On This Day, June 7, 1975: Elton John’s ‘Captain Fantastic’ becomes the first album to debut at #1

On This Day, June 7, 1975 …

Elton John’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy became the first album in history to debut at #1 on the Billboard chart. The album remained at #1 for seven weeks.

The record, Elton’s ninth studio album, included the classic “Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” inspired by Elton’s near marriage to his then-girlfriend.

The album was certified Gold by the RIAA before its May 19 release and went on to sell 1.4 million copies in its first four days of release. 

The album also went on to spawn the 2006 sequel, The Captain and the Kid.

In total, Elton has had seven #1 albums in the U.S., his last one coming in 2002 with the compilation Greatest Hits 1970-2002.

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