
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Elton John, first released October 3, 1973 as a double LP. The album has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide 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 favorites “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” and “Harmony”.
It was recorded at the Studio d’enregistrement Michel Magne at the Château d’Hérouville in France after problems recording at the intended location in Jamaica. The move provided John and his band with a great deal of creative inspiration and an abundance of quality material was produced, leading to the decision to release the work as a double album (LP).
In 2020, the album was ranked number 112 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was also ranked number 59 in Channel 4’s 2009 list of 100 Greatest Albums.
The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003 when it was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
- “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” 11:09
- “Candle in the Wind” 3:50
- “Bennie and the Jets” 5:23
- “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” 3:13
- “This Song Has No Title” 2:23
- “Grey Seal” 4:00
- “Jamaica Jerk-Off” 3:39
- “I’ve Seen That Movie Too” 5:59
- “Sweet Painted Lady” 3:54
- “The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909–34)” 4:23
- “Dirty Little Girl” 5:00
- “All the Girls Love Alice” 5:09
- “Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)” 2:42
- “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” 4:57
- “Roy Rogers” 4:07
- “Social Disease” 3:42
- “Harmony” 2:46
2003 Additions
- “Whenever You’re Ready (We’ll Go Steady Again)” 2:52
- “Jack Rabbit” 1:50
- “Screw You (Young Man’s Blues)” 4:42
- “Candle in the Wind” (2003 acoustic remix by Greg Penny) 3:51
Elton John – vocals, acoustic piano (1–6, 8–10, 12–17), Fender Rhodes (5, 6), Farfisa organ (3, 5, 7, 13), mellotron (5, 6, 11)
Davey Johnstone – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Leslie guitar, slide guitar, steel guitar, banjo
Dee Murray – bass guitar
Nigel Olsson – drums, congas, tambourine, car effects (12)
Dee Murray, Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson – backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 10, 13, 17)
Del Newman – orchestral arrangements (4, 8–10, 15, 17)
David Katz – orchestra contractor (4, 8–10, 15, 17)
Leroy Gómez – saxophone solo (16)
David Hentschel – ARP synthesizer (1, 12)
Kiki Dee – backing vocals (12)
Ray Cooper – tambourine on (12)
Uncredited – Vocal interjections on “Jamaica Jerk-Off” (credited to Prince Rhino, Reggae Dwight and Toots Taupin, possibly a pseudonym for Elton John and Bernie Taupin, though this is uncertain), drum machine, maracas, timbales, claves on “Jamaica Jerk-Off”, castanets on “Funeral for a Friend”, shaker on “I’ve Seen That Movie Too”, tambourine on “Social Disease”, accordion, vibraphone on “Sweet Painted Lady”