Happy Birthday, Elton: A Decade In Review

Today we celebrate Elton’s 73rd birthday with an overview of his extraordinary career over the past ten jam-packed years.

Happy birthday Elton!

2010

ALBUMS
★ The Union [Elton John/Leon Russell] – Peaks at #3 on Billboard Top 200 chart, #2 on Top Rock Albums, and #12 in the UK.
★ My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Kanye West] – Elton plays piano and sings backing vocals on All Of The Lights.

LIVE
★ Elton gives 124 performances (nine on TV) in 33 countries.

NOTABLE EVENTS
★ January 31 – Performs a mash-up of Speechless and Your Song with Lady Gaga on the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
★ October 19 – Performs with Leon Russell at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. Plays The Union in its entirety.
★ November 3 – The Union Tour with Leon Russell launches at the Hollywood Palladium in California.

2011

ALBUMS
★ Gnomeo & Juliet (Official Motion Picture Soundtrack)
★ Matthew Morrison [Matthew Morrison] – Elton duets with Matthew on Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters/Rocket Man.
★ T Bone Burnett Presents The Speaking Clock Revue (Live From the Beacon Theatre) – Elton performs Monkey Suit live.

UNIQUE SINGLES
★ Hard Times [Plan B (featuring Elton John and Paloma Faith)]
★ Whenever (a song inspired by Zarkana) – Co-written by Elton, who does not sing on the track, and PNAU’s Nick Littlemore.

LIVE
★ Elton gives 126 performances (three on TV) in 23 countries.

NOTABLE EVENTS
★ February 11 – The film Gnomeo & Juliet opens, eventually grossing over $190 million worldwide.
★ April 20 – The Union documentary debuts at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC, with a solo performance by Elton afterward.
★ September 27 – Million Dollar Piano opens in Las Vegas.

2012

ALBUMS
★ Good Morning To The Night [Elton John vs. Pnau] – Elton’s 7th #1 album in the UK, his first in 12 years.
★ The Very Best Of Global Truce 2012 [Various Artists, live] – Includes a live version of Tiny Dancer.

LIVE
★ Elton gives 123 performances (four on TV) in 30 countries.

NOTABLE EVENTS
★ June 4 – Performs at the Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee in London.
★ July 2 – Performs solo and with PNAU at the 123 Rocktronic Festival in Ibiza.
★ July 17 – Elton’s “Love Is The Cure” book published.

2013

ALBUMS
★ The Diving Board – Peaks at #3 in the UK and #4 in the US.
★ …Like Clockwork [Queens Of The Stone Age] – Elton plays piano on Fairweather Friends.
★ In2ition [2CELLOS] – Elton sings on Oh, Well.
★ Save Rock And Roll [Fall Out Boy] – Elton sings duet vocals on the title track.
★ Exile [Hurts] – Elton plays piano on Help.

LIVE
★ Elton gives 114 performances (11 on TV) in 21 countries.

NOTABLE EVENTS
★ February 10 – Performs with Ed Sheeran and others on the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.
★ September 2 – Receives the first BRITS Icon Award in London.
★ September 22 – Performs on the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

2014

ALBUMS
★ Smokey & Friends [Smokey Robinson] – Elton and Smokey duet on The Tracks Of My Tears.
★ Life Is Easy [Bright Light Bright Light] – Elton sings duet vocals on I Wish We Were Leaving.
★ Engelbert Calling [Engelbert Humperdinck] – Elton sings duet on Something About The Way You Look Tonight.

UNIQUE SINGLES
★ Face To Face [Gary Barlow (w/Elton John)]

LIVE
★ Elton gives 105 performances in 20 countries.

NOTABLE EVENTS
★ June 15 – Performs at Bonnaroo, Elton’s first music festival in America.
★ July 1 – Million Dollar Piano is released on Blu-ray & DVD.
★ December 31 – Concert in Brooklyn is partially broadcast on ABC TV’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

2015

SINGLES
★ Looking Up – Peaks at #12 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, extending his record for the most appearances on that tally at 71.

