Top 10 Elton John Album Covers

Photo: Uni/Universal City Records / Public domain via Creative Commons

Our Top 10 Elton John Album Covers article looks at some of the most magnificent album covers that have graced Elton John’s records throughout his career. It was challenging to pick only ten since Elton John released some great album covers. From incredibly detailed album covers like Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy to more straightforward but brilliant artistic covers like the Elton John album from 1970, those Elton John album covers became a part of our daily lives in the 1970s. We have also included Elton John’s live albums as consideration for our Top 10 Elton John Album Covers list. Every single Elton John album that has been officially released since his debut in 1969 is entitled Empty Sky, and his latest release is Diamonds, a compilation album released in 2017.

We first made a top 10 list covering all his official studio and live album releases to make it a little more fun. We then made a supplemental list covering all the compilations, box set covers, or anything officially released by Elton John that was not released as an original studio or live album. Of course, this is all in fun, but it does serve as a reminder for the casual fan who may have forgotten all the many great Elton John albums that were released while also serving as a means of discovery for those not familiar with many of these records.

Top 10 Elton John Studio Album Covers List

# 10 – Jump Up

We open up our Top 10 Elton John Album Covers list with an album cover that clearly defines early 1980s MTV-era Elton John.

# 9 – Blue Moves

Elton John’s most underrated album utilized an original painting called The Guardian Readers, created by a British artist, Patrick Procktor. This was a dramatically different album cover from his previous studio album, Rock Of The Westies.

# 8 – Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player

Elton John had such an incredible run between 1970 and 1976. This album was right in the middle of it. Another legendary cover with a spectacular gatefold that included a huge booklet loaded with pictures and lyrics for every song. It’s the best packaging ever released behind Captain Fantastic.

# 7 – Songs from the West Coast

Elton John’s Songs From The West Coast was Elton John’s best album in over twenty years. The cover was also a work of art. This was a welcome return, and I can’t believe it’s been over twenty years since it was released.

# 6 –Tumbleweed Connection

Amazingly, the artist who released the album Tumbleweed Connection was the same artist who released the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road just a few years later. Two completely different sounding records in melody voice and arrangement and two utterly different album covers that both represented their records perfectly. That was the genius of Elton John.

# 5 – Caribou

Elton John recorded three excellent albums at Caribou Ranch in Colorado. This cover was a tribute to that studio and screamed rock star to the high heavens.

# 4 – The Captain & the Kid

The 2006 sequel to Captain Fantastic defined on the cover that the legendary music of the 1970s was brought to fans by two brilliant minds, not just one.

# 3 – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a legendary cover that dominated our lives in the 1970s. How many times can you say the word “Masterpiece?”

# 2 – Elton John

Simple yet brilliant, this is an excellent album with a stunning cover that, for many, was the first glimpse of one of the greatest musical artists of all time.

# 1 – Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy

How many hours did you spend staring at this cover while listening to this brilliant album? This was not only Elton John’s greatest album cover; it was one of the greatest album covers ever released in Rock and Roll History. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy’s album cover was incredibly defined, presenting many of the concepts found in the album songs. The packaging that came with this album was extraordinary. We all treasured two beautiful booklets and a poster. However, in the end, this is an article based on album covers. Captain Fantastic was, hands down, the best!