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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Released5 October 1973Recorded, , France, May 1973 using a , Length76:20 (US)
 (UK) chronology
(1973)Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
(1973)
(1974) from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ""
Released: 16 July 1973 ""
Released: 15 October 1973 ""
Released: 1974 ""
Released: 4 February 1974

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the seventh studio album by , released in 1973. It is regarded as one of his best and most popular, in addition to being his first double album. It was recorded at the  after problems recording at the intended location of Jamaica. Among the 17 tracks, the album contains the hits "", "", "" and "" plus "" and "".

Originally intended as a regular single album, the experience in transferring from Jamaica to the château proved to be conducive to producing such quality material, that it was decided to release the album as a double.

In 2003, the album was inducted into the . The album was ranked number 91 on  magazine's list of , and number 59 in 's 2009 list of 100 Greatest Albums. The album has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.

Production

Under the working titles of Vodka and Tonics and Silent Movies, Talking Pictures,  wrote the lyrics in two and a half weeks, with John composing most of the music in three days while staying at the Pink Flamingo Hotel in . He had wanted to go to Jamaica he has said, in part, because the  had just recorded  there. Production on the album was started in Jamaica in January 1973, though after difficulties with the sound system and the studio piano, coupled with disturbance due to the  and  boxing match taking place in Kingston, and violent political tension due to the poor economic situation, the band decided to move before any productive work was done. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was recorded in two weeks at the  in France, where John had previously recorded  and . Only a version of "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" was recorded in Jamaica, but that recording was discarded and the final, released version of the song came from the sessions at the château.

According to the album's producer, , the album was not planned as a two-record collection. In total, John and Taupin composed 22 tracks for the album, of which 18 (counting "Funeral for a Friend" and "Love Lies Bleeding" as two discrete tracks) were used, enough that it was released as a double album, John's first (three more such albums followed up to 2011). Through the medium of cinematic metaphor, the album builds on nostalgia for a childhood and culture left in the past. Tracks include "", "", the 11-minute "", and the  tribute "". "" was inspired by memories of a  pub Taupin frequented when younger. "Grey Seal", previously the B-side of the 1970 single "", was re-recorded for the album.

"Harmony", the album's final track, was considered as a fourth single, but was not issued at the time because the chart longevity of the album and its singles brought it too close to the upcoming releases of and its proposed accompanying singles. It was, however, used as the B-side of the American release of the "Bennie and the Jets" single, and was popular on FM playlists of the day, especially  in Boston, whose top 40 chart allowed for the inclusion of  cuts and B-sides as voted for by listeners. "Harmony" spent three weeks at No. 1 on WBZ-FM's chart in June 1974 and ranked No. 6 for the year, with "Bennie and the Jets" at No. 1 and "" behind "Harmony" at No. 7. "Harmony" was released as a single in Britain in 1980 and failed to chart.

Release

The 30th anniversary edition followed the original format, splitting the album across two discs to allow the inclusion of the bonus tracks, while a DVD on the making of the album was also included. The album has also been released by  as a single disc 24 carat gold CD. The album (including all four bonus tracks) was released on  (2003),  (2004), and  (2014). These high resolution releases included the original stereo mixes, as well as 5.1 remixes produced and engineered by .The original 1973 LP, when released on CD, was released on two discs, while the 1992 and 1995 CD remasters put the album on one disc as it was slightly less than 80 minutes.

Reception Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRating(B)(unfavourable)Rolling Stone(2004) 

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road has come to be regarded as John's best and most popular album, and is his best selling studio album. Three singles were released in the US: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Bennie and the Jets" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting".

In the US it was certified gold in October 1973, 5× platinum in March 1993, and eventually 8x platinum in February 2014 by the .

The album was ranked No. 91 on  magazine's 2003 list of . It was also placed at No. 59 in 's 2009 list of 100 Greatest Albums.

Track listing

All songs written by  and  except "Funeral for a Friend" written by .

Side oneNo.TitleLength1.""  11:092.""  3:503.""  5:23Side twoNo.TitleLength4.""  3:135."This Song Has No Title"  2:236."Grey Seal"  4:007."Jamaica Jerk-Off"  3:398."I've Seen That Movie Too"  5:59Side threeNo.TitleLength9."Sweet Painted Lady"  3:5410."The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909–34)"  4:2311."Dirty Little Girl"  5:0012."All the Girls Love Alice"  5:09Side fourNo.TitleLength13."Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n Roll)"  2:4214.""  4:5715."Roy Rogers"  4:0716."Social Disease"  3:4217.""  2:46