-sometimes I find difficult to believe that this man was THE best-selling (worldwide AND especially in the U.S.) solo artist of the first half of the '70s...

-c'mon, his style of high-quality organic pop-rock, piano bar, honky tonk, some country, contemporary ballads, etc. was perfect for that era, and sure is pleasant to the ears...but, to the brain???

-Bernie Taupin's lyrics often made no sense at all (let alone high-handed), and the filler was everywhere, even in his most respected albums; even Honky Chateau cannot even dream of touching Talking Book/Ziggy Stardust (the two biggest masterpieces of 1972, in my opinion)

-if we talk about the hit singles, it's also a bit disappointing, since not many of those hits are the kind of super-wow/catchy classics, like I Believe When I Fall in Love or Fame, to name two examples (Stevie/Bowie again), the ballads sure are GREAT, but the rock numbers leave me cold...

-and then the decline, oh well, the DECLINE, this man has released so much GARBAGE after 1978 that it's ridiculous, really, which makes me think: should a veteran artist with a LONG career be respected if he only released good music during the very first years of his/her career???

I know Elton released a couple of decent/well-crafted albums in the '00s, but c'mon...

-that's all I wanted to say, I know Elton still sells out small arenas, but ...is (was?) he truly THAT good?

discuss...

[Edited 9/14/14 4:16am]

Never got the Elton thing....just reminded me of your embarrassing Uncle getting up at a party to sing a song at the piano, not that you should judge someone on looks, but still....

No,Elton is not overrated.The music he did in the 70s is GREAT.

SoulAlive said:

No,Elton is not overrated.The music he did in the 70s is GREAT.

if you mean, from 1970 to 1976, thenk ok

Hes got a bad case of Phil Collins syndrome.

JoeTyler said:

SoulAlive said:

No,Elton is not overrated.The music he did in the 70s is GREAT.

if you mean, from 1970 to 1976, then ok

I think he did great music in the 80s,too.

Songs like "Little Jeannie","Hey Hey Johnny (Empty Garden)" and "I'm Still Standing" are just as good as his 70s classics,imo.

He's got a rich,impressive catalog

I don't think so. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road has a number of classics--the title track, Bennie & the Jets, Saturday Night's Alright are totally diverse in style and flawless. The entir album is strong, and his greatest hits are one great song after another. Some songs, like Someone Saved My Life Tonight, are genuinely moving.

I generally don't se him as a profound artist, but musically he is brilliant and IMO a lot more stylish than, say, Billy Joel. Is he Stevie Wonder? No, but then, who is? Elton is no Beatles, either, but he is Elton John and his music is top notch (or it was, and in that sense he is definitely comparable to McCartney & Stevie Wonder)

Everyone has shit in their career I am really tired of hearing this kind of stuff. Was Elton's best from 70-78 well in a way yes but in a way NO. You have to grow up with the artist meaning stop thinking they are stuck with you in a time warp when they arent. Stevie Wonder is not doing a "Songs in the Key of Life" anymore is he? With Elton the output during the 70's was so much that anyone will get burnt a bit and he did, but sorry to say everything he did was NOT SHIT like mentioned here. Are their classic albums, well problem is when you are not on TOP like Elton was NOT after 76 pretty much, that "review" and "thought" around is not there. So to me I hear great work in the 80's, albums like "too Low for zero" and "Breaking Hearts" and then the ultimate LIVE album where the man was possibly staring at career ending cancer, he did the amazing LIVE IN AUSTRALIA album when most today would have cancelled the show. Also the "Jump up" album is stellar, with "Empty Garden" possibly the best ode to John Lennon ever. To the later 80's "Sleeping With the Past" which was elton coming to terms that he now had a deep voice. Some people cant handle that s where his voice is now, but someone like Mariah Carey should learn to adjust like he had too. As for 90's Elton was more AC pretty much but sorry songs like "Believe" and "blessed" rank just as high to me as "Honky Cat", and yes we can debate him going DISNEY but please Prince sang with a fucking Penguin. As for the 00's well "Songs From the West Coast" to me and many others with Help from Artist of that decade RYAN ADAMS that to me is one of Eltons best works ever and I put in right there with 70's stuff like "Tumbleweed Connection" and then on to great work like "The Union" with Leon Russell which is stellar and Elton's last album the totally stripped "Diving Board" is one of his best too.

So yes there are some bad albums in there the Dreadful "Leather Jackets" or that "DUETS" record, but sorry to say others have done shit too, Prince has a few, RAVE is fucking dreadful, Paul McCarntey didnt get it together till Flaming Pie in 1996, the Rolling Stones anyone? I mean i at least can name great works of Elton, i cant name shit off the stones records over the last 30 years pretty much, dreadful.

SO Elton is not overrated, he actually is underrated because of his playing and writing music, and when we also talk of that decade of the 70's and mention Stevie or Bowie, lets not forget BILLY JOEL who pretty much blew them both away album wise.

Elton's become a parody of himself. He's pretty much ruined everything that made him who he was and now he's just seen as the weird dressed piano player who can't write lyrics. He made great albums in the early to mid 70's and had some great songs and the occasional albums after that too. Definitely not deserving to be the biggest artist of the first half of the 70's but still great nonetheless

[Edited 9/14/14 18:39pm]

Yes.

