We can count on one hand the musical legends equal to Elton John (Beatles and Rolling Stones each get a finger). Elton John: Fifty Years On looks at the impact songwriting partners Elton John and Bernie Taupin have had on popular music and culture, and also discusses every song on all thirty albums, plus his work on Broadway, in movies, and elsewhere. Part 1 is a look at every released song, complete with trivia, including musical insights-like Elton's favorite chord progressions, or the most notable melodies in his discography. Part 2 is a collection of essays and interviews with musicians and music writers chatting about Elton and Bernie. Did you know: Elton and Bernie's revision of "Candle in the Wind," a tribute to Princess Diana after her untimely death, is the biggest-selling single in the UK and the second-biggest selling single in music history (after Bing Crosby's "White Christmas"); that "Tiny Dancer" may or may not be about Bernie Taupin's wife, Maxine...quotes from Elton and Bernie contradict each other; the background vocals for the song "White Lady White Powder" on the 21 at 33 album are sung by the Eagles; or that the background vocals for the song "Cage the Songbird" on the Blue Moves album are sung by Nash and Crosby. (Stills must have been busy?) Elton John: Fifty Years On was written for ultimate Elton John fans. A browsing book, a treasure trove of facts, trivia, insights, and commentary, it's the perfect companion to Elton leaving the Yellow Brick Road.
