John and Taupin, enough said.

Fuck you, you fat, ugly, gay jack ass! Keep your STUPID opinions to youself! When will you fat, ugly, STUPID gay jack asses learn to just collect your royalties and shut the fuck up? I was a semi-fan until you shot-off your big, fat ignorant mouth; now I'm trashing every cd I own. You are an ENTERTAINER, stick to fucking ENTERTAINING and keep out of US/World politics! Nobody cares what you might think unless you're playing a piano at that particular moment....

His music is great, but his tempers bug me to no end, and it takes a lot to get me angry.

Love the energy that Elton puts into his music. It is so catchy, and the words are great too!

Elton is one of the greatest performers of this time. How can you judge a perfomer on his or her sexual preference? Their job is not to conform to what you think is right, it's to entertain us. I am here to state that i do not agree with his sexual preference, but how can you say he is not a great musician? His music has broken records, shattered stereotypes, touched whole generations. Pretty much everyone knows an elton song, whether it be Circle of Life or Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. He and bernie have lasted longer than pretty much all songwriting teams, and their music just gets deeper and more meaningful over the years. Have you heard him sing about a painted lady lately? He has grown with music styles of the time, just as any musician must in order to survive. If any other musician that has been given five stars were to last as long, their music would enevitably have to change just as elton's has. And for you who say his music has changed and not is as good, what have you been listening to? Songs from the West Coast is one of the deepest and most thought out record he has ever put out. I prefer the 70s, just for the writing style, but I also can enjoy 80s and 90s music.

I agree with some of the previous reviewers on him acting like a spoiled little 5 year old queen who needs a good bitch slappin'. Having said that, I do like some of his music. The Rock of the Westies album (late 70's) is an overlooked gem (Island Girl and Grow Some Funk of Your Own are just a couple of solid tunes on it).

In my opinion, the most overrated artist of all time.

In the late 70s/eary 80s, his career was where it belonged until George Michael who was "flavour of the month" said he was a fan and Elton asked him to do backing vocals on "Nikita". Elton milked it for all it was worth and the rest is history.

simply brilliant after bruce springsteen they are my fav

I enjoy much of his eponymous second album from '70 and 'Tumbleweed Connection" is great,practically every tune is top notch. Some of his other early 70's albums have some great material on them. After c. 1973, his music really went downhill, despite the occasional decent tune here and there. In this regard, he mirrors the somewhat similar superstar of the same era: Rod Stewart,whose solo career also nosedived after a fine start. Most of his output from after, say, 1976 was fluff.

A living icon!

wow hes ok but all he does is vegas now

Frankly he's somebody I'd very much like to give a good kicking. Bottom line is he's a bitchy little queen who behaves like a baby.

I want to give him a four for his music. I am ashamed of his later years behavior.

An incredible and revolutionary artist of the seventies, I agree that his music following 1976 lost a lot of its origianality and flair. Regardless, his ability as a songwriter is admirable, and, while we're at it, Bernie Taupin isn't half bad at the lyrics. Personal favorites are Someone Saved my Life Tonight and Indian Sunset.

John was responsible for some truly impressive music in his prime, but after Goodbye Yellow Brick Road he seemed to fade, at least in creative terms. There occasionally was an interesting song in the years following, but he seemed content to rely on bland pop ballads. I'm happy that he seems to be dry and sober, and that his personal life is happy, but he hasn't held any interest for me as a performer since 1973-74.

Sir Fudge Packer.

I really like the old Elton. The music that he has made since 1986 is highly suspect.

May be two stars is a little low but he has sold out, not as bad as Sting but close. Some of his early stuff was good but now he is becoming todays Dean Martin or Frank. Lot of ballads and little or no Rock.

After going off on one of his profanity-laced tirades, I lost all respect for this so-called artist.

Way past his prime,and sappy even in his prime.When he took a song he already put out and reworked it as a tribute (candle in the wind) he reached a new LOW.

