On this day (August 7) in 1976, Elton John and Kiki Dee topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” The song became an international hit and was Dee’s only No. 1 single. Additionally, it was John’s first single to top the UK Singles Chart.
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John co-wrote “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin using the pseudonyms Ann Orson and Carte Blanche, respectively. John recorded his vocals for the song during the sessions for his album, Blue Moves. However, he initially released the duet as a non-album single.
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” received mixed reviews from critics. However, its chart performance tells a different story. It spent six weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart and four weeks atop the Hot 100. Additionally, it went to No. 1 in South Africa, Rhodesia, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia. While he saw consistent chart success in the United States, John would top the UK charts again until he released “Sacrifice” in 1990.
Elton John and Kiki Dee Paid Tribute to Motown Classics with Their Hit Duet
Elton John and Kiki Dee envisioned “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” as a throwback to the classic Motown duets, according to Songfacts. “Both Elton and I were big fans of those duets on Motown by the likes of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and as there hadn’t been any around for a bit, we thought we’d do one ourselves,” Dee explained.
John was in Toronto working on Blue Moves when he recorded his vocals for the song. Then, he sent the tapes to Dee in the United Kingdom. “Elton had recorded the song abroad and also did my vocals in a high-pitched voice, which was quite funny, so I knew which lines to sing,” Dee recalled.
Bernie Taupin recalled how the song came together in his 2023 autobiography. “I was in Barbados one evening in 1976 when Elton called from Toronto to play me a backing track he’d just cut with the band,” he recalled. “Half cut myself at this point, the afternoon’s poolside cocktails having muddied my brainwaves, I listened and took note. Elton was in need of a lyric that could be done as a duet. I told him I would give it a shot, hung up, and stuck my head in the ice bucket,” he added.
About ten minutes later, Taupin had penned the lyrics to a major hit.
Featured Image by Gus Stewart/Redferns
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