 million worldwide plays later, he now admits he just may have been wrong. Relive his performance of the lively arena glam-rock anthem at Madison Square Garden in November 2000 below.

Elton John – “Bennie and the Jets” – 11/21/00

[Video: Murciélago SV]

Another fan-favorite, “Crocodile Rock” always seemed to showcase Elton John’s less-serious side while performing. Revisit his 2012 performance of the rock song during his Million Dollar Piano residency at the Colosseum at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas below.

Elton John – “Crocodile Rock” – Million Dollar Piano

[Video: MAMusic]

Elton wasn’t above replying to the critics who said he was past his prime. Funnily enough, when he did decide to fire back on the song “I’m Still Standing”, he managed to get himself yet another Top 10 hit for his efforts, proving his point as effectively as anyone ever has. Revisit his solo rendition of the song as played during the 2019 Cannes Film Festival in promotion of his then-new Rocketman biopic.

Elton John — “I’m Still Standing” — 2019 Cannes Film Festival

Prior to his Farewell Yellow Brick Road goodbye tour which spanned five years (partially due to the pandemic), Elton formed a touring partnership with Billy Joel that seems almost too obvious. The two premier piano men of a generation blend themselves perfectly in this duel take on Joel’s sing-a-long classic, “Piano Man”, in this vintage clip from 1998.

Billy Joel, Elton John – “Piano Man” – 3/31/98

[Video: Pablo Argüelles]

And in a full-circle moment, Elton John finished the American leg of his farewell tour with his return to Dodger Stadium in 2022.

Elton John — “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” — Dodger Stadium, 2022

Happy Birthday Reginald Kenneth Dwight, though to us you will always be the one and only Elton John.

[Originally published March 25th, 2016]