Elton John has enjoyed one of the most illustrious careers in rock history and as he plans to take his final bow this summer, we want to take a look back at some of his most iconic appearances on stage.
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From his U.S. debut at the Troubadour to his unforgettable get-up at Dodger Stadium, look back at five great live moments from John, below.
1. The Troubadour, 1970
John’s first concert in America has become the stuff of legend. He took the iconic Troubadour stage on Aug. 25, 1970, in front of 300 people. Though still a relatively unknown name at the time, he blew the audience away with his unmatched stage presence. He brought out all the stops we’ve come to know and love from a John show, including throwing his body into the air while not missing a beat on the piano.
“It was just all systems go,” John later recalled. “Nothing was impossible. You’re working on adrenaline and the sheer fact that you’re a success.”
A report from the Los Angeles Times came out the next day, predicting that John would become “one of rock’s biggest and most important stars.” How right they were.
2. Royal Festival Hall, 1972
Just a few years later, John catapulted into superstardom. Working at a prolific rate, he released five studio albums in just three years, causing there to be some overlap in the touring schedule. For example, John began touring his Madman Across the Water album in 1972 and began to mix material for its follow-up, Honky Chateau, at the same time.
At a concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall in 1972, while playing a number of MATW songs, he pulled out nine unreleased tracks that would later go on to feature on Honky Chateau. It was the live debut of now iconic offerings “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” and “Rocket Man.”
3. Madison Square Garden, 1974
This 1974 show wasn’t John’s first appearance at Madison Square Garden, but it’s perhaps his most memorable. The highlight of the night came as he welcome John Lennon onto the stage to join him for Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night.” The duet came as the fruition of a bet that the former Beatle made John partake in. The rocketman promised to sing the song with Lennon if it went No. 1 in America – which it did.
Elsewhere in the night, the pair performed “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” To make the show even more special, it would be Lennon’s last live show ever.
4. Rossiya Concert Hall, 1979
John made history in 1979 when he became the first Western rock star to play behind Russia’s Iron Curtain at the Rossiya Concert Hall. The set saw John alone at his piano with only percussionist Ray Cooper backing him up. Nevertheless, John delivered the performance of a lifetime. He didn’t sacrifice a moment of showmanship despite the sparse setup. The performance was later captured in the documentary To Russia…With Elton.
5. Dodger Stadium, 1975
You can’t make a list of iconic Elton John live moments without including his 1975 appearance at Dodger Stadium. John has had a number of memorable costumes throughout his career, but the sequined baseball uniform he donned on this night has to be one of the most famous. The setlist was stacked with John hits, including “Your Song,” “I Need You to Turn To,” “Border Song,” “Take Me to the Pilot” and “Levon.”
The concert ran more than three hours with Beatles covers and special appearances by Bernie Taupin and tennis star Billie Jean King. The concert was so integral to John’s career, that most of the posters for his 2019 biopic, Rocketman, featured a recreation of the night.
“My fondest memory was the electricity from the crowd,” he said decades later. “The energy was palpable—you could feel it vibrating from your feet!”
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
