Elton John, The #3 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Nine

 

(Continued from Part Eight)

 

Elton also released the four-CD box set To Be Continued... which featured music from his Bluesology days to 1990 and included the new song "I Swear I Heard The Night Talking".

 

Sir Elton and George Michael's collaboration "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" was featured on the album Duets and rose to #1 in nearly every country in the world.

After the death of friends Ryan White in 1990 and Freddie Mercury of Queen in 1991, and considering he himself had been lucky having unprotected sex in years before, Sir Elton began raising money for AIDS research and using his public position to raise awareness about the disease.

In 1992, EJ founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation to fund prevention and research, to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against those who had HIV or AIDS, and to help people living with or at risk of contracting either.

Sir Elton began hosting an Academy Awards party in 1993 as a further effort to raise money for his Foundation.  It became one of the most popular parties in Hollywood and has now raised over $200 million for this purpose.

 

John released the album The One in 1992.  The title song stormed to #1 in Canada and on the Adult chart in the United States (#9 overall) and earned Elton a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

 

Elton won an ASCAP Pop Award for Songwriter of the Year.  "Runaway Train" (from the movie Lethal Weapon 3) features the guitar work of Eric Clapton.  It was a #10 song among adults.

 

The heart-wrenching "The Last Song" achieved a #2 peak on the AC chart.  Unbelievably, the single peaked at #23 on the Popular chart, which by this time was losing relevance and credibility.  The masterpiece is another of Sir Elton's in The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

 

John and Taupin were inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1992.  Although Taupin only occasionally wrote lyrics hinting at parts of life for Elton, but this one is specifically written for his songwriting partner.  "Simple Life" is Sir Elton's statement that he was determined to enter a new phase of his life after beating alcoholism, drug use and bulimia.  It gave John four Top 10 Adult hits from one album in this, his 23rd year recording.

When "A Simple Life" reached the Top 40, Sir Elton broke Elvis Presley's Rock Era record by achieving a Top 40 hit in 24 consecutive years. 

The One was recorded at Studio Guillame Tell in Paris and was produced by Chris Thomas.  Elton's biggest album since 1975 was a two-million seller which yielded this great track--"The North".

 

The One topped Album charts in Germany, France and Austria and reached #2 in the U.K., Australia and Norway.  Here is another solid song--"Understanding Women".

Elton and Taupin signed a $39 million, 12-year publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music.  Sir Elton and Tim Rice teamed up to write songs for the Disney classic movie The Lion King in 1994.  Elton had a voice in how the songs were used in the film and The Lion King represented a key moment for him--just a few years out of rehab, the project announced that he was back in a big way and it led to other musicals (Aida and Billy Elliot among them) in the future.  

 

Rice had written the lyrics to Andrew Lloyd Webber's music on shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" was a runaway hit, rocketing to #1 in Canada and among adults in the U.S. and selling over two million copies.

 

"The Lion King" Soundtrack dominated the Album chart for nine weeks and has now sold over 15 million copies in the U.S. alone.  "Circle Of Life" hit #2 in Switzerland, #3 in Canada, and #2 on the AC chart.

Three of the five nominees for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards were from the soundtrack album, with Sir Elton winning for "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" (John's songs "Circle Of Life" and "Hakuna Matada" also nominated).  EJ also picked up Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male and the Golden Globe for Best Original Song for "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and an American Music Award for Favorite Pop (Rock) Album.

Sir Elton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.  Axl Rose, lead singer of Guns N' Roses, introduced EJ:

      For myself as well as for many others 

      no one has been there more for inspiration

     than Elton John.We talk of great 

     rock duos like Jimmy Page and Robert

     Plant, John Lennon and Paul McCartney,

     Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.  I also

     like to think of Elton John and Bernie

     Taupin.  Also tonight, I think that Elton

     should be honored for his great work

     and contribution in the fight against AIDS.

     And also his bravery in exposing all the

     triumphs and tragedies of his personal

     life.

Elton was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1995. 

  

John released the album Made in England in 1995, which contained "Believe", a #1 Adult smash that also reached #1 in Canada.  It was John's 15th career #1 among adults.

 

Elton received yet another Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his work on "Believe" and also received an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Male Video.  Bernie was inspired to write this because of his love of children.  "Your eyes open up," he said.  "I love getting up and taking kids to school.  It's a great feeling."  "Blessed" gave EJ another #1 AC smash, his 16th career #1 among adults.

 

John was nominated for Favorite Male Pop (Rock) Artist at the American Music Awards.  "Latitude" is a great travel song, very Beatles-esque from Elton.

Radio has shielded you from many of the great Elton songs of the last 20 years, and we are sorry they have deprived you.  But you can hear them here on Inside The Rock Era!