March 31, 2023     —–     Chart #189

Hello Music Friends,

Hey folks, welcome to another edition of Chart of the Week. Let’s be British today and feature a song from none other than Sir Elton John. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” is a ballad written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It is the title track on John’s album of the same name. The road is a reference to L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz film and book series.

The song has been widely praised by critics; some consider it a strong contender for John’s finest song ever. Rolling Stone listed the song at No. 390 of its 500 greatest songs of all time in 2010. In the US, it was certified gold in 1974 and platinum in 1995 and double platinum in 2020 by the RIAA.

The song was released in 1973 as the album’s second single and entered the top ten in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It was one of John’s biggest hits, and quickly surpassed his previous single, “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”, in both sales and popularity, following its release.

Live 1973 performance:  https://youtu.be/RZ3Bb4UsXhU

Every time I hear this song I can’t help but sing along. I bet many of you have the same reaction. Have a great day and enjoy playing and singing this tune.

Keep Rockin’,

Stan Bradshaw