If I was gay, I would totaly marry him.

perfect skills .. a lovely pianist !

Sharon was killer in the 70's with Bernie Taupin. Sucked in the 80's. Newest album is with Bernie again and in the right direction. Hugely lame that he was on American Idol!!!

If it was for the music he made in the 70s I'd 've given him a 3 star rating. Back in those relatively normal days he did manage to come up with a few decent ditties like 'Philadelphia Freedom', 'Crocodile rock', 'Island girl' and 'Bitter fingers'. By the 80s he'd lost the plot and turned into some shrieking, petulant drama queen forever having childish tantrums and knocking out nondescript ballads.

Elton is great! His early stuff with Bernie Tauplin (sp?) is the best: Captin Fantastic, Don't Shoot Me..., Goodbye Yellow Brick Road... cornerstones of pop rock! It got cheesy at the end, but you have to respect his talent.

Elton John (nee Reginald Dwight) was the most successful pop/rock artist during the early 1970's and has charted annually from 1970 to 1996. That alone would suggest that Elton merits five stars; however, such a simple analysis wouldn't suffice for a helpful comment. I would say that Elton has had at least three lives: his early years in which he was energetic and innovative (1969-75), his confused years in which he struggled both without his lyrical collaborator Bernie Taupin and against the tide of changing musical trends (1976-82), and finally his mature years in which he was regularly reuninted with Taupin and acknowledged that he was no longer a spring chicken (1983-present). As all three periods resulted in different styles and quality of music, there should be no wonder that fans of one Elton may not like the other versions. Nevertheless, as all prolific artists suffer periods of failure when compared to such high success, I can't penalize Elton too much for these failures, especially in light of the fact that he has largely pulled himself out of the slump. Anyway, Elton's career proves that more often than not, art is greater than the sum of its parts, in this case Elton and Taupin. As for the individual full-length efforts, most are worth the price (at least used), but Elton remains essentially a great singles artist. Fortunately, there are several compilation releases (some broken down by years) that should scratch about every Elton itch out there. When considering supplementing a greatest hits package, one should first note that some of the releases are being combined on one compact disk including some no brainers like Honky Chateau/Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player and Tumbleweed Connection/Madman Across The Water. On top of that, some of Elton's best work that will probably not be released on any compilation in the foreseeable future (though I haven't confirmed this) is on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (eg Grey Seal and All the Girls Love Alice) and Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (eg the title song, Bitter Fingers, Tell Me When The Whistle Blows, and Writing). (Note that there is a decent chance that Captain Fantastic and Rock Of The Westies will be released on a combined compact disk in the future as both were released in 1975.)

If anyone doubts Elton's talent, look at the artists that count themselves as fans and it is pretty impressive. You also only need to go back to his most recent CD Songs From The West Coast to see that he is still valid as an artist today.

Belongs in the same class as Lennon as a songwriter and quite possibly in a class by himself in terms of longevity. Just him and a piano is an entertaining show, and that can't be said about most on this list.

He started off very well with the "Empty Sky" and "Tumbleweed Connection" albums, and "Madman Across The Water" was one of the best albums of its time, but the quality of his work deteriorated dramatically after that, and he hasn't done anything noteworthy in nearly a quarter century. After 1975 or so he just became an imitation of himself, and for the sake of getting some records on the U.S. charts, he released some of the worst crap ever to hit the airwaves, like "Crocodile Rock," "Benny and the Jets," "Funky Cat," "Don't Go Breaking My heart" and "Daniel." He is a very capable piano player and can be a compelling singer, but how much mileage does he expect to get out of "Candle in the Wind" already? Change the record, please!!! Three stars for his splendid early work, but ho-hum ever since.

