Elton John

The Road To El Dorado (2000)

1.El Dorado
2.Someday Out of the Blue (Theme from El Dorado)
3.Without Question
4.Friends Never Say Goodbye
5.The Trail We Blaze
6.16th Century Man
7.The Panic in Me
8.It's Tough to be a God (w/Randy Newman)
9.Trust Me
10.My Heart Dances
11.Queen of Cities
12.Chelderado #
13.The Brig #
14.Wonders of the New World %

# composed by Hans Zimmer
% composed by John Powell

At a glance, The Road to El Dorado might seem like another sidestep in Elton John’s already diverse catalogue—a soundtrack for an animated film, aimed squarely at a younger demographic. But a closer listen reveals a project far more substantial than its modest cinematic performance might suggest. This wasn’t merely a job for hire—it was a reunion, a refinement, and, ultimately, one of Elton’s most unexpectedly rewarding releases of the era.

Reuniting with The Lion King collaborators Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer, Elton once again stepped into the animated film world. But unlike The Lion King, where he appeared on just a few vocal tracks, here he takes center stage—performing eleven of the fifteen tracks himself. It’s a more personal, more musically expansive outing, and it shows.

Unfortunately, the film itself failed to find a broad audience. DreamWorks had made a promising debut with The Prince of Egypt, but it lacked the marketing muscle of Disney, and El Dorado—despite its vibrant visuals and clever premise—was marred by concerns that it skewed too dark for its target audience. The lukewarm box office reception likely doomed any widespread recognition of its soundtrack.

Which is a shame, because The Road to El Dorado boasts some of the most varied and energized material Elton had recorded in years. Critics who had begun to label him a purveyor of soft ballads only needed to hear this to rethink that narrative. This isn’t an album of lullabies—it’s a vibrant, rhythmically charged collection that borrows liberally and lovingly from Latin influences while also nodding back to Elton’s own deep catalogue.

Sixteenth Century Man could easily have slipped onto Goodbye Yellow Brick Road with its sharp wit and vintage swagger. The Trail We Blaze has the dusty Americana flavor of Tumbleweed Connection, reimagined through a cinematic lens. Trust Me is a pure delight, echoing the late-’60s melodic charm of the Beatles—a period Elton has always acknowledged with affection.

The standout It’s Tough to Be a God, a duet with Randy Newman, is a brilliant piece of animated mischief. Equal parts Broadway and mariachi, it finds both singers in playful form, embracing the theatricality with winking charm. The title track and Friends Never Say Goodbye round out the highlights, blending narrative purpose with rich, tuneful composition.

The three instrumental pieces by Hans Zimmer—though brief—are equally strong, offering lush, Spanish-flavored interludes that complement the songs without disrupting the album’s flow. If anything, their brevity is the only complaint—they hint at broader themes and emotions, then vanish too quickly.

Had The Road to El Dorado received the attention it deserved, it might have stood as one of the most musically adventurous projects of Elton’s late ’90s period. Instead, it remains something of a hidden gem—tucked between higher-profile albums, but bursting with creativity and range. For those who enjoyed The Lion King, this is not a simple reprise. It’s something altogether more ambitious and musically satisfying.

A pleasant surprise—and a soundtrack that, for once, outshines the film it came from.

Go back to the main page
Go To The Next Review