The 500 - #136 - Greatest Hits - Elton John

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

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Album: #136
Album Title: Greatest Hits
Artist: Elton John
Genre: Rock, Pop
Recorded: Several Studios
Released: November, 1974
My age at release: 9
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very
Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Don't Let The Son Go Down On Me

Last spring, I had the incredible opportunity to direct The Lion King Jr. with the talented students at Sir Arthur Currie Public School in London, Ontario. It was a true team effort, and I was fortunate to collaborate with a dedicated group of colleagues who brought the production to life. We had a musical director who led the choir and prepared the songs, two teachers who choreographed the dancers, and a tech lead who managed everything from headset microphones to stage lighting. Several staff members designed costumes and built set pieces, while others handled marketing and ticket sales.

Poster for Sir Arthur Currie’s production of The Lion King Jr.

Nearly 150 students auditioned for just 15 speaking roles (13 of which included singing), and the talent on display was nothing short of extraordinary. Faced with such an abundance of gifted performers, we made the bold decision to double-cast the show, allowing more students to shine on stage. It was a bit of a gamble -- splitting our rehearsal time between two casts made my directorial debut far more challenging than I had anticipated. But in the end, it was worth every moment. I walked away with a deep appreciation for the art of directing and the magic that happens when a school community comes together to create something memorable.

Sir Arthur Currie students performing The Circle Of Life at the conclusion of  The Lion King Jr.

For many of our students, The Lion King Jr. was their first real introduction to the music of Sir Elton John, who composed most of the songs for Disney’s 1994 animated classic, along with lyricist Tim Rice. During our spring rehearsals, John's melodies were absolutely everywhere. They echoed from the stage, floated through the hallways, and popped up in the most unexpected places -- hummed at desktops during work periods, whistled between classes, or softly sung in the yard at recess. E.J. knows how to write a tune that sticks with you, and our school was happily buzzing with his unforgettable music for weeks.

I was about the same age as some of our youngest cast members when I first heard the music of John. I can’t say for sure which song I heard first, but chances are it was the irresistibly catchy Crocodile Rock that pulled me in. That’s the magic of his music – he knows how to craft a hook that sticks. His 1974 Greatest Hits album was an early testament to his talent that expanded exponentially throughout his career.  He followed up with Greatest Hits Volume II  three years later, and his third volume a decade after that. John and his longtime lyricist, Bernie Taupin, were a hit-making machine. In fact, John has landed 29 songs in the Billboard Top 10 -- ranking him fourth among pre-streaming artists, behind only Michael Jackson, The Beatles and Madonna.

Bernie Taupin (left) and Elton John in 2019.

However, he topped those talented performers, by being elevated to the highly exclusive EGOT Club -- reserved for artists who have managed to snag an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award with their work. Only 21 individuals have achieved this honour. Of them, a mere three entertainers have been pop music performers  –  Elton John, John Legend and Jennifer Hudson.

The memory of The Lion King Jr. at Sir Arthur Currie will fade with each graduating class; however, I feel that Elton John’s legacy will persist. His 1983 hit, I’m Still Standing, a defiant anthem of resilience, made its way onto our classroom playlist this year, a mix of old and new music curated by both students and me. One student in particular, Saqeef, who played Older Simba in The Lion King Jr. (see below), has already set his sights on performing the song at the Spring, 2026, edition of Currie’s Got Talent,  accompanying himself on piano. It’s a fitting choice, and a testament to how John’s music continues to inspire new generations -- after seven decades and 50 years since I first started humming his tunes.

Saqeef (right) as Older Simba in a scene from Sir Arthur Currie's
production of The Lion King Jr.

