With our second round pick, 32nd overall, AliceLoveGarden after much deliberation and several minutes of technical difficulties is proud to select in the category of the UK (for now 
) Sir Elton John.
Everyone knows the Elton songs that are played on the radio: Philadelphia Freedom, Crocodile Rock Bennie and the Jets, Candle in the Wind...maybe Daniel if you're lucky....you won't find those songs in my youtube links. There is so much more to Elton John's catalog. In fact, I haven't even digested as much as I want to yet. Along with writing partner Bernie Taupin, Elton John has created a massive body of work that rivals that of any artist in rock history. If you're not a huge Elton John fan and aren't familiar with anything much beyond the radio friendly hits do yourself a favor and dig deeper. You can start with my youtube links! But first, a little wiki info...
Sir Elton Hercules John CBE[1] [2] (born
Reginald Kenneth Dwight on
25 March 1947) is an
English pop/
rock singer,
composer and
pianist.
In his four-decade
career, John has been one of the dominant forces in rock and popular music, especially during the 1970s. He has sold more than 250 million albums[
citation needed] and over one hundred million singles,
[3] making him one of the most successful artists of all time. He has more than 50
Top 40 hits including seven consecutive #1 U.S. albums,
59 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10, 4 #2 hits, and nine #1 hits. He has won five
Grammy awards and one
Academy Award. His success has had a profound impact on
popular music and has contributed to the continued popularity of the piano in
rock and roll. In 2004,
Rolling Stone ranked him #49 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
[4]
Some of the characteristics of John's musical talent include an ability to quickly craft melodies for the lyrics of songwriting partner
Bernie Taupin, his former rich
tenor (now
baritone) voice, his classical and
gospel-influenced piano, the aggressive
orchestral arrangements of
Paul Buckmaster among others and the
flamboyant fashions, outlandishly excessive eye glasses, and on-stage showmanship, especially evident during the 1970s.
John was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994