LIVE
★ Elton gives 105 performances (three on TV) in 21 countries.

NOTABLE EVENTS
★ May 2 – Performs at the New Orleans Jazz Festival; meets with his idol Jerry Lee Lewis backstage.
★ July 6 – Launches Elton John‘s Rocket Hour weekly show on Apple Music’s Beats 1 Radio.

2016

ALBUMS
★ Wonderful Crazy Night – Peaks at #6 in the UK and #8 in the US (Elton’s 19th top 10 album in America).
★ Choreography [Bright Light Bright Light] – Elton sings duet vocals on All In The Name, Running Back To You and Symmetry Of Two Hearts.
★ Double Take [Frankie Miller] – Elton sings duet vocals on Where Do The Guilty Go.
★ The Getaway [Red Hot Chili Peppers] – Elton plays piano on The Getaway (partially based on Bennie And The Jets).
★ We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service [A Tribe Called Quest] – Elton appears on Solid Wall Of Sound, which samples Bennie And The Jets.

UNIQUE SINGLES
★ I Love You All The Time – Elton’s charity cover of Eagles Of Death Metal song for those affected by the Paris attacks of November 13, 2015.

LIVE
★ 131 performances (10 on TV) in 24 countries.

NOTABLE EVENTS
★ February 3 & 4 – Does In-store signing at HMV London and piano dedication at Kings Cross St Pancras International.
★ February 8 – Appears on James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke.
★ November 10 – The Radical Eye: Modernist Photography from the Sir Elton John Collection opens at the Tate Modern museum.

2017

ALBUMS
★  Diamonds – Reaches #5 in the UK and #7 in the US, attaining Platinum status in both countries.
★  Music from The American Epic Sessions (TV Soundtrack) – Elton and guest Jack White perform 2 Fingers Of Whiskey.
★  Release: Further Listening 2001-2004 [Pet Shop Boys] – Elton sings on In Private and Alone Again (Naturally).

LIVE
★ Elton gives 100 performances in 23 countries.

NOTABLE EVENTS
★ May 9 – Elton John: The Cut winners selected – first official videos released for Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer and Bennie And The Jets.
★ September 22 – Appears in Kingsman: The Golden Circle film.
★ November 6 – Awarded Harvard College Humanitarian of the Year in Cambridge, MA, USA.

2018

ALBUMS
★ Sherlock Gnomes: Music From the Motion Picture
★ Revamp: Reimagining The Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin
★ Restoration: Reimagining The Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin
★ Bobby Tarantino II (Mixtape) [Logic] – Elton appears on Yuck.
★ It’s About Time [Chic] – Elton sings on Queen.

UNIQUE SINGLES
★ Bennie And The Jets (live) / Young Dumb & Broke [Elton John featuring Khalid]
LIVE
★ Elton gives 78 performances in five countries.

NOTABLE EVENTS
★ January 28 – Performs with Miley Cyrus at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
★ January 30 – Elton John: I’m Still Standing – A GRAMMY Salute
★ March 23 – Sherlock Gnomes opens. It grosses over $90 million worldwide.
★ September 10 – Elton launches his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour in Allentown, PA.
★ November 15 – John Lewis Christmas ad The Boy & The Piano airs, to great acclaim.

2019

ALBUMS
★ Rocketman: Music From the Motion Picture – Includes new song (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again (duet w/Taron Egerton); it peaks at #5 in the UK and #50 in the US.
★ The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – 2019) – Includes new song Never Too Late; it peaks at #13 in the US.

LIVE
★ Elton gives 117 performances (one on TV) in 19 countries.

NOTABLE EVENTS
★ May 31 – Rocketman film is released; it grosses over $195 million worldwide.
★ September 3 – Royal Mail issues 12 special Elton John stamps.
★ October 15 – Elton’s autobiography Me is published. It reaches #1 on the New York Times and Amazon bestseller lists.
★ December 28 – Step Into Christmas single reaches #8, its highest peak in the UK since the original 1973 release.