The “landmark” album that changed Elton John’s life
As much as originality is the most pivotal ingredient to musical success, every artist, to varying degrees, is a product of their record collection, even if they are a singular talent like Elton John.
While John never went out of his way to replicate any of his heroes in a musical sense, there were a number of albums that he holds close to his heart that changed how he views songwriting and implemented the foundations of pop prowess inside his brain.
John was a prodigal musical talent who could play the piano at an age before many of his peers could even read. It was clear that music, whether as a session musician or a star, was the path ahead of him, and he soaked up as many records as he could get his hands on.
Few acts touched him more than The Beach Boys, especially their seminal record Pet Sounds. The album redefined the musical landscape, kicking The Beatles up the backside to take an experimental leap forward and create the best work of their career.
It’s also a record that proved detrimental to Brian Wilson’s well-being, who pushed himself to the limit in pursuit of greatness. The tale of Pet Sounds is one of human sacrifice, which successfully changed how pop music is created forever.
Like countless others, Elton was immediately awe-struck when he first heard the record. To this day, it’s an album that John adores greatly as a fan and is eternally grateful for from an artistic perspective, thanks to it reinventing the music wheel. Suddenly, after hearing Pet Sounds, anything felt possible, and boundaries had become non-existent.
“Pet Sounds is a landmark album,” John is quoted as saying on Brian Wilson’s official website. “For me to say that I was enthralled would be an understatement.”
John continued: “I had never heard such magical sounds, so amazingly recorded. It undoubtedly changed the way that I, and countless others, approached recording. It is a timeless and amazing recording of incredible genius and beauty.”
Furthermore, the two acts joined forces for a mammoth show at Wembley Stadium in 1975 for one of the biggest nights in the history of British pop music. At the seismic occasion, The Beach Boys also provided backing vocals on the official recording of the classic Elton track ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’.
Sadly, due to his mental health struggles, Wilson’s work at this time was limited to the studio, and he was unable to share the stage with Elton at Wembley. Thankfully, many decades later, John finally got his wish to sing with his hero in 2003 at a tribute event, which saw them share vocal duties on the Pet Sounds cut, ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’.
Following Wilson’s death, John explained how his musical inspiration was “so kind to me from the day I met him”, before noting, “I grew to love him as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever; he was a musical genius and revolutionary.”
His emotional eulogy continued, “He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever. A true giant”.
While John has now retired from touring and very rarely takes to the stage, he made an exception to honour Wilson in late 2025. At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, ‘The Rocketman’ performed a heart-wrenching cover of ‘God Only Knows’, giving The Beach Boys icon the send-off that he thoroughly deserved.
Even though it’s been 60 years since The Beach Boys illuminated his life, Elton’s admiration for Pet Sounds burns as bright as it ever did.
