"Little Jeannie" by Elton John

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  0158
Date:  05/03/1980
Debut:  65
Peak:  3
Weeks:  21
Genre:  Pop, Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  The 70s belonged to Elton John. He was a superstar who set chart records and had sixteen Top 10 hits. But as the 70s started to close, he made changes and choices that sent his career in a downward spiral. In 1978 he release "A Single Man," his first album to not feature his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin. It failed to generate a Top 20 hit. Then the following year he recorded the disco album "Victim of Love," which was his worst selling and charting album to that point. The 80s started out better with "21 at 33." The album had some Taupin collaborations and featured this first single which became his biggest chart hit in four years. Although he would have some success in the 80s and beyond, John's major hit making days of the 70s were now definitely in the past.

ReduxReview:  A solid chunk of John's hits were in collaboration with Bernie Taupin. Of the few that were not, most are not often counted among his best. However, this collab with Gary Osborne is one of my favorite non-Taupin hits. The music is pure John (and reminds me of "Daniel" in a way) and rolls along to a nice mid-tempo beat. In a period where he was struggling, this was a perfect song to keep him relevant and get him back in the Top 10.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Before Elton John started his own solo hit-making career, he would do work as a session musician, usually on piano or backing vocals. One of his (now) more famous appearances was on The Hollies' 1969 hit "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (#7) on which he played piano.

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