52 years ago today, on April 13, 1974, Elton John scored his second No. 1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with the piano-driven classic “Bennie and the Jets.” Appearing on his double-album Goodbye Yellow BrickRoad, which dropped a year prior, the tune features a unique live sound, despite it being recorded in a studio in France.
Written alongside friend and frequent collaborator Bernie Taupin, who had composed all of the lyrics on Goodbye Yellow BrickRoad, with John taking credit as the composer, the song paints a slightly futuristic picture of a fictional glam rock band called “Bennie and the Jets” that’s made up of androids, with a beautiful androgynous woman as their frontperson.
Given from the perspective of a fan who obsesses over the group, the quirky lyrics transport listeners into an exaggerated and over-the-top world that plays with the idea of how fame is often admired.
“Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet? / Ooh, but they're so spaced out, B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets / Oh but they're weird and they're wonderful / Oh Bennie she's really keen / She's got electric boots, a mohair suit / You know I read it in a magazine, ohh-oh / B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets,” John sings throughout the chorus of the song, showcasing his signature vocals and high falsetto.
Of its live sound, according toAmerican Songwriter, while in the recording studio, John had begun his piano chords early, making the recording imperfect to the point that producer Gus Dudgeon noticed its live-band feel. Dudgeon, then, went into the studio and added real-life crowd effects “taken from a 1972 John concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall and Jimi Hendrix’s 1970 Isle of Wight Festival performance, with whistles added from a live show in Vancouver, Canada.”
The Album
With its appearance on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, “Bennie and the Jets” played a role in the album’s commercial success as it went on to sell more than 20 million copies worldwide. Along with “Bennie and the Jets,” the 18-track collection includes singles, “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” and “Candle in the Wind.”
In 2003, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was later named one of the “Best Albums of All Time” by Rolling Stone. Meanwhile, “Bennie and the Jets,” which belongs on Rolling Stone’s list of “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” followed, “Crocodile Rock,” John’s first No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
Related: 1974 Ultimate Rock Classic Among All-Time ‘Greatest Songs’ Was A No. 1 Hit 52 Years Ago
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