Elton John’s Monumental Career: Five Decades Of Amazing ArtistryAs Elton John wound down his final farewell concert on July 8, 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden, he delivered a heartfelt message to his fans. While announcing that he would not be going on tour again, he expressed that it has been his “pure joy” to have performed live for his fans for 52 years. The now 78-year-old legend also thanked his band and crew, dedicating his performance of “Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me” to them. The global superstar artist closed the show with “Goodbye Yellow Brick ...
1970 Elton John Debut RIAA Award To Elton Up For SaleAn iconic RIAA Gold Album award has come onto the market for Elton John's April 1970 American debut. The award sports the special -- are rare -- feature that it is presented to Sir Elton himself. This is the album that started it all for Elton in the USA since his U.K.-released debut album Empty Sky was not released in the U.S. until 1975. This also made his self-titled album his first RIAA Gold record in the USA. The album's track list included iconic breakthrough hit "Your Son...
Elton John Biopic "Rocketman" To Premiere Late MayElton John is the latest rock musician to have their life brought to the big screen. Rocketman tells the story of John’s life beginning with his time as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his musical partnership with Bernie Taupin. The film will also explore John’s battles with depression, substance abuse, and acceptance of his sexual orientation. Starring as Elton John will be Taron Egerton,who also lent his own vocals to the role. The British actor has previously sung John’s “I...
Live Aid Turns 41: Revisiting the Day Music Tried to Save the WorldCan you believe it’s been 41 years since Live Aid? On July 13, 1985, the world witnessed a global jukebox like no other. Broadcast to nearly two billion people across 150 countries, this monumental charity concert didn’t just change music history — it tried to change the world. Now, four decades later, we’re still recalling with awe Queen’s electrifying set and marveling at how rock stars briefly became superheroes. The Day The World Tuned In Back in the mid-80s, famine ravaged Ethiopia. BBC...
This Week In Music History Mar 24-Apr 6The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com. Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history! MAR 25: Happy birthday to Elton John! The legendary British singer, songwriter, and pianist is known for his flamboyant style and timeless music. Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in Pinner, England, he developed a passion for music at an early age and later adopted the stage name "Elton John." His breakthrough came in the early 1970s with hits lik...
The Top Music Producers In The World: 1960–1990We can’t do it. That is, we can’t rank these amazing producers in any kind of order, so we’ve chosen alpha… Each of these producers, from an array of genres (albeit focusing on pop, rock, and R&B), has created an incredible body of work. Or, in many cases, created recordings that broke new ground. Many of them worked across many genres throughout their careers, sprinkling their studio magic dust to create—along with the artist—sonically pure, startlingly great, and simply fantastic record...
Diamond: Exploring The RIAA's Most Prestigious AwardOn March 16, 1999 the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the organization that issues music product sales awards, launched the RIAA Diamond Award program. It was created to recognize albums which have achieved the impressive milestone of selling 10 million copies or more in the U.S. The award was designed by renowned crystal designer Peter Yenawine. Yenawine was a (continued below...) ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ...
Top 10 Best Selling Soundtrack AlbumsEveryone has had the experience of loving a film soundtrack. Sometimes the music in a scene literally makes the movie. And some movie soundtracks have become epically successful, selling millions of copies. Here's a look at the top selling soundtrack albums of all time ranked by U.S. sales. Notably, other than a few massive-selling Bollywood soundtracks, this top 10 pretty much mirrors the world rankings as well. _________________________________________________________________________...
Top 10 Most Valuable Handwritten Song LyricsHandwritten song lyrics hold a special place in the world of music memorabilia, often fetching millions due to their connection to iconic songs and legendary artists. Lyric sheets provide a rare glimpse into the creative process, showcasing raw ideas, edits, and sometimes showcase doodles as well. Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac also displayed her drawing talents in this handwritten lyric sheet for "Songbird" Why are handwritten lyrics so valuable? Many of these songs have defined e...
Rare and Unusual: The Oddest Music Memorabilia Items Ever Sold at AuctionIn the world of music memorabilia, collectors and enthusiasts often seek out items that hold a special connection to their favorite artists or moments in music history. While guitars, costumes, and handwritten lyrics are common, some items that have been auctioned off are truly unique and even bizarre. From strands of hair to a pizza plate, here are some of the oddest music memorabilia items ever sold at auction: Elvis Presley’s Hair In 2002, a lock of Elvis Presley’s hair fetched a surpris...
Who Has The Most Gold and Platinum Records Of All Time? UPDATEDAs of January 2025, the ranking of artists by the number of Gold and Platinum record awards issued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reflects their monumental commercial success and enduring influence. Also: Check out these two videos on our MusicGoldmine YouTube™ channel for more information, interesting facts and stories (you can watch these videos right here or view them on YouTube): The RIAA awards Gold and Platinum certifications based on sales attained in the Uni...
New Line Of Mini Guitars Available: The Mini AxeMusicGoldmine.com has become an authorized dealer for a new line of mini guitars, adding to its existing selection of collectible mini instruments. The Mini Axe™ lineup includes an impressive collection of fully licensed mini guitars from artists including Bon Jovi, Elton John, Foreigner, Def Leppard, Megadeth, Mötley Crüe, and the Rolling Stones, plus some other special custom designs. Designed with meticulous attention to detail and vibrant, high quality artwork, each mini guitar comes wit...
