Elton John dominated the pop charts like no other rock artist in the 70s. In fact, he did so much damage in that era that it’s easy to underrate just how much success he enjoyed in the 80s. He remained one of the most consistent hitmakers during that stretch.
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In fact, he churned out so many iconic songs in the 80s that some of his singles from that decade don’t get a ton of attention. But these four somewhat unheralded John singles should certainly be on your radar if you’re a fan.
“Blue Eyes”
Elton John and Bernie Taupin established a songwriting partnership responsible for some of the most iconic songs ever recorded. But there was a stretch in the late 70s and early 80s when they stopped working together. John worked with other lyricists during that time, and Taupin wrote for other artists. By the time the 1982 album Jump Up! rolled around, Taupin was back on a part-time basis. But Gary Osborne served as the lyricist for “Blue Eyes”, a brooding torch song you could imagine Frank Sinatra singing. This song doesn’t get nearly as much attention these days as the John Lennon tribute “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)”, also released on Jump Up! Yet at the time, “Blue Eyes” was the bigger hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Kiss The Bride”
Many fans and critics regard Too Low For Zero, released in 1983, as John’s best 80s album. It’s no coincidence that the LP marked the full-time return of Bernie Taupin to the fold. In addition, John brought back the core of the band that joined him on his classic early 70s albums. Ballad “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” and rocker “I’m Still Standing” served as the album’s big hits. They didn’t leave much meat on the bone for “Kiss The Bride”, the third single from the LP. Nonetheless, this track features John at his most playful and energetic. His narrator knows a lot about the past of the girl at the altar from their time together. But he’s too heartbroken and scared to speak up on her big day.
“In Neon”
Although the critics didn’t like it as much, Breaking Hearts, released in 1984, solidified the resurgent commercial success John enjoyed with Too Low For Zero. The big hit from this record was “Sad Songs (Say So Much)”. Meanwhile, “In Neon” squeaked into the US Top 40 at No. 38 and pretty much faded into anonymity from there. You can kind of understand why it didn’t make much impact at pop radio, as it doesn’t jump out and demand attention. But its subtle charms will likely work their magic on you if you give it a close listen. Bernie Taupin’s lyrics about a struggling would-be starlet deliver evocative melancholy. And John erupts into a powerful chorus from the restrained melody in the verses.
“A Word In Spanish”
The title suggests that Reg Strikes Back was John’s attempt to come back from a slump of sorts with another classic album. It doesn’t quite get to that level, although the 1988 LP did produce a massive hit in the driving “I Don’t Want To Go On With You Like That”. By contrast, “Word In Spanish”, the second single, holds so little cultural cachet these days that it doesn’t even have its own Wikipedia page. Nonetheless, it made it No. 19 in the US back in the day. And it’s a lovely track, featuring Latin music accents to complement the song title. John tries to find the words to explain the depth of his emotion in the song. But the best he can do is quote a word he doesn’t even understand based on the impact it made in a movie he saw.
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