Goodbye Yellow Brick Road cover art

  Studio Album · No. 7

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Songwriting Credits by Elton John

1973 DJM Records 17 tracks 76 min

Produced by Gus Dudgeon  ·  Engineered by David Hentschel

DJM Records Pop RockGlam Rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 17 of 17 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 17 / 17 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 17 tracks with documented writers, by whether Elton John carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
17 trackswritten by Elton John 0 tracksoutside writers
Elton John's roles on this album

Share of the 17 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

17
Tracks
1
Lyricists
1
Producers
1
No.1 Single
20 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1973
Released

Awards & Recognition 2

Grammy Hall of Fame (2003)
National Recording Registry, Library of Congress (2025)
Data Insight

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is Elton John's most celebrated album, a sprawling double LP written entirely by John on music and Bernie Taupin on lyrics. It spans glam rock, ballads, and pop across tracks like Bennie and the Jets, Candle in the Wind, and the title song, and has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the seventh studio album by Elton John, released in October 1973 on DJM Records and produced by Gus Dudgeon. Widely considered his masterpiece, the double album contains some of the most celebrated songs of the rock era: 'Candle in the Wind,' 'Bennie and the Jets,' the title track, 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting,' and 'Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.' Recorded in eight days at the Château d'Hérouville, the album's extraordinary breadth of style, from glam rock to country ballad to theatrical pop, showcased Elton and Bernie Taupin at the absolute peak of their creative partnership. The album reached number one in the UK and the United States and has sold over thirty million copies worldwide. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road remains one of the finest and most comprehensive statements in the history of popular music.

Track Listing & Credits 17 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
2
Candle in the Wind
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
3
Bennie and the Jets #1
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
4
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road #2
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
5
This Song Has No Title
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
6
Grey Seal
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
7
Jamaica Jerk-Off
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
8
I've Seen That Movie Too
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
9
Sweet Painted Lady
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
10
The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-34)
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
11
Dirty Little Girl
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
12
All the Girls Love Alice
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
13
Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n Roll)
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
14
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting #12
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
15
Roy Rogers
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
16
Social Disease
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)
17
Harmony
Bernie Taupin Elton John Gus Dudgeon Elton John (Lead Vocals, Piano)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 3 contributors

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Frequently Asked Questions Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Who wrote the songs on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road?
Elton John composed all the music and Bernie Taupin wrote all the lyrics, with no outside writers on the album.
Why is Goodbye Yellow Brick Road a double album?
John and Taupin were on a creative hot streak and recorded enough strong material to fill a two-LP set, released as a single package in 1973.
What are the biggest songs on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road?
Bennie and the Jets reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the title track reached number two, and Candle in the Wind and Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting also became classics.
How many copies has Goodbye Yellow Brick Road sold?
It has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and is certified eight times platinum in the United States.
Has Goodbye Yellow Brick Road received special recognition?
Yes. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003 and added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2025.
Who produced Goodbye Yellow Brick Road?
Gus Dudgeon produced the album, with David Hentschel as engineer, recorded at the Château d'Hérouville in France.

Sources