Elton John’s Monumental Career: Five Decades Of Amazing Artistry
As Elton John wound down his final farewell concert on July 8, 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden, he delivered a heartfelt message to his fans. While announcing that he would not be going on tour again, he expressed that it has been his “pure joy” to have performed live for his fans for 52 years. The now 78-year-old legend also thanked his band and crew, dedicating his performance of “Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me” to them. The global superstar artist closed the show with “Goodbye Yellow Brick ...
1970 Elton John Debut RIAA Award To Elton Up For Sale
An iconic RIAA Gold Album award has come onto the market for Elton John's April 1970 American debut. The award sports the special -- are rare -- feature that it is presented to Sir Elton himself. This is the album that started it all for Elton in the USA since his U.K.-released debut album Empty Sky was not released in the U.S. until 1975. This also made his self-titled album his first RIAA Gold record in the USA. The album's track list included iconic breakthrough hit "Your Son...
Elton John Biopic "Rocketman" To Premiere Late May
Elton John is the latest rock musician to have their life brought to the big screen. Rocketman tells the story of John’s life beginning with his time as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his musical partnership with Bernie Taupin. The film will also explore John’s battles with depression, substance abuse, and acceptance of his sexual orientation. Starring as Elton John will be Taron Egerton,who also lent his own vocals to the role. The British actor has previously sung John’s “I...
Live Aid Turns 41: Revisiting the Day Music Tried to Save the World
Can you believe it’s been 41 years since Live Aid? On July 13, 1985, the world witnessed a global jukebox like no other. Broadcast to nearly two billion people across 150 countries, this monumental charity concert didn’t just change music history — it tried to change the world. Now, four decades later, we’re still recalling with awe Queen’s electrifying set and marveling at how rock stars briefly became superheroes. The Day The World Tuned In Back in the mid-80s, famine ravaged Ethiopia. BBC...
This Week In Music History Mar 24-Apr 6
The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com. Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history! MAR 25: Happy birthday to Elton John! The legendary British singer, songwriter, and pianist is known for his flamboyant style and timeless music. Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in Pinner, England, he developed a passion for music at an early age and later adopted the stage name "Elton John." His breakthrough came in the early 1970s with hits lik...
The Top Music Producers In The World: 1960–1990
We can’t do it. That is, we can’t rank these amazing producers in any kind of order, so we’ve chosen alpha… Each of these producers, from an array of genres (albeit focusing on pop, rock, and R&B), has created an incredible body of work. Or, in many cases, created recordings that broke new ground. Many of them worked across many genres throughout their careers, sprinkling their studio magic dust to create—along with the artist—sonically pure, startlingly great, and simply fantastic record...
Diamond: Exploring The RIAA's Most Prestigious Award
On March 16, 1999 the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the organization that issues music product sales awards, launched the RIAA Diamond Award program. It was created to recognize albums which have achieved the impressive milestone of selling 10 million copies or more in the U.S. The award was designed by renowned crystal designer Peter Yenawine. Yenawine was a (continued below...) ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ...
Top 10 Best Selling Soundtrack Albums
Everyone has had the experience of loving a film soundtrack. Sometimes the music in a scene literally makes the movie. And some movie soundtracks have become epically successful, selling millions of copies. Here's a look at the top selling soundtrack albums of all time ranked by U.S. sales. Notably, other than a few massive-selling Bollywood soundtracks, this top 10 pretty much mirrors the world rankings as well. _________________________________________________________________________...
Top 10 Most Valuable Handwritten Song Lyrics
Handwritten song lyrics hold a special place in the world of music memorabilia, often fetching millions due to their connection to iconic songs and legendary artists. Lyric sheets provide a rare glimpse into the creative process, showcasing raw ideas, edits, and sometimes showcase doodles as well. Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac also displayed her drawing talents in this handwritten lyric sheet for "Songbird" Why are handwritten lyrics so valuable? Many of these songs have defined e...
Rare and Unusual: The Oddest Music Memorabilia Items Ever Sold at Auction
In the world of music memorabilia, collectors and enthusiasts often seek out items that hold a special connection to their favorite artists or moments in music history. While guitars, costumes, and handwritten lyrics are common, some items that have been auctioned off are truly unique and even bizarre. From strands of hair to a pizza plate, here are some of the oddest music memorabilia items ever sold at auction: Elvis Presley’s Hair In 2002, a lock of Elvis Presley’s hair fetched a surpris...
Who Has The Most Gold and Platinum Records Of All Time? UPDATED
As of January 2025, the ranking of artists by the number of Gold and Platinum record awards issued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reflects their monumental commercial success and enduring influence. Also: Check out these two videos on our MusicGoldmine YouTube™ channel for more information, interesting facts and stories (you can watch these videos right here or view them on YouTube): The RIAA awards Gold and Platinum certifications based on sales attained in the Uni...
New Line Of Mini Guitars Available: The Mini Axe
MusicGoldmine.com has become an authorized dealer for a new line of mini guitars, adding to its existing selection of collectible mini instruments. The Mini Axe™ lineup includes an impressive collection of fully licensed mini guitars from artists including Bon Jovi, Elton John, Foreigner, Def Leppard, Megadeth, Mötley Crüe, and the Rolling Stones, plus some other special custom designs. Designed with meticulous attention to detail and vibrant, high quality artwork, each mini guitar comes wit...
