On This Day, July 15, 1972: Elton John lands his first #1 album with ‘Honky Château’

On This Day, July 15, 1972…

Elton John topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart with his fifth studio album, Honky Château.

The album, named after Château d’Hérouville, the 18th century French chateau where it was recorded, was Elton’s first #1 album, spending five weeks on top the chart.

Honky Château featured future Elton classics “Rocket Man” and “Honky Cat,” which were both top-10 hits.

The album was the first of seven consecutive #1 albums from Elton, his last being Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy in 1975.

Elton reissued Honky Château in 2023 for its 50th anniversary, with outtakes from the original recording sessions, as well as eight live recordings from 1972.

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