A somewhat talented songwriter, but my respect level for him has plummeted in recent years. I don't care how he tries to deflect criticism away from the Princess Diana recordings he made, nothing is going to convince me that he's not milking that death for his own benefit. Taking a "proven" song like "Candle in the Wind" and re-recording it with new lyrics is NOT a tribute as far as I'm concerned. It's interesting that his promotional budget from the record label skyrocketed after that incident, when John was fading into the twilight of his career. Instead, he's suddenly popular again due to his "altruistic" donation of funds from the new "Candle" single. I wonder if he "donated" the money from the multiple "comeback" tours he's had since her death as well? Not likely. Please go away, you low-rent Liberace.

big glasses

Very boring and too flamy. Never cared for the music either. It was always too dramatic and I guess the right word would be whiny. I just don't care for him.

Preformer sums it all up!!!!!

No matter what anyone says, Elton John is one of the greatest musicians ever! My favorite song is"Your Song", that is such a pretty song.

Never understood him or Bowie, but at least Elton can play. Never dug the "new Lawrence Welk" schtick tho - too gimmicky. I liked "I'm Still Standing", that "While You're In the World" song, and "Bennie and the Jets", but that's it - he doesn't belong in the rock category.

Awwwww aint he great! outragious wigs and butterfly face paint! reminds me o me grandson. i love the wigs, i mean that aint his real hair! never new i ad me soul mate til a met him a say a say

A REALLY FINE MUSICIAN--HE HAS GIVEN A LOT TO HIS FANS. HIS SONGS ALSO STAND THE TEST OF TIME.

I have to say that this man's music is wonderful, though overall I prefer his earlier music (Elton John thru Caribou). Elton's my second favorite singer ever...since no one, not even Elton, is better than Sting!!!

He is a great music composer and he was great in 70'es, 80'es and 90'es no matter what ppl say!!!

Produced some great records and beeter than most.

Never have I agreed more to most of the comments on a given RateItAll site as I do here. I can believe that the comment rated are mostly true like (by raincat at the no time I am typing this) states that Sir Toilet "has become a fool of his once formidable collection of eyeglasses" ever since the seventies. he not only right, his statement is also accurate in the use of the term cats don't like rain.

for having over 5 memorable songs & over 30 yrs of material his tour with BJ is one of the hi-lights of any live show Major props!

what happened?

oh how low he has fallen.

I am and have always been a HUGE Elton John fan...I adored his music from the 70's and this was the stuff that I grew up with. I collected all of Elton's LP's and still have the original vinyl's...even 2 copies of Yellow Brick Road (in mint condition). I was absolutely freaked out by Elton, and went to my very first concert in 1972 in Adelaide (Australia). Back then he was a lean mean fighting machine, jumping around all over the stage. It was a dream come true and a memorable experience. I have not seen Elton in concert again since that time...I would have to agree that alot of his music since the 70's has not grabbed me all that much, as his team writing skills with Bernie Taupin were unsurpassed. I also agree with raincat that "Tiny dancer" is my favourite song of all time (particularly of Elton's) and remains in my Top 10 songs. I also have a special spot for Rocket Man and other tunes that bring tears to my eyes. Elton "speaks" to people through his music, and surely that involves talent! So go Elton, I still love ya after all these years!

Liked his early work with Bernie Taupin best.

Well, I think plenty of others have written more elequently about Sir Elton John than I have, but I felt it was worth my 2 cents to give this man some credit for surviving 3 decades and having at least 2 different songs played every single day on your favorite easy listening station day after day after day.... When I think of all the music this man has created, from "Benny and the Jets" and "Crocodile Rock", to "Your Song" to "Circle of Life", the man is a legend in his own time. I still have just the cassettes of his greatest hits, I guess I need to upgrade to the CD...LOL

I think most of the Rate It All family takes this whole system to seriously. Any body who writes more than a few sentences about one of these subjects obviously has nothing beter to do with themselves than to try to tell other people how to think. Moreover anyone who enters this site for advice on these subjects can't think for themselves and has to ask other people how to feel.think for5 your selves people and live your own lives!

Think about how good Elton John's songs have been in the past 10 years (they have been good), then multiply that by 100 and that was how good he was in the 70's.

