Elton John becomes first artist with a UK Top 10 single across six different decades
His latest track ‘Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)’ with Dua Lipa looks set to overtake Ed Sheeran for number 1
Elton John has become the first artist to land a top 10 single in the UK charts in six different decades.
The new record was secured by his latest track ‘Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)’ with Dua Lipa, which currently sits at number 2 and looks set to overtake Ed Sheeran ‘Shivers’ for number 1.
The track is a mash up of John’s former hits ‘Sacrifice’, ‘Kiss the Bride’, ‘Where’s the Shoorah?’ and ‘Rocket Man’. The single was released on August 13th and reached number 4 in September.
The milestone achievement means that he has overtaken the likes of fellow musical icons Elvis, David Bowie and Michael Jackson, who all achieved top ten tracks in five decades.
John responded to the announcement with a trophy emoji flanked by two rockets.
The British artist’s first appearance in the top 10 was with ‘Your Song’ in 1971, which reached number 7 before creeping into the charts again in 2002, climbing to number 4.
His longest success streak was in the 1970s, landing ten singles in the top 10, followed by eight in the 1990s.
Throughout his six decade long career, he has achieved seven number 1 singles. His most commercially successful release is the 1997 double release ‘Candle In The Wind 97/Something About The Way You Look Tonight’.
Released after the death of Princess Diana, the tribute garnered 4.94m sales – also the UK’s best selling single of all time.
Other top ten singles through the decades include ‘I’m Still Standing’ in 1983 which reached number 4, ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, recorded in 1974 but reaching number 1 in 1991, and ‘Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)’ featuring Ironik and Chipmunk in 2009.
Other top 10 tracks came about from re-releases with new collaborators, like Blue on ‘Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word’ and Tupac posthumously on ‘Ghetto Gospel’.
John was recently forced to postpone some of his UK tour dates after injuring himself when he fell over.
In a statement shared by The Guardian he said: “At the end of my summer break I fell awkwardly on a hard surface and have been in considerable pain and discomfort in my hip ever since.
“I will be undertaking a program of intensive physiotherapy that will ensure a full recovery and a return to full mobility without pain.”
He added: “I know how patient my incredible fans have been since Covid halted touring last year, and it breaks my heart to keep you waiting any longer. I completely feel your frustrations after the year we’ve had. I promise you this – the shows will return to the road next year and I will make sure they are more than worth the wait.”