Not overrated imo:


Elton is an incredible songwriter (with Bernie Taupin), and he is a brilliant musician:


I love the Elton John "Greatest Hits 1970 - 2002" deeply

mainly, I love his single hits from the 70/80s, but also his 2001 album Songs From The West Coast.

However the only older album I own is Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and thats a f*cking brilliant album..

lastdecember said:

lastdecember said:

I understand those who claim that his first half of the '70s work is legendary enough to sustain a long career (mostly fueled by compilations and tours after 1983 though...), I own Tumbleweed Connection, Honky Chateau, Goodbye YBR and Captain Fantastic myself, plus the 1970-2003 hits compilation

but to claim that he kept releasing great music after 1976 is all kinds of wrong...he released some good songs after 1976, and that's about it...Jump Up! is a great album? to each his own indeed;

after his golden age, Elton John has released some of the most insipid, forgettable or downright embarrassing music ever released by a veteran artist, that's my main complain...

John was a beast from 1970 thru about 75/76.

I wouldnt say he is overrated.

His sappy 90's AC stuff is very overrated, but his 70's work is top notch.

Much like Eric Clapton he had a great period of work early in his career, but hasn't gotten anywhere close to that level since (or really tried that hard too if you ask me).

lazycrockett said:

Hes got a bad case of Phil Collins syndrome.

Could you elaborate on this syndrome?

missfee said:

lazycrockett said:

Hes got a bad case of Phil Collins syndrome.

Could you elaborate on this syndrome?

Starts off bad ass and artsy. Then goes into pop and r&b. Which makes the white rock critics hate him. And lord knows white rock critics are the loudest of opinions.

Phil Collins is actually really respected by r&b and hip-hop artist. But absolutely hated by white rock artists. Which isn't that bad of a thing. Everyone from 2Pac, Dre, Bone Thugs N Harmony, The Roots, Lil Kim, Ol Dirty Bastard etc. Were down with Phil

funkycat00 said:

I always prefered Billy Joel

Indeed, BJ's output of the 70s and early 80s cruises miles above anything Elton ever put to wax..imho, of course...altough I must say that I kinda dig Elton's Captain Fantastic album!

Doalwa said:

Doalwa said:

funkycat00 said:

I always prefered Billy Joel

Indeed, BJ's output of the 70s and early 80s cruises miles above anything Elton ever put to wax..imho, of course...altough I must say that I kinda dig Elton's Captain Fantastic album!

Billy Joel certainly had great songs, but IMO he didn't have as much personality as Elton. BJ seemed to be a study in other peoples' styles.

Elton John & Bernie Taupin were a great duo, definitely better than any artist from the 90's until now.

JoeTyler said:

I understand those who claim that his first half of the '70s work is legendary enough to sustain a long career (mostly fueled by compilations and tours after 1983 though...), I own Tumbleweed Connection, Honky Chateau, Goodbye YBR and Captain Fantastic myself, plus the 1970-2003 hits compilation

but to claim that he kept releasing great music after 1976 is all kinds of wrong...he released some good songs after 1976, and that's about it...Jump Up! is a great album? to each his own indeed;

after his golden age, Elton John has released some of the most insipid, forgettable or downright embarrassing music ever released by a veteran artist, that's my main complain...

Sorry to disagree but every artist that has had an actual career has released GREAT music after their commercial peak. And Yes some have released crap, but to site Elton as the lone one that has done nothing but embarass himself since 1978 is just dead wrong sorry. I could site the Rolling Stones as having nothing to offer since 1984's "Undercover The Night" ever since then they suck straight up, their albums often have one good song, and honestly they have done NOTHING that i even can listen too over and over, others have. Paul McCartney was king of shitty albums and reverb and echo on his voice for over a decade till FLAMING PIE when he released he was once a fucking Beatle. But albums like Press to play, Off The Ground, Flowers in the Dirt, are pretty shitty works, and songs like "Biker Like an Icon" what the fuck Paul? Most of the times in these debates people cant let go of the past, or they HOLD EVERYTHING up to something called "classic", I mean Prince is never gonna Escape his 1983-1987 era when he had his commerical peak and also critical one and "honeymoon period" as they call it, when you can do no wrong, so lets be real, Prince got praise on albums like "around the world and a day" and it sold, but had that thing not been right after Purple Rain it would be lost in the woods, regardless of good or bad. Its weird how people always site musicians that had big periods early on and always say they cant top this or that, or everything they have done since is shit or not up to a par. But grow, I mean Prince is pushing 60 and people want him to still be singing shit like he did when he was 25. Elton's Song From the West Coast album to me and many is his rebirth, working with more gritty artists in production (like Ryan adams) but if your gonna be thinking of that record in terms of Elton being a 25 year old and not 55 or whatever he was when that album came out. I dont know why people can't just let go of the past when listening to a new album. As Bill Maher said once "If you are still the person you were when You were 20 you aren't a rebel, your an asshole"

Is this really a thread? No he is NOT overrated. I would say he is underrated before overrated.

[Edited 9/16/14 14:58pm]

mjscarousal said:

Is this really a thread? No he is NOT overrated. I would say he is underrated before overrated.

[Edited 9/16/14 14:58pm]

Exactly. Guess what, your parents music is better than yours.