Elton John

Greatest Hits Volume 3 1979-1987 (1987)

1.I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues
2.Mama Can't Buy You Love
3.Little Jeannie
4.Sad Songs (Say So Much)
5.I'm Still Standing
6.Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)
7.Heartache all over the World
8.Too Low For Zero
9.Kiss the Bride
10.Blue Eyes
11.Nikita
12.Wrap Her Up

The arrival of Greatest Hits Volume III in 1987 was, in many ways, inevitable. Elton John had just closed the book on his tenure with Geffen Records, and nothing marks the end of a contract quite like a tidy compilation. But where the first two Greatest Hits sets had the benefit of cohesion, clarity, and a near-embarrassment of riches to choose from, Volume III finds itself weighed down by the inconsistencies of the material it draws from. After all, the years 1976 to 1985 were as turbulent as they were prolific.

The compilation spans a nine-year stretch of career highs, commercial missteps, and creative wandering. And unfortunately, the track selection reflects that unevenness. For every inspired inclusion, there’s a head-scratcher lurking nearby.

The only track exclusive to this release is Mama Can’t Buy You Love, a minor chart hit from 1978 that originally appeared on the Thom Bell Sessions—a curious choice, more notable for its rarity than its resonance. The rest are lifted from studio albums, with Too Low for Zero dominating the set, offering four cuts: I’m Still Standing, I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues, Kiss the Bride, and the title track. All fair inclusions, with the first two in particular standing among Elton’s most enduring work of the decade.

From 21 at 33, we get Little Jeannie, a soft-rock ballad that earned its hit status, if not critical reverence. Jump Up! is represented by the heartfelt Empty Garden—his tribute to John Lennon—and the dreamy Blue Eyes, both well-chosen. Curiously, Breaking Hearts, one of Elton’s strongest ’80s efforts, is allotted just a single track—Sad Songs (Say So Much)—while Ice on Fire, far less deserving, supplies two: the almost tolerable Nikita and the unfortunate Wrap Her Up (a duet with George Michael that plays like a parody of itself). Most inexplicable of all is the inclusion of Heartache All Over the World from Leather Jackets, a song that barely made a ripple upon release and hasn’t aged well enough to merit reconsideration.

Perhaps sensing that the compilation lacked polish, the label later reissued the collection under a new title: Elton John’s Greatest Hits 1976–1986. This revised edition wisely made several adjustments. Heartache All Over the World was jettisoned, as was Too Low for Zero, and in their place came the peppy Who Wears These Shoes from Breaking Hearts, along with two tracks pulled from Greatest Hits Volume II—Don’t Go Breaking My Heart and Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word. A strange reshuffling, yes, but undeniably a better listen.

In the end, Greatest Hits Volume III serves less as a definitive statement and more as a snapshot of a complex era—an Elton in flux, balancing chart ambition with personal upheaval. It lacks the surgical precision of the first two collections but still manages to gather enough highlights to justify its existence. Just don’t expect a flawless retrospective. For that, look elsewhere—or wait for the box set.

Go back to the main page
Go To Next Review