Elton John

Elton John brought piano to the centre of 1970s pop and rock without ever making it feel polite. Born in Pinner in 1947, he emerged as a singer-songwriter, composer and pianist with a gift for grand melody, sharp phrasing and songs that could move easily from radio pop to something more theatrical and widescreen.

Key records such as Elton John, Madman Across the Water, Honky Chateau and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road map out an artist with huge range and a very clear musical identity. Songs including Your Song and Tiny Dancer remain central to his catalogue, but they are only part of a body of work that runs from chart-dominating 70s records to later collaborations and live performances with the same flair intact.