"American Triangle" by Elton John

Elton John is one of the greatest musicians of our time. An extraordinary pianist and singer, he's maintained a presence on the top 100 chart for 31 years in a row. He's ranked in the top 10 most successful artists across three decades: Elton John was #1 in the 70s, #10 in the 80s, and #9 in the 90s, making him the 5th most successful artist of all-time.

His first top 100 appearance was "Border Song," which just barely cracked the charts at #92 in 1970. But then came "Your Song" and everything changed. "Your Song" topped out at #8 in late 1970 and the rest is history. Elton John has racked up 8 #1 hits, the first in 1972 with "Crocodile Rock" and the last in 1997 with "Candle in the Wind 1997," a reworking of his earlier hit about Marilyn Monroe to be a tribute to Princess Diana. "Candle in the Wind 1997" would remain #1 for a historic 14 weeks to become the best selling song ever.

His last chart appearance occurred in 2000 when "Someday Out of the Blue (Theme from El Dorado)" topped out at #49, giving him a top 100 song in each of four decades. He inexplicably hasn't seen the chart since, despite releasing some of the most compelling and beautiful work of his remarkable career.

"American Triangle" is one example - a brilliant and moving piece about the shocking murder of Matthew Shepard. The song comes from one of my favorite Elton John records, 2001's "Songs From The West Coast." Praised by many critics as a strong return to form, this record (his 26th!) should have marked another career comeback, sustained by two more wonderful releases during that decade: "Peachtree Road" and "The Captain and the Kid," a nod to his longstanding songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin.