“Your Song” by Elton John

"Your Song" is the first thing you hear on Elton John, his self-titled second album from 1970, and it's the one that carried him past his home shores as his first Top 10 hit internationally. Bernie Taupin wrote the words, Elton wrote the tune, and they cut it at Trident Studios in London that January, with Gus Dudgeon producing and Paul Buckmaster arranging. It's hushed and plainspoken, Elton's piano out front, a song that sounds like it's being made up on the spot.

Three Dog Night, who had him opening their shows, actually recorded it first, but held off putting it out as a single so the newcomer could have his shot. In America it started life on the B-side of "Take Me to the Pilot" until DJs flipped the record over. It entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.