From his first love song, appropriately titled "Your Song" released in the 70's, to 90's classics such as "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and "Blessed," these heart-warming, sometimes-bittersweet messages of love have left indelible marks on Elton John's worldwide legion of fans. In terms of sales and lasting popularity, Elton John was the biggest pop superstar of the early '70s. His versatility, combined with his effortless melodic skills, dynamic charisma and flamboyant stage shows made him the most popular recording artist of the '70s.

Unlike many pop stars, John was able to sustain his popularity, charting a Top 40 single every single year from 1970 to 1996. During that time, he had temporary slumps in creativity and sales, as he fell out of favor with critics, had fights with his lyricist Bernie Taupin, and battled various addictions and public scandals. But through it all, John remained a remarkably popular artist and many of his songs -- including "Your Song," "Rocket Man," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" -- became contemporary pop standards. The 1997 follow-up The Big Picture delivered more of the same well-crafted pop, made the Top Ten, and produced a hit in "Something About the Way You Look Tonight."

However, its success was overshadowed by John's response to the tragic death of Princess Diana he re-recorded "Candle in the Wind" (originally a eulogy for Marilyn Monroe) as a tribute to his slain friend, with Taupin adapting the lyrics for what was planned as the B-side of "Something About the Way You Look Tonight." With the profits earmarked for Diana's favorite charities, and with a debut performance at Diana's funeral, "Candle in the Wind 1997" became the fastest-selling hit of all time in both Britain and the U.S. upon the single's release, easily debuting at number one on both sides of the Atlantic; with first-week sales of over three million copies in the U.S. alone and 14 weeks in the top spot, it was John's biggest hit ever. In response to the song, Elton John was knighted by the queen of England as Sir Elton John.

For his next project, John reunited with Lion King collaborator Tim Rice to write songs for Disney's Broadway musical adaptation of the story of Aida; an album of their efforts featuring a who's-who of contemporary pop musicians was released in early 1999, going gold by the end of the year. In late 2000, John landed a TV special with CBS, performing a selection of his greatest hits at Madison Square Garden; a companion album drawn from those performances, One Night Only, was issued shortly before the special aired.

Elton is also known for living life on his terms - including his openly alternative lifestyle, his comments made about the work of Madonna, and friendship with the Osborne family, where he recently co-stared on an episode of MTV's show featuring the family.