Take Me To The Pilot
Elton John
1970

So my discovery to this song was pretty unconventional. I never heard this song growing up, ever. And there was a lot of Elton on classic rock radio - Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, Bennie and the Jets (ugh - dreadful), Levon, Crocodile Rock, Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting, etc. etc.  Come to think of it now, was it mandatory for classic rock radio to play at least one Elton John song per hour?

And so it was that I found myself in a spin class on a random Saturday morning sometime probably circa 2018 or 2019. The instructor put this song on and I was like, who is this?  Like I knew it wasn’t a new song, but I also was pretty confident in my 1970s-era rock that I would recognize the song. But I had no idea who was singing this song. I mean, it sounds a little like Elton (and certainly does once you know it’s him), but if you’ve never heard this song before and you don’t know who sings it, it’s a little disorienting. But I loved this song instantly. Maybe I just tore up spin class that day, I don’t know. But I remember thinking that I had to try and remember some of the lyrics because I didn’t have my phone with me and I wanted to make sure I got this song after class. 

Like I said, pretty unconventional way to discover a song, but you always gotta be listening!  This song rocketed into the family rotation pretty quickly. And for good reason - this is another rollicking gospel-esque tune with a bit of jazz to boot. Check out the video too - he's clearly having a good time, even though at age 23 he looks like a cross between a Muppet and Billie Jean King.  I came to learn that it’s a fan favorite for passionate Elton fans and a staple at his shows. Which, taking a step back:  lot of respect for this guy. He’s reinvented himself multiple times over and is one of the great songwriters of our time. Was never a question of being on this list, just a matter of which song I would choose. He definitely has more well-known songs, but this is my pick. 

Other Songs Considered:
Tiny Dancer, Your Song, Circle of Life