Simply put, Elton John is one of the most respected and successful music artists ever. In March, he and his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin were honored with the prestigious Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in celebration of their vast catalog of enduring tunes.
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While John and Taupin have composed an impressive list of songs, Elton also occasionally recorded tunes written by other artists. A few of these covers were even major hits. Here are five songs recorded by John during his early career heyday that he didn’t have a hand in writing:
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“Love Song” (1970)
John’s third album, Tumbleweed Connection, showcased the heavy influence of American roots music. However, the record also featured a delicate love ballad titled “Love Song.” The tune stood apart from many of the Americana-flavored numbers on the album.
“Love Song” was written by Lesley Duncan, who contributed backing vocals to several tracks on Tumbleweed Connection, as well as to a few of John’s other early albums. Duncan also played acoustic guitar on “Love Song.”
Duncan recorded her own version of “Love Song” for her 1971 debut album, Sing, Children, Sing. John played piano on the album.
“Love Song” also has been recorded by various other artists, including Olivia Newton-John, Barry White, Neil Diamond, and Heart.
“Honky Tonk Women” (1971)
John’s first live album, 11-17-70, was a recording of a performance that was broadcast live over New York radio station WABC on—you guessed it—November 11, 1970. Performing as a trio with bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson, John played a set that mainly featured songs from his self-titled 1970 album and Tumbleweed Connection.
Also during the show, John belted out a soulful cover of the 1969 Rolling Stones hit “Honky Tonk Women,” which was co-written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. 11-17-70 was released in April 1971 and reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200 chart.
“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” (1974)
In 1974, John recorded a cover of the 1967 Beatles psychedelic classic “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” which was co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. John’s version featured Lennon on backing vocals and guitar. On the single, Lennon was listed under the pseudonym Dr. Winston O’Boogie.
John’s cover of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” wound up topping the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks at the beginning of 1975. It’s one of only two recordings of Lennon-McCartney compositions not by The Beatles to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100. The other was “A World Without Love” by Peter and Gordon, which hit No. 1 in 1964.
“One Day at a Time” (1974)
For the B-side of the “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” single, John recorded his own version of the Lennon song “One Day at a Time.” Lennon contributed guitar to the track.
Lennon’s original rendition of the tune appeared on his 1973 solo album Mind Games.
“Pinball Wizard” (1975)
John memorably was featured as the Pinball Wizard in director Ken Russell’s 1975 film adaption of The Who’s classic 1969 rock opera Tommy. John and his backing band recorded a version of the Who hit “Pinball Wizard,” which he lip-synched in the movie.
The scene featured John wearing ridiculously tall boots and a beanie with a pinball pom-pom on top, as he played a pinball machine with a piano keyboard set into the front of it. He faced off against Roger Daltrey as Tommy, who dethrones the Pinball Wizard to become the new champ.
John’s “Pinball Wizard” cover appeared on the Tommy movie soundtrack, and became a hit single in the U.K., peaking at No. 7 in 1976. It wasn’t released as a single in the U.S., but it did reach No. 9 on the U.S. Radio & Records airplay chart.
