{"id":65214,"date":"2026-05-23T13:52:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T13:52:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/23\/ranking-every-elton-john-album-from-worst-to-best\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T13:52:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T13:52:27","slug":"ranking-every-elton-john-album-from-worst-to-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/23\/ranking-every-elton-john-album-from-worst-to-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranking Every Elton John Album From Worst to Best"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Elton John<\/a> owned the ’70s, of course, but the following album-by-album retrospective confirms that his story didn’t end there.<\/p>\n

The numbers, of course, speak for themselves. While moving some 80 million units in the U.S. alone, John issued seven No. 1 LPs. All of them were in the ’70s<\/a>. John’s best-selling album is still the eight-time platinum Goodbye Yellow Brick Road<\/a><\/em>, which arrived in the middle of this imperial era.<\/p>\n

He’s scored nine No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 \u2013 and six of them also date back to the days when disco balls were ubiquitous. But John kept making well-received albums right into the 2020s. Stalwart co-writer Bernie Taupin<\/a> helped complete John’s first 11 straight albums, then later returned to bolster triumphant late-era recordings.<\/p>\n

What’s Elton John’s Best Album?<\/h3>\n

John only rarely turned completely away from his early piano-forward approach \u2013 and sometimes completely re-inhabited it, as on 1984’s deeply underrated Breaking Hearts<\/a><\/em>. But John’s post-’70s recordings tended to be more explorative.<\/p>\n

He continued building on his own musical foundations. Collaborative albums with Leon Russell<\/a> (2010’s The Union<\/a><\/em>) and Brandi Carlile<\/a> (2025’s Who Believes in Angels?<\/a><\/em>) provided thrilling creative jolts. Even his decidedly uneven ’80s-era work with producer Chris Thomas produced one certified classic.<\/p>\n

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Bernie Taupin collaborated on many of Elton John’s best-loved albums. (Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>

Bernie Taupin collaborated on many of Elton John’s best-loved albums. (Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Not all of it worked (see: Thomas, Chris). John also tried disco, did far too many duets, and spent about a decade making pillowy adult contemporary music. But that willingness to take musical risks also helped him reach cool new vistas with proggy themes (1976’s Blue Moves<\/a><\/em>), orchestral work (1995’s Made in England<\/em>), and gospel and R&B (2004’s Peachtree Road<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Our countdown of Elton John Albums, from worst to best, focuses strictly on his rock and pop studio output. So even important releases like 1970’s 17-11-70<\/a><\/em> and his huge hit soundtrack recordings were left aside. Here’s how they rank:<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Top 10 Elton John Songs<\/a><\/p>\n

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Elton John Albums Ranked<\/h2>\n
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Counting down every Elton John album, from worst to best.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n