Ranking Every Elton John Album From Worst to Best

Elton John owned the ’70s, of course, but the following album-by-album retrospective confirms that his story didn’t end there.

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. John’s best-selling album is still the eight-time platinum Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which arrived in the middle of this imperial era.

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

What’s Elton John’s Best Album?

John only rarely turned completely away from his early piano-forward approach – and sometimes completely re-inhabited it, as on 1984’s deeply underrated Breaking Hearts. In general, however, John’s post-’70s projects tended to be more explorative. He never stopped building on his own musical foundations.

Collaborative albums with Leon Russell (2010’s The Union) and Brandi Carlile (2025’s Who Believes in Angels?) provided thrilling creative jolts. Even his decidedly uneven ’80s-era work with producer Chris Thomas produced one certified classic.

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), orchestral work (1995’s Made in England), and gospel and R&B (2004’s Peachtree Road)

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 live project and his huge hit soundtrack recordings were left aside. Here’s how they rank:

READ MORE: Top 10 Elton John Songs