Elton John

Diamonds (2017)

    
 
Disc One	
 1. Your Song
 2. Tiny Dancer
 3. Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a 
    Long Long Time)
 4. Honky Cat
 5. Crocodile Rock
 6. Daniel
 7. Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
 8. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
 9. Candle in the Wind
 10.Bennie and the Jets
 11.The Bitch is Back
 12.Philadelphia Freedom
 13.Island Gril
 14.Someone Saved My Life Tonight
 15.Don't Go Breaking My Heart
 16.Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
 17.Little Jeannie
 
Disc Two
 1. Song for Guy
 2. Blue Eyes
 3. I'm Still Standing
 4. I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues
 5. Sad Songs (Say So Much)
 6. Nikita
 7. I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That
 8. Sacrifice
 9. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Live)
 10.Something About the Way You Look Tonigh
 11.I Want Love
 12.Can You Feel the Love Tonight
 13.Are You Ready for Love?
 14.Electricity
 15.Home Again
 16.Looking Up
 
Disc Three (On Deluxe Release)
 1. Skyline Pigeon (Piano Version)
 2. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
 3. Pinball Wizard
 4. Mama Can't Buy You Love
 5. Part-Time Love
 6. Victim of Love
 7. Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)
 8. Kiss the Bride
 9. That's What Friends are For
 10.The One
 11.True Love
 12.Believe
 13.Live Like Horses
 14.Written in the Stars
 15.This Train Don't Stop There Anymore
 16.Good Morning to the Night
 17.Step Into Christmas 
 

If there’s one certainty in Elton John’s post-peak career, it’s this: every few years, someone will decide the world needs yet another greatest hits compilation. And like clockwork, Diamonds arrived in 2017, conveniently nudging its predecessors (Greatest Hits 1970–2002, Rocket Man: Number Ones, and so on) toward the digital scrapyard. Apparently, no era can pass without its own Elton anthology. New title, new artwork, same songs.

Now, if we’re being fair—and we should be—Diamonds is a solid retrospective. It does what it sets out to do: offer a slick, well-curated overview of Elton’s most celebrated work. But for anyone keeping score (or shelves), it’s hard not to view this as just another reshuffle of the same well-worn deck.

There are two main versions of the release: a standard two-disc set, and a deluxe three-disc edition. Naturally, the “bonus” disc on the deluxe version features several tracks that probably should have been on the standard edition to begin with. And vice versa. Which leads to the unavoidable suspicion that the goal here wasn’t to create the definitive Elton John compilation—it was to sell it twice.

Track selection is, unsurprisingly, strong—but not flawless. We’re treated to the essentials (Your Song, Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road), but there are some real head-scratchers too. Why, after all these years, is the live version of Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me still taking up space instead of the far superior original studio recording? One suspects it has more to do with sales history than musical merit. And let’s be honest—George Michael does most of the heavy lifting on that one.

Even with 50 years’ worth of material to choose from, some key cuts are missing. Deep cuts? Understandable. But big singles? Less so. The balance leans heavily on the obvious choices, with little risk or variety. If you’re looking for a fresh angle on Elton’s catalog, this won’t be the set that offers it.

All of that said, if this is your first Elton John compilation—or your first in a while—you could do worse. It covers a remarkable run, after all. The man has remained a presence on the charts and stages longer than most artists stay in the business. The songs, for the most part, are unimpeachable. Still, it’s hard not to wish that someone—maybe someone like me—had been asked to put this thing together. A little more thought, a little less marketing strategy, and Diamonds might have truly sparkled instead of just glinting under the department store lights.

Great music? Yes. Great compilation? Closer than some, but still not quite the one.