The 500 - #478 = Loretta Lynn - All Time Greatest HIts

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 478

Album Title: All Time Greatest Hits
Artist: Loretta Lynn
Released: May, 2002 (With songs from 1964-78)
My age at release: 35 or (1-13) 
How familiar am I with it: A couple songs
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: As Soon as I Hang up the Phone
Great Lyric:
"The girls in New York City they all march for women's lib
And Better Homes and Gardens shows the modern way to live
And the pill may change the world tomorrow but meanwhile today
Here in Topeka the flies are a buzzin', 
the dog is a barkin' and the floor needs a scrubbin' " (One's on the Way)

During my time in Kingsville, Ontario (1975-1979) I heard a lot of country music. Kingsville was, at the time, a farming community of about 4000 people. Country Music radio stations were the norm. Whenever I would visit the homes of my friends, particularly my farming friends. Conway Twitty, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and, of course, Loretta Lynn.

I always thought that she sounded like a character in a DC comic because of her alliterative name ... Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Loretta Lynn. 

The movie Coal Miner's Daughter came out when I was 14. It was around that time that I was becoming aware of film as an art form and my interest in movies was changing. Between 1977 and 1979 I would go with my friends to the Leamington Bijou Theatre to see blockbuster action & comedy films: Star Wars, Grease, Superman, Every Which Way but Loose or The Jerk.

I was starting to notice and gain an interest in more complex films. I started to want to see dramas with rich, layered characters performed by Oscar nominated actors. I was ready for longer, slower scenes built around mood and dialogue. I was also desperate to be able to see R-rated films. At that time - before commercial VHS players - it was nearly impossible to get into a movie with an adult rating. 1980 marked a turning point because we moved to London - a city with a population of about 250,000. Suddenly, R-rated movies were accessible to me because...

• I made friends with people who had access to a car, so Drive Ins became an option (ID was checked far less often when you were holding up a line of cars waiting to get in.)
• I also had friends who worked at movie theatres - they would sometimes be allowed to give out free passes to a movie...or would sneak you in the back door.
• Multi-plexes arrived - I would pay to see The Blues Brothers...watch it... then sneak into the next screening of The Blue Lagoon. A box office giant that was fuelled by its provocative and controversial content - which it needed, because it is awful. Even at 14, I knew this was a bomb.
  
• There was a Revival House theatre called The New Yorker and it showed all the R-rated movies I'd wanted to see, but couldn't. A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Mad Max, The Warriors, Apocalypse Now were very popular with my group. Additionally, if you bought a monthly pass, you saved on ticket purchases and never got asked for ID. I think there was a certain respect they gave to any kid who would become a monthly subscriber at an art house theatre. 

"If he's mature enough to buy the pass - he must be mature enough for Monty Python's Life of Brian." 

It was at the New Yorker that I saw Coal Miner's Daughter. I knew I was watching some great performances - Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones & Beverly D'Angelo - but the movie wasn't as great as I would have hoped. I suspect I might have still been a little too young to deeply understand the themes of poverty, isolation, fidelity, domestic violence & sudden celebrity. I might watch it again - I wonder if it has aged well. 

This record, All Time Greatest Hits, seemed an unusual choice for the Rolling Stone list. It isn't an album - it's a collection of songs from many albums. Somehow, that seems like cheating. If you looked at the number of tracks and their length, you'd think this was a punk album. Only 5 of the 22 songs are longer than 3 minutes and 4 of those 5 are under 3:07. 

I've listened through it three times and I've enjoyed it - There is a sweet unassailable charm to many of the songs. As I said to a friend on the weekend, "it's the palate cleanser I didn't know I needed" particularly after writing about the psychedelic assault of Maggot Brain by Funkadelic and the violent, drug fuelled Mafioso-Rap world imagined in Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Links.

In many ways, it took me back to a simpler time, playing with Mego Action Figures and Atari's Breakout Video Game in the farmhouse rec-room of my friend John Barnett. His mother cooking in the kitchen and songs like these on the radio. 

Things I learned...

• The White Stripes album White Blood Cells, which I wrote about earlier was dedicated to her.
• She took on controversial topics in her writing. Rated X is about the double standard divorced women face, Wings upon your Horns is about the loss of teenage virginity and The Pill is about contraception. 
• Politically, she has supported Democrats and Republicans and seems to take a centrist view on many issues.
• She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.