by Amanda Flinner

Elton John hardly needs an introduction. Depending on your age, you may see him as a flamboyant stage act, pounding the piano in a bedazzled costume and eyeing the audience behind star-shaped glasses. Or maybe he's a Disney icon, asking "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and celebrating the "Circle of Life." Or maybe he's a hip senior citizen spreading the "Ghetto Gospel" with the late Tupac or jamming with Queens of the Stone Age. He's all of those things, plus a champion of gay rights, an AIDS activist, a winner of Grammy, Tony, and Academy Awards – and one of the best-selling musicians in the world. He's even a knight (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).

With decades of hits and over 30 albums under his (most likely fabulous) belt, there's a lot to learn about this lad from Middlesex. Can you tell the fact from the fiction?

Elton John Songs

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More Fact or Fiction

Comments: 16

• Kelly from Calgary Alberta, CanadaThe white upright piano that Elton composed his first 5 albums on 'sold to an anonymous buyer'... resides in Calgary!
  The piano is on display at our Studio Bell: National Music Centre complete with a note & autograph from Elton! It is as fabulous as he is...
• Brendan from DublinA big fan
• R.e. Mcv Anno 1961 from Eastern EuropeBeen a fan of EJ since the early 70s. Saw him in concert in 1974 at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia, on his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour. Up to and including Blue Moves is his legacy
• Stuart from EnglandJust 2 wrong.
• Randy from United States"Count the headlice on the highway"
• Rw from Latin AmericaMet Elton in Shanghai in 85 where he was hiding out after a London tabloid got a photo of him 'In the Act" with a fellow Londoner through a hotel window with a long lens. Walked up to him and thanked him for the music and he was arrogant and ignored me though there was no one else around. Four years later in Perth Australia I had to put up with him for three weeks while he prepared for his Australia Tour starting in WA. Same thing. Threw away all of his LP's after that and decided I never wanted to hear anything he put out. Good luck with that. Hopefully he is now a very different human than he was then. It appears so, but who really knows. Never shared any of this, but after going through the questions, thought it time.
• Anonymoussomebody forgot "salvation". i think it was on tumbleweed connection but, not absolutely sure.
• Phoebe from Central PerkNo, Of course it's not "Hold me closer, Tony Danza." it's "Hold me close, young Tony Danza."
• Stefanie from DenverRuss from Phoenix - Amoreena, I believe...actually, I know.
• Joe Leary from CanadaWell done. Love this Site.
• Ralph Aceto from Steubenville, OhioRuss from Phoenix, was it Have Mercy On the Criminal?
• Dan from MassachusettsAmoreena
• Dan from Winthrop,massAmoreena First appeared on his 1970 release Tumbleweed Connection However "Stay With Me" by The Faces and "Easy Livin" by Uriah Heep briefly play on the radio inside the bank. Another tidbit John Cazale appeared in 5 movies during his shot 6 year film career all were nominated for academy award best picture.
• Russ from PhoneixNice trivia! How about this one: The Al Pacino film, "Dog Day Afternoon" only had one piece of music in it, over the opening credits. Yes, it was an EJ tune, but which one?
• Linda from CaliforniaI only got the Elizabeth Taylor one wrong.
• Stephen from AustraliaBrilliant tough elton questions. Well done.

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More Songfacts:

Sixth Avenue HeartacheThe Wallflowers

Mike Campbell from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers played the slide guitar on "Sixth Avenue Heartache." There is a connection here - Wallflowers lead singer Jakob's dad, Bob Dylan, played with Tom Petty in The Traveling Wilburys.

Walk On The Wild SideLou Reed

Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side" tells the story of real people who were part of Andy Warhol's "factory," including Holly Woodlawn and Candy Darling.

Twilight ZoneGolden Earring

"Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring was inspired by the Robert Ludlum novel The Bourne Identity, not by the TV show.

Someone Like YouAdele

Adele's "Someone Like You" is the first song with just piano and voice to hit #1 in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, which started in 1958.

Gimme Three StepsLynyrd Skynyrd

Ronnie Van Zant wrote the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic "Gimme Three Steps" after making the mistake of dancing with a girl whose boyfriend was in the bar and probably had a gun. He asked for a 3-step head start.

Rock LobsterThe B-52s

Vegetarian Fred Schneider of the B-52's got the idea for "Rock Lobster" at an Atlanta disco when a projector displayed images of lobsters on a grill.