Rocket Man Falls and Returns

The early 1970s were a blur of superstardom for Elton, and the end of the decade—even with his retirement—was just as jam-packed. He kept himself in the music scene with the release of four albums from 1976 to 1979: Here and There, Blue Moves, A Single Man, and Victim of Love. Here and There and Blue Moves sold over two million copies. Elton's 1976 duet with Kiki Dee “Don't Go Breaking My Heart,” also reached the top of the U.K. charts. Then, in 1979, only two years after his retirement from performing, Elton decided to stage a comeback tour and renew his old love for the stage. He kicked off the tour with a free concert in Central Park, located in New York City. When Elton came out on stage, he was dressed as Donald Duck. The world tour was extensive, including shows in the Soviet Union, making Elton the first Westerner to tour that communist land.

Back on the Rise

With the release of the album Duets, 1992 was becoming another career highlight for Elton. The album was composed of collaborations with other artists. Tammy Wynette, RuPaul, Leonard Cohen, Bonnie Raitt, and many other famous singers joined Elton on the album. It is no wonder then that Warner/Chappell Music offered Elton and Bernie a contract for $39 million that year, the largest cash advance in music publishing history.