Elton John's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me' Ranked Among 'Best Soft Rock Songs'

Elton John's 1974 classic "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" was ranked No. 10 on Ultimate Classic Rock's collection of the 40 Best Soft Rock Songs ever recorded. The song marked a huge turning point for John's career, and remains one of his most iconic tracks today.

Written by John's long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" was released as the lead single from his eighth studio album, Caribou. The record was coming hot off the heels of his previous hit album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which is widely regarded as his best-ever work.

As such, John faced a huge amount of pressure to live up to the greatness of Yellow Brick Road and produce even more hit singles. Thankfully, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" proved that he was prepared to do exactly that. The track peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 16 on the U.K. Singles Chart.

The song ended up being Caribou's best-selling and most recognizable single, pushing the album to the top of the Billboard 200 for the fourth time in John's career. It was a continuation of the huge success that he'd found in the early '70s, proving that his legendary rock career wasn't going anywhere.

While "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" was an immediate success, it was still overshadowed by some of John's more ubiquitous hits-like "Crocodile Rock" or "Your Song". It wasn't until the Live Aid concert in 1985 that the song went down in history as one of John's most iconic when he performed it alongside George Michael.

This live version of the song became a massive hit, and the pair released an official version in 1991 that went straight to No. 1 in the United States and United Kingdom.

Notably, John's original studio recording also features backing vocals from Carl Wilson and Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys. Musical icons such as Brian Wilson, Cat Stevens, and Dusty Springfield were also supposed to feature, but were ultimately cut following a chaotic recording session.

On their ranking, UCR describes "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" as "an unconventional five-and-a-half-minute pop song [that] slowly builds to a grand exit, awash in harmonies, horns and bells." It remains one of Elton John's most beloved and memorable tracks even to this day.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 9:50 AM.