Rocket Man ( song ) - wikipedia Rocket Man ( song ) For other songs of the same name, see Rocket Man ( disambiguation ) `` Rocket Man '' Single by Elton John from the album Honky Château B - side `` Susie ( Dramas ) '' Released 14 April 1972 ( 1972 - 04 - 14 ) Format Vinyl record ( 7 `` ) Recorded Château d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France ; mixed at Trident Studios, London Genre Soft rock Length 4 : 41 Label Uni ( US ) DJM ( UK ) Songwriter ( s ) Elton John, Bernie Taupin Producer ( s ) Gus Dudgeon Elton John singles chronology `` Tiny Dancer '' ( 1972 ) `` Rocket Man '' ( 1972 ) `` Honky Cat '' ( 1972 ) `` Tiny Dancer '' ( 1972 ) `` Rocket Man '' ( 1972 ) `` Honky Cat '' ( 1972 ) Audio sample file help `` Rocket Man '' ( officially titled `` Rocket Man ( I Think It 's Going to Be a Long, Long Time ) '' ) is a song composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and originally performed by John. The song first appeared on John 's 1972 album Honky Château and became a hit single, rising to No. 2 in the UK and No. 6 in the US. On 21 October 2016, the song was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry for sales of 200,000 digital downloads. Rolling Stone lists it as No. 245 of its 500 greatest songs of all time. Contents 1 Song information 2 Music video 3 Track listing 4 Personnel 5 Chart performance 5.1 Weekly singles charts 5.2 Year - end charts 6 Kate Bush version 6.1 Track listings 6.2 Personnel 6.3 Charts 7 David Fonseca version 7.1 Chart performance 8 Other cover versions 9 Use in media 10 Use in diplomacy 11 References 12 External links Song information The song was inspired by the short story `` The Rocket Man '' in The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury, and echoes the theme of David Bowie 's 1969 song `` Space Oddity '' ( both recordings were produced by Gus Dudgeon ). But according to an account in Elizabeth Rosenthal 's book His Song : The Musical Journey of Elton John, the song was inspired by Taupin 's sighting of either a shooting star or a distant aeroplane. The song describes a Mars - bound astronaut 's mixed feelings at leaving his family in order to do his job. Rosenthal 's account goes on to relate that the notion of astronauts no longer being perceived as heroes, but in fact as an `` everyday occupation '', led Taupin to the song 's opening lines : `` She packed my bags last night, pre-flight. Zero hour : 9 a.m. And I 'm gon na be high as a kite by then. '' Musically, the song is a highly arranged ballad anchored by piano, with atmospheric texture added by synthesizer ( played on the recording by engineer Dave Hentschel ) and processed slide guitar. It is also known for being the first song in John 's catalog to feature what would become the signature backing vocal combination of his band at the time, Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone. `` Rocket Man '' was ranked # 242 in the 2004 list of Rolling Stone 's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, though it dropped to # 245 in the list 's 2010 revision. Another song called `` Rocket Man '' ( and also based on Bradbury 's short story `` The Rocket Man '' ) was released by the musical group Pearls Before Swine on their 1970 album The Use of Ashes. In an interview in Billboard magazine, Taupin acknowledged that the song, written by Tom Rapp, had been a direct inspiration for his own lyrics. Rosenthal 's account indicates that Rapp 's lyrics were inspired by the writings of noted science - fiction author Ray Bradbury. Due to some similarities in Elton John 's `` Rocket Man, '' some presume this song might also be an allusion to David Bowie 's character Major Tom. Bowie himself made the connection during live performances of `` Space Oddity '' in which he called out, `` Oh, Rocket Man ! '' The first stanza of `` Rocket Man '' was thought of by Bernie Taupin whilst he was on the motorway heading to his parents ' home ; he had to `` repeat it to himself for two hours, '' which was `` unfortunate '', but in later interviews he said that since it gave him a hit, it was all worthwhile. The song has been a staple of John 's concerts. Among numerous other performances, John played `` Rocket Man '' at the launch site of Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998. The song includes the line, `` '' And I 'm gon na be high as a kite by then ``. The website Schmoop commented, `` The phrase `` high as a kite '' is a common idiom almost always used to refer to drug use. There 's nothing to suggest that lyricist Bernie Taupin really intended the double entendre, but the song did come out at the peak of stoner ' 70s culture. The usual meaning of the expression, which Taupin would have been familiar with, is highly intoxicated. Music video In May 2017, an official music video for `` Rocket Man '' premiered at the Cannes Film Festival as a winner of Elton John : The Cut, a competition organized in partnership with AKQA, Pulse Films, and YouTube in honour of the fiftieth anniversary of his songwriting relationship with Bernie Taupin. The competition called upon independent filmmakers to submit treatments for music videos for one of three Elton John songs from the 1970s, with each song falling within a specific concept category. `` Rocket Man '' was designated for the animation category, and was co-directed by Iranian refugee Majid Adin and Irish animation director Stephen McNally ; the video was inspired by Adin 's own migration to England, portraying a character envisioning himself as an astronaut to draw parallels between the song 's lyrics and the experiences of a refugee. Track listing All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. No. Title Length 1. `` Rocket Man '' 4 : 38 2. `` Suzie ( Dramas ) '' 3 : 21 In 2003, Universal Records released both a 12 - inch vinyl ( promotional only ) & CD maxi - single with three new remixes of the song : A. `` Rocket Man ( KDME remix ) '' - 4 : 20 B1. `` Rocket Man 03 '' - 4 : 01 B2. `` Rocket Man ( Royal Garden 's Radio mix ) '' - 4 : 19 Of these, `` Rocket Man 03 '' was also included on the Rocket / Island / Mercury EP `` Remixed, '' along with four other remixes of Elton recordings. Personnel Elton John -- piano, lead vocals Davey Johnstone -- electric slide & acoustic guitars, backing vocals Dee Murray -- bass, backing vocals Nigel Olsson -- drums, backing vocals David Hentschel -- ARP synthesizer Chart performance Weekly singles charts Chart ( 1972 ) Peak position Canada RPM Top Singles 8 German Singles Chart 18 Irish Singles Chart 6 Italian Singles Chart 6 New Zealand ( Listener ) 11 UK Singles Chart U.S. Billboard Hot 100 6 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 39 Chart ( 2008 ) Peak position Norwegian Singles Chart 18 Year - end charts Chart ( 1972 ) Rank U.S. Billboard 40 UK 44 Kate Bush version `` Rocket Man '' / `` Candle in the Wind '' Single by Kate Bush from the album Two Rooms : Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin A-side `` Candle in the Wind '' Released 25 November 1991 Format CD, vinyl record ( 7 '' and 12 `` ), audio cassette Genre Reggae, art rock Length 5 : 02 Label Mercury Songwriter ( s ) Elton John, Bernie Taupin Producer ( s ) Kate Bush Kate Bush singles chronology `` Love and Anger '' ( 1990 ) `` Rocket Man '' / `` Candle in the Wind '' ( 1991 ) `` Rubberband Girl '' ( 1993 ) `` Love and Anger '' ( 1990 ) `` Rocket Man '' ( 1991 ) `` Rubberband Girl '' ( 1993 ) Kate Bush released a cover of `` Rocket Man '' in 1991 as part of the Elton John / Bernie Taupin tribute album Two Rooms : Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin. Her reggae - inflected version of `` Rocket Man '' was a commercial success, reaching number 12 on the UK singles chart and number two in Australia ( held off the top spot by Julian Lennon 's `` Saltwater '' ). In 2007, the track won The Observer readers ' award for Greatest Cover of all time. The B - side of the single was Bush 's recording of another Elton John classic, `` Candle in the Wind. '' From the age of 11, Elton John was my biggest hero. I loved his music, had all his albums and I hoped one day I 'd play the piano like him ( I still do ). When I asked to be involved in this project and was given the choice of a track it was like being asked ' would you like to fulfill a dream ? would you like to be Rocket Man ? '... yes, I would. -- Kate Bush Track listings All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. 7 '' vinyl / cassette single No. Title Length 1. `` Rocket Man '' 5 : 02 2. `` Candle in the Wind '' 4 : 29 12 '' vinyl / CD single No. Title Length 1. `` Rocket Man '' 5 : 02 2. `` Candle in the Wind '' 4 : 29 3. `` Candle in the Wind '' ( Instrumental version ) 4 : 28 Personnel All titles : Kate Bush -- keyboards, vocals, producer Del Palmer -- engineer Additional musicians on `` Rocket Man '' : Davy Spillane -- uilleann pipes Del Palmer -- bass Alistair Anderson -- concertina Charlie Morgan -- drums Alan Murphy -- guitar Charts Chart ( 1991 -- 1992 ) Peak position Australian ARIA Singles Chart Dutch Single Top 100 27 Dutch Top 40 22 French SNEP Singles Chart 45 German Singles Chart 36 Irish Singles Chart 17 Swiss Singles Chart 20 UK Singles Chart 12 U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 11 David Fonseca version `` Rocket Man '' Single by David Fonseca from the album Dreams in Colour Released 2007 Format Digital download, Radio Recorded 2007 Genre Soft rock Length 4 : 38 Label Universal Records Songwriter ( s ) Elton John, Bernie Taupin David Fonseca singles chronology `` Superstars '' ( 2007 ) `` Rocket Man '' ( 2007 ) `` Kiss Me, Oh Kiss Me '' ( 2007 ) `` Superstars '' ( 2007 ) `` Rocket Man '' ( 2007 ) `` Kiss Me, Oh Kiss Me '' ( 2007 ) Music video `` Rocket Man '' on YouTube The Portuguese singer David Fonseca released his version of the song as a single in Portugal reaching # 12 in the Portuguese Top 20. The song, full title `` Rocket Man ( I Think It 's Going To Be A Long, Long Time ) '', also appears on David Fonseca 's third album Dreams in Colour released in 2007 and on the Dreams in Colour : Tour Edition released in 2008. The music video was directed by David Fonseca himself. Fonseca also regularly performs the single live in his concerts. Chart performance Chart ( 2007 ) Peak Position Portuguese Singles Chart ( Top 20 ) 12 Other cover versions This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. ( June 2017 ) At the 5th Saturn Awards Ceremony, which aired as the Science Fiction Film Awards in January 1978, Taupin introduced William Shatner 's spoken word interpretation of the song. It used chroma key video techniques to simultaneously portray three different images of Shatner, representing the different facets of the Rocket Man 's character. The performance built up a cult following, and was parodied on the U.S. animated series Animaniacs, Family Guy, Freakazoid !, Futurama, The Simpsons, the Canadian CGI series ReBoot, and in the video for `` Where It 's At '' by Beck. On a 1992 episode of Late Night with David Letterman, Chris Elliott parodied Shatner 's performance, complete with chroma key effects. Shatner re-recorded the song for his 2011 album, Seeking Major Tom. In his book What Were They Thinking ? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History, author David Hofstede ranked Shatner 's performance at # 17 on the list. Hank Marvin did an instrumental of the song on his 1993 album Heartbeat. The John Tesh Project featuring Brandon Fields on saxophone, covered the song from their 1997 album `` Sax All Night. '' Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their 1998 album The A-Files : Alien Songs. On the radio show This American Life episode `` Classifieds '' ( 2002 ), a group of amateur musicians who had been found through their classified ads were brought together for one day to rehearse and record `` Rocket Man '' in a studio. The free MP3 is available online. Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips and Maynard James Keenan of Puscifer, Tool ( band ) and A Perfect Circle released a cover of the track `` Rocket Man '' for the soundtrack of the 2009 documentary `` The Heart is a Drum Machine. '' The song was released for digital download from the iTunes Store on 15 October 2010. The track can also be heard on Puscifer 's website with the title `` Rocket Mantastic. '' Daphne Rubin - Vega released a Dance version in 2003 which reached the Club play charts Matthew Morrison, from Glee, recorded a duet of the song with Elton John on his eponymous debut album in 2011. Neil Diamond covered this song live ; a recording of this cover can be found on his album Stages : Performances 1970 -- 2002. At the Saturday night concert at PAX Prime 2012, Paul and Storm, accompanied by Jonathan Coulton, Hank Green, MC Frontalot, John Roderick, and Jason Finn performed the song as a tribute to the late Neil Armstrong, who died a week prior. Featured on the album Bluegrass Tribute to Classic Rock in 2007, performed by Iron Horse. Country music quartet Little Big Town covered the song as part of the 2018 tribute album Restoration : Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The band performed the song live on the I 'm Still Standing Grammy telecast, the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards and on their 2018 The Breakers Tour. The internet - based synth - pop comedy band Ninja Sex Party on their second cover album Under the Covers, Vol. II. Rapper Young Thug released a version titled titled `` Elton Likes Me ( Rocket Man ), '' which credits John as a featured artist. Use in media This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. ( June 2017 ) `` Rocket Man '' has been featured in several films and television series. Notable uses in cinema include the 1996 action film The Rock, Disney 's 1997 comedy film RocketMan, the 1998 biography film Without Limits, the science fiction film K - PAX ( 2001 ), the 2017 action spy comedy Kingsman : The Golden Circle, which also stars John as himself, and the closing credits of The Astronaut Farmer ( 2007 ). The song was briefly sung by an Binome named Captain Quirk in the first season of the Mainframe Entertainment series ReBoot in the episode Talent Night. The song was used in a 1997 AT&T commercial showing a man on a business trip sending his wife a goodnight fax from an airplane and then speaking to her from the phone in the airplane seat back. The song has been used in several television series, including episodes of the FX show Nip / Tuck, Life on Mars, episode 3 - 3 of Six Feet Under, episode 3 - 08 of Cold Case, episode 3 - 11 of Numb3rs ( `` Killer Chat '' ), the Eurovision episode of the Greek comedy series The song was also played during the 40th and 45th anniversaries of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing and the day after the death of Neil Armstrong in the Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts in Anaheim, California and Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The Norwegian company Statoil also used the song for one of their commercials, part of the song being covered by Silje Gulbrandsen Hagen and the latter part sung by Elton John. In the song `` Home Life '' by John Mayer, he sings `` I am not a rocket man, '' a reference to the song. When Elton John and fellow singer - pianist Billy Joel tour together, their concerts are often billed as `` Rocket Man Meets Piano Man, '' the latter being a reference to one of Joel 's well - known hits. In the computer game World of Warcraft, a large rocket is under construction at the town of Area 52 ( an obvious pun on Area 51 ). Occasionally, a non-player character called `` Experimental Pilot '' walks up to one of the workers and a conversation starts between the two, the dialogue being based on the lyrics to `` Rocket Man ''. In a fifth - season episode of The Big Bang Theory, Howard Wolowitz changes the ringtone on his phone to this in order to convince his fellow astronauts to give him the call sign `` Rocketman. '' The plan backfires when, during a Skype call with NASA, Howard 's mother ( off screen ) announces that his Froot Loops are getting soggy, causing the other astronauts to use the sobriquet `` FruitLoops '' instead. The song was used in a 2017 Samsung advertisement. In May 2015, the song is used at the end of The Blacklist as Liz and Red head out of town in the final episode of the season S02E22 In February 2018, Jim Bob 's Music Massacre dissected the lyrics in S01 E01 after identifying that they did not quite make sense. Use in diplomacy In September 2017, President Donald J. Trump referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong - Un as `` Rocket Man '' in one of his tweets, in apparent reference to the song. At their 2018 summit in Singapore, Kim Jong - Un reportedly asked about the nickname, to which Trump asked if he was familiar with the song. In July 2018, some media sources reported that when Mike Pompeo went to North Korea on a diplomatic trip, he brought a CD of the song, autographed by Trump, as a gift to Kim ; this was later denied by the State Department. References Jump up ^ `` The top 50 greatest covers as voted by you ''. Archived from the original on 11 August 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2016. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ). The Observer. Jump up ^ On `` David Bowie BBC Sessions 1969 - 1972 '', Bowie is clearly heard calling out `` Oh, Rocket Man ! '' Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ `` Rocket Man by Majid Adin & Stephen McNally Elton John Music Video ''. Directors Notes. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018. Jump up ^ `` Blinkink - Stephen McNally - Elton John - ' Rocket Man ' ''. www.blinkink.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2018. Jump up ^ `` WATCH : Elton John and Bernie Taupin 's ' Tiny Dancer, ' ' Rocket Man ' and ' Bennie and the Jets ' Just Got New Music Videos ''. People.com. Retrieved 26 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Elton John Premieres Three Music Videos for His ' 70s Classics ''. Out Magazine. Retrieved 26 May 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` charts-surfer.de search results ''. Retrieved 18 February 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` irishcharts.ie search results ''. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` I singoli più venduti del 1972 '' ( in Italian ). Jump up ^ `` flavour of new zealand - search listener ''. Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 7 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` Chart Stats - Elton John - Rocket Man ''. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` AllMusic ( Elton John > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles ) ''. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1993 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 -- 1993. Record Research. p. 122. Jump up ^ `` norwegiancharts.com - Elton John - Rocket Man ( I Think It 's Going To Be A Long Long Time ) ''. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1972 / Top 100 Songs of 1972 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 7 October 2016. Jump up ^ 1972 in British music # Best - selling singles Jump up ^ `` The Observer - The top 50 greatest covers as voted by you ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 February 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` back side of single sleeve ''. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` australian-charts.com - Kate Bush - Rocket Man ( I Think It 's Going To Be A Long, Long Time ) ''. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` dutchcharts.nl - Kate Bush - Rocket Man ( I Think It 's Going To Be A Long, Long Time ) ''. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` De Nederlandse Top 40, week 3, 1992 ( Dutch ) ''. Archived from the original on 26 July 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` lescharts.com - Kate Bush - Rocket Man ( I Think It 's Going To Be A Long, Long Time ) ''. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` Kate Bush - Rocket Man ( I Think It 's Going To Be A Long, Long Time ) - hitparade.ch ''. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` Chart Stats - Kate Bush - Rocket Man ''. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` allmusic ( Kate Bush > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles ) ''. Jump up ^ `` David Fonseca - `` Rocket Man '' ``. YouTube. 16 November 2007. Retrieved 7 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` YouTube ''. YouTube. Retrieved 7 October 2016. Jump up ^ Davies, Sophie ( 26 January 2008 ). `` Man of Enterprise - Times Online ''. The Times. London. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ David Hofstede ( 2004 ). What Were They Thinking ? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History. Back Stage Books. pp. 168 -- 169. ISBN 0 - 8230 - 8441 - 8. Jump up ^ `` Sax All Night overview ''. Allmusic.com. Jump up ^ `` The A-Files : Alien Songs -- The Chipmunks ''. Jump up ^ `` MP3 Podcast ''. Podcast.thisamericanlife.org. Retrieved 7 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` : : : puscifer : : : ''. 21 June 2007. Archived from the original on 21 June 2007. Jump up ^ `` Daphne Rubin - Vega - Chart history ''. Billboard. 1 November 2003. Retrieved 7 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` Entertainment News & latest headlines from AOL ''. Popeater.com. Retrieved 7 October 2016. Jump up ^ Pickin ' On Series & Iron Horse, Rocket Man, retrieved 2 November 2016 Jump up ^ `` Marketing Campaign Case Studies : IT 'S ALL WITHIN YOUR REACH CAMPAIGN ''. marketing-case-studies.blogspot.ca. Retrieved 13 May 2018. Jump up ^ `` AT&T ( Elton John 's Rocket Man ) - Retro Junk Commercial ''. www.retrojunk.com. Jump up ^ `` Morgenutgaven - Morgendagens helter ( Norwegian ) ''. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` Experimental Pilot - NPC - World of Warcraft ''. Retrieved 2 December 2012. Jump up ^ Samsung 's strangest ad yet : Gear VR video shows an OSTRICH donning the firm 's headset and learning to fly, Daily Mail, 31 March 2017 Jump up ^ `` JimBob 's Music Massacre Podcast S01 E01 - Jim Bobs Music Massacre Podcast ''. Jim Bobs Music Massacre Podcast. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018. Jump up ^ https://www.vox.com/world/2018/7/6/17540184/trump-north-korea-kim-elton-john-pompeo. Missing or empty title = ( help ) Jump up ^ http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2018/07/06/2018070600907.html. Missing or empty title = ( help ) Jump up ^ http://thehill.com/policy/international/395933-state-dept-says-copy-of-elton-john-rocket-man-cd-not-delivered-to-kim. Missing or empty title = ( help ) External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Elton John songs 1960s and 1970s `` Skyline Pigeon '' ( 1968 ) `` I 've Been Loving You '' ( 1968 ) `` Lady Samantha '' ( 1969 ) `` It 's Me That You Need '' ( 1969 ) `` Border Song '' ( 1970 ) `` Rock and Roll Madonna '' ( 1970 ) `` From Denver to L.A. '' ( 1970 ) `` Take Me to the Pilot '' ( 1970 ) `` Your Song '' ( 1970 ) `` Friends '' ( 1971 ) `` Levon '' ( 1971 ) `` Tiny Dancer '' ( 1972 ) `` Rocket Man '' ( 1972 ) `` Honky Cat '' ( 1972 ) `` I Think I 'm Going to Kill Myself '' ( 1972 ) `` Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters '' ( 1972 ) `` Crocodile Rock '' ( 1972 ) `` Elderberry Wine '' ( 1972 ) `` Daniel '' ( 1972 ) `` Teacher I Need You '' ( 1973 ) `` Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding '' ( 1973 ) `` Saturday Night 's Alright for Fighting '' ( 1973 ) `` Goodbye Yellow Brick Road '' ( 1973 ) `` Step into Christmas '' ( 1973 ) `` Candle in the Wind '' ( 1974 ) `` Bennie and the Jets '' ( 1974 ) `` Harmony '' ( 1974 ) `` Do n't Let the Sun Go Down on Me '' ( 1974 ) `` The Bitch Is Back '' ( 1974 ) `` Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds '' ( 1974 ) `` Philadelphia Freedom '' ( 1975 ) `` I Saw Her Standing There '' ( 1975 ) `` Someone Saved My Life Tonight '' ( 1975 ) `` Island Girl '' ( 1975 ) `` Grow Some Funk of Your Own '' ( 1976 ) `` I Feel Like a Bullet ( In the Gun of Robert Ford ) '' ( 1976 ) `` Pinball Wizard '' ( 1976 ) `` Do n't Go Breaking My Heart '' ( 1976 ) `` Cage the Songbird '' ( 1976 ) `` Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word '' ( 1976 ) `` Bite Your Lip ( Get Up and Dance ! ) '' ( 1977 ) `` Crazy Water '' ( 1977 ) `` The Goaldiggers Song '' ( 1977 ) `` Ego '' ( 1978 ) `` Part - Time Love '' ( 1978 ) `` Song for Guy '' ( 1978 ) `` Are You Ready for Love '' ( 1979 ) `` Mama Ca n't Buy You Love '' ( 1979 ) `` Johnny B. Goode '' ( 1979 ) 1980s `` Little Jeannie '' ( 1980 ) `` Sartorial Eloquence ( Do n't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More ? ) '' ( 1980 ) `` Dear God '' ( 1980 ) `` Whatever Gets You thru the Night '' ( 1981 ) `` Nobody Wins '' ( 1981 ) `` Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever '' ( with Kiki Dee, 1981 ) `` Blue Eyes '' ( 1982 ) `` Empty Garden ( Hey Hey Johnny ) '' ( 1982 ) `` Ball and Chain '' ( 1982 ) `` All Quiet on the Western Front '' ( 1982 ) `` I Guess That 's Why They Call It the Blues '' ( 1983 ) `` I 'm Still Standing '' ( 1983 ) `` Sad Songs ( Say So Much ) '' ( 1984 ) `` Passengers '' ( 1984 ) `` Nikita '' ( 1985 ) `` That 's What Friends Are For '' ( 1985 ) `` Wrap Her Up '' ( 1985 ) `` Take Me to the Pilot '' ( 1988 ) `` I Do n't Wanna Go on with You Like That '' ( 1988 ) `` Town of Plenty '' ( 1988 ) `` Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters ( Part Two ) '' ( 1988 ) `` Healing Hands '' ( 1989 ) `` Sacrifice '' ( 1989 ) 1990s `` Club at the End of the Street '' ( 1990 ) `` You Gotta Love Someone '' ( 1990 ) `` Do n't Let the Sun Go Down on Me '' ( 1991 ) `` The One '' ( 1992 ) `` Runaway Train '' ( 1992 ) `` The Last Song '' ( 1992 ) `` Simple Life '' ( 1993 ) `` True Love '' ( 1993 ) `` Shakey Ground '' ( 1994 ) `` Ai n't Nothing Like the Real Thing '' ( 1994 ) `` Can You Feel the Love Tonight '' ( 1994 ) `` Circle of Life '' ( 1994 ) `` Believe '' ( 1995 ) `` Made in England '' ( 1995 ) `` When the Money 's Gone '' ( 1995 ) `` You Can Make History ( Young Again ) '' ( 1996 ) `` The Madness of King Scar '' ( 1997 ) `` Something About the Way You Look Tonight '' ( 1997 ) `` Candle in the Wind 1997 '' ( 1997 ) `` Written in the Stars '' ( 1999 ) 2000s `` I Want Love '' ( 2001 ) `` This Train Do n't Stop There Anymore '' ( 2002 ) `` Original Sin '' ( 2002 ) `` Are You Ready for Love '' ( 2003 ) `` Ghetto Gospel '' ( 2005 ) `` Electricity '' ( 2005 ) `` The Bridge '' ( 2006 ) `` Joseph, Better You than Me '' ( 2008 ) `` Tiny Dancer ( Hold Me Closer ) '' ( 2009 ) Related articles Albums discography Videography Book : Elton John Category : Elton John Kate Bush Discography Songs Awards and nominations Studio albums The Kick Inside Lionheart Never for Ever The Dreaming Hounds of Love The Sensual World The Red Shoes Aerial Director 's Cut 50 Words for Snow Extended plays On Stage Kate Bush Aspