10 Perfect Rock Songs From 1971

10. Tiny Dancer - Elton John

Just because rock was growing up doesn't mean that we had lost our taste for the poppy side of the genre. Up until the late '70s, there were tons of power pop acts as well as people from the prog and hard rock worlds trying to dip their toes into more easy listening territory than what they were known for. Even though Elton John's wardrobe doesn't fall anywhere near 'easy,' Tiny Dancer goes down so much better with each repeated listen.

Before you even get to the proper song though, it's amazing to think that Elton was able to sneak this onto the radio. Standing at 6 full minutes, there has never been a single radio edit of this song, with most of the track sounding like a movie playing out in your mind as you listen to it. From the opening notes, you get a clear picture of this lonely lady working for a rock band and having to deal with life on the road.

Outside of Bernie Taupin's excellent wordplay, the greatest strength is just how much Elton sells it, with a vocal performance that was much more than the mild mannered little kid who used to practice Beethoven and Bach in school. At a time when rock was supposed to get nastier, this madman across the water made us all get in touch with our vulnerable side.