Elton John is the greatest artist ever.

His 70s songs were great, original and well written,with a unique way of performing that, unfortunately, became too over the top in later years, along with his drug and alcohol problems. But does anybody realize that the inspiration for his 1985 and specifically 1986 album came from the use of a spy satelite telescope on a woman in Australia named "Boys", thus the song "Don't Trust That Woman Boys" and other songs from the same album. After she rejected him, he admitted he was gay and within a few years sought help for his addiction problems, which still has not addressed the issue that he is running away from.

His recent stuff may not be nothing worth going nuts over but his early stuff is an important benchmark in his career. Tunes like "Rocket Man", "Don't Let The Sun...", and the killer "Bennie & The Jets" such great tunes. If you like his tunes but don't want to get the catalog, just get his Greatest Hits Vol I and II as well as Ggreatest Hits 1976-86. His first one is the most important though.

he'd be alright if he'd quit trying to be the spokes sing

Sir Elton..... the best!

His compositions and vocals are Classic 70's Rock.The use of an Orchestra and high quality musicians was,is, very commendable. He brought "class" and musicianship into Pop. His sometimes "goofy" showmanship was not required, the music itself should be the be the standard on which he should be rated. "Yellow Brick Road" almost ranks with "Sgt. Pepper." Marvelous music. Does anyone remember that he was the first White Pop Star to appear live on "Soul Train"? His music and recordings transend all barriers. That's what Real music should be about. His piano "chops" have been suspect in the fact that most of his tunes are in "easy keys" on the keyboard. Most Pop singer/keyboadist/song writers fall prey to this. As do most guitarist or bass players. In order to truely "compose", one has to go beyond one's limitations, on whatever instrument, and just "hear it." It takes time and effort, but is worth it in the long run. Many of the great Master's thought this way. Hear Music, do not be limited by one's instrumental shortcomings. Elton John is very close to "going beyond". God Bless him.

He's not quite hit the heights he reached in the early-mid seventies,but then who has?His latest album is fine,and he's achieved more in the so-called "decline" years than many highly admired acts who've come and gone.There's been a tendency among musical critics to let their dislike of his later,more middle-of-the-road work affect their judgement of his overall achievements,though i notice there's some more positive re-evaluation recently,which will surely continue.He's remained a nice guy,through all the personal difficulties,and is certainly a national, indeed international, treasure.

After receiving a very informative personal message from ellajedlicka21, I have to change my comment about this guy (thanx ellajedlicka!) Elton John is amazing. I used to think that Paul Simon was the only guy worthy of a five rating, but I don't want to keep Elton at a four after hearing this: ever since the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991, Elton John has donated his salary to AIDS research. Thank God for people like him; I don't know where they come from. "Funeral for a Friend" (gotta wonder about that title---could anyone tell me when it was written?) is terrific, and so is "Tiny Dancer", even if both are just a tad too long. Medgar Evers is right...he's the best glam rocker ever. Take care, everyone!

Oh my, Elton John is great. It is so accurate in vh1's Behind the Music, they state that Elton made the soundtrack to a generation; I couldn't agree more. The album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is most certainly top 20 material. Funeral for a Friend is so powerful with the great piano. His Thanksgiving 1973 performance at Madison Square Garden is one of the most famous ever. He definitely makes my top 10 of all-time greatest artists. Elton is just a magnificent musician and songwriter along with his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin.

I've been an Elton John fan since I was a toddler. I think he's a great singer. I like a huge majority of his songs.

Elton shouldn't sing. His voice sounds like seagulls and frogs in a lagoon. He is awfully awful and he's too old. He definitely killed "Stan" when he sang it w/Emenim. Listening to his horrible music is torture to my ears.

Elton has his ups and downs.

Fantastic songwriter and a good showman!

How can anyone respect this guy anymore? He will sell his soul just to get his puss on TV. His "duet" with Eminem took the cake. He has become a joke with his persona and his music. The last decent song he wrote was in 1975.