Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
A wall with a worn poster showing a yellow brick road winding down towards the green plains and the sunset. Elton John, shown with a purple jacket bearing his name, has his right foot on the yellow brick road and his right hand holding on to the poster. On the sidewalk, a minature piano with a musical note. The album's title is placed above the poster.
Studio album by
Elton John
Released5 October 1973
RecordedMay 1973
StudioChâteau d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France; remixed and overdubbed at Trident, London
GenrePop rock[1] · glam rock[2]
Length76:20
LabelDJM
ProducerGus Dudgeon
Elton John chronology
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
(1973) 		Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
(1973) 		Lady Samantha
(1974)
Singles from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
  1. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
    Released: 29 June 1973
  2. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
    Released: 7 September 1973
  3. "Bennie and the Jets"
    Released: 4 February 1974
  4. "Candle in the Wind"
    Released: 22 February 1974

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the seventh studio album by English singer, pianist, and composer Elton John, first released on 5 October 1973 as a double LP. The album has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide[3][4] and is widely regarded as John's magnum opus. Among the 17 tracks, the album contains the hits "Candle in the Wind," US number-one single "Bennie and the Jets," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" plus live favourite "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding."

Recorded at the Studio d'enregistrement Michel Magne at the Château d'Hérouville in France, the album became a double LP once John and his band became inspired by the locale.[5] The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003,[6] and continues to be highly regarded in various rankings.

Production

Under the working titles of Vodka and Tonics and Silent Movies, Talking Pictures, Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics in two and a half weeks, with John composing most of the melodies in three days while staying at the Pink Flamingo Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.[7] John had wanted to go to Jamaica, in part because the Rolling Stones had just recorded Goats Head Soup there.[8]

Production on the album was started in Jamaica in January 1973, but due to difficulties with the sound system and the studio piano, logistical issues arising from the Joe Frazier–George Foreman boxing match taking place in Kingston, and protests over the political and economic situation in the country, the band decided to move before any productive work was done.[7]

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was recorded in two weeks at the Studio d'enregistrement Michel Magne, at the Château d'Hérouville near Pontoise, in France, where John had previously recorded Honky Château and Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player. While a version of "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" was recorded in Jamaica, that recording was discarded; the released version of the song came from the sessions at the Château. The band plays on all the songs except "This Song Has No Title," on which John performs all the piano, keyboard and vocal parts.

According to the album's producer, Gus Dudgeon, the album was not planned as a two-record collection. John and Taupin composed a total of 22 tracks for the album,[7] of which 18 (counting "Funeral for a Friend" and "Love Lies Bleeding" as two distinct tracks) were used, enough that it was released as a double album, John's first (three more such albums followed up to 2011). Through the medium of cinematic metaphor, the album builds on nostalgia for a childhood and culture left in the past.[7][9] Tracks include "Bennie and the Jets," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,"[10] the 11-minute "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," and the Marilyn Monroe tribute "Candle in the Wind." "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" was inspired by memories of a Market Rasen pub Taupin frequented when younger. "Grey Seal", previously the B-side of the 1970 single "Rock and Roll Madonna," was re-recorded for the album.[11]

"Harmony," the album's final track, was considered as a fourth single, but was not issued at the time because the chart longevity of the album and its singles brought it too close to the upcoming releases of Caribou and its proposed accompanying singles. It was, however, used as the B-side of the American release of the "Bennie and the Jets" single, and was popular on FM playlists of the day, especially WBZ-FM in Boston, whose top 40 chart allowed for the inclusion of LP cuts and B-sides as voted for by listeners. "Harmony" spent three weeks at no. 1 on WBZ-FM's chart in June 1974 and ranked no. 6 for the year, with "Bennie and the Jets" at no. 1 and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" behind "Harmony" at no. 7. "Harmony" was released as a single in Britain in 1980 and failed to chart.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
Christgau's Record GuideB[13]
The Daily VaultA[14]
Rolling Stone(negative)[15]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[16]
Slant Magazine[17]

The album was released on 5 October 1973 as a double LP, with cover art by illustrator Ian Beck depicting John stepping into a poster. It debuted at no. 17 on the Billboard 200[18] and quickly rose to no. 1 on its fourth week on the chart, where it stayed for eight consecutive weeks.[19] It was the best selling album in the US in 1974.[20] The album was preceded by its lead single, "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," which reached no. 7 in the UK and no. 12 in the US. Its next single, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" reached no. 6 in the UK and no. 2 in the US. "Bennie and the Jets" was released as a single in the US, and it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in 1974. And its final single, "Candle in the Wind," released in the UK, reached no. 11.

The original 1973 LP, when released on CD, was released on two discs, while the 1992 and 1995 CD remasters put the album on one disc as it was slightly less than 80 minutes. The 30th anniversary edition followed the original format, splitting the album across two discs to allow the inclusion of the bonus tracks, while a DVD on the making of the album was also included. The album has also been released by Mobile Fidelity as a single disc 24 karat gold CD. The album (including all four bonus tracks) was released on SACD (2003), DVD-Audio (2004), and Blu-ray Audio (2014).[21] These high resolution releases included the original stereo mixes, as well as 5.1 remixes produced and engineered by Greg Penny.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is widely regarded as one of John's best albums, and is one of his most popular;[7] it is his best-selling studio album.

In the US it was certified gold on 12 October 1973 (just days after release), 5× platinum in March 1993, and eventually 8× platinum in February 2014 by the RIAA.

Legacy

The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003,[6] and was included in the 2005 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

In 2003 and 2012, the album was ranked number 91 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,[22] and re-ranked number 112 in a 2020 revised list.[23] Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ranked number 59 in Channel 4's 2009 list of 100 Greatest Albums.[24]

In 2023, Joe Lynch of Billboard ranked the album cover, depicting the "bedazzled rocker – wearing ruby red platform heels and a bomber jacket with his name on it — step[ping] into a poster of the famed yellow brick road Dorothy and her coterie followed to the Emerald City of Oz," as the 74th best album cover of all time. Lynch dubbed the image career-defining, as it "came out three years before Elton himself did – but if you didn't get that he was a Friend of Dorothy based on this, that's on you."[25]

The liner note illustration for the song "I've Seen That Movie Too," depicting silhouettes in front of a movie screen, inspired the staging of the comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000.[26][27]

Track listing

All music is composed by Elton John; all lyrics are written by Bernie Taupin

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding"11:09
2."Candle in the Wind"3:50
3."Bennie and the Jets"5:23
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"3:13
2."This Song Has No Title"2:23
3."Grey Seal"4:00
4."Jamaica Jerk-Off"3:39
5."I've Seen That Movie Too"5:59
Side three
No.TitleLength
1."Sweet Painted Lady"3:54
2."The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909–34)"4:23
3."Dirty Little Girl"5:00
4."All the Girls Love Alice"5:09
Side four
No.TitleLength
1."Your Sister Can't Twist (but She Can Rock 'n Roll)"2:42
2."Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"4:57
3."Roy Rogers"4:07
4."Social Disease"3:42
5."Harmony"2:46
Total length:76:20
30th anniversary deluxe edition (2003) bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again)" (B-side of "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting")2:52
2."Jack Rabbit" (B-side of "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting")1:50
3."Screw You (Young Man's Blues)" (B-side of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road")4:42
4."Candle in the Wind" (2003 acoustic remix by Greg Penny)3:51
Total length:89:35

Personnel

According to the album's liner notes. Track numbers refer to CD and digital releases of the album.

Production

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[47]
original release 		10× Platinum 500,000^
Australia (ARIA)[48]
re-release 		3× Platinum 210,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[49] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[50] Gold 10,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[51] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[52]
1973 release 		Platinum 300,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[53]
2014 release 		2× Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[54] 8× Platinum 8,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Kachejian, Brian (27 January 2015). "10 Essential Elton John Albums". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Counterbalance No. 132: Elton John's 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', PopMatters". 7 June 2013.
  3. ^ Moon, Tom (2008). 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Workman Publishing Company. p. 399. ISBN 9780761139638. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Review". UdiscoverMusic. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  5. ^ Tobler, John (1995). "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". albumlinernotes.com.
  6. ^ a b "Grammy Hall of Fame Award Archived 7 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Grammy.org. Retrieved 21 December 2012
  7. ^ a b c d e Claude Bernardin, Tom Stanton (1996). Rocket man: Elton John from A-Z. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 123. ISBN 0-275-95698-9. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  8. ^ BBC Radio 2: "Johnnie Walker's Long Players", February 2012
  9. ^ "Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". superseventies.com. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  10. ^ "The Aston Arms in Market Rasen has been singled out as a top spot for drinkers by Scottish whisky brand The Famous Grouse". thisislincolnshire.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  11. ^ Claude Bernardin, Tom Stanton (1996). Rocket man: Elton John from A-Z. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 177. ISBN 0-275-95698-9. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  12. ^ "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  13. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: J". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 27 February 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  14. ^ Clutterbuck, Jeff (2019). "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Goodbye Yellow Brick Rosd". dailyvault.com. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  15. ^ Davis, Stephen (22 November 1973). "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  16. ^ "Elton John: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  17. ^ "Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Slant Magazine. 3 September 2004. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  18. ^ "Billboard 200 20 October 1973". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Billboard 200 10 November 1973". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Billboard 200 Year End 1974". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  21. ^ "High Fidelity Pure Audio showcase of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (40th Anniversary Edition)". Digital Lifestyle. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  22. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 31 May 2012.
  23. ^ "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ranked 112th greatest album by Rolling Stone magazine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  24. ^ "The 100 Greatest Albums – Features – The Results". Channel 4. 26 February 2009. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  25. ^ Lynch, Joe (7 August 2023). "The 100 Best Album Covers of All Time". Billboard. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  26. ^ Raftery, Brian. "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Definitive Oral History of a TV Masterpiece". Wired.
  27. ^ "'Mystery Science Theater 3000' at 30: How Riffing on Bad Movies Anticipated Social Media". The Hollywood Reporter. 9 October 2018.
  28. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  29. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4902". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  30. ^ a b "Hits of the World". Billboard. 24 November 1973. p. 49. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  31. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  32. ^ a b "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  33. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 23 February 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Elton John".
  34. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  35. ^ a b "Charts.nz – Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  36. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  37. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. 22 December 1973. p. 54. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  38. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  39. ^ "Elton John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  40. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  41. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  42. ^ "The Top 100 Albums of '74". RPM. Vol. 22, no. 19. 28 December 1974. p. 6. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  43. ^ "The Official UK Charts Company : ALBUM CHART HISTORY". Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 17 December 2007.
  44. ^ "Billboard.com – Year End Charts – Year-end Albums – The Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
  45. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1975 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  46. ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2019". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  47. ^ "Elton John Australian Award". 20 February 2023.
  48. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  49. ^ "Bernie Taupin Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Record Award". 27 February 2023.
  50. ^ "Danish album certifications – Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  51. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  52. ^ "British album certifications – Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  53. ^ "British album certifications – Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  54. ^ "American album certifications – Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

Elton John
Billboard Year-End number one albums
UK Christmas number-one albums
Authority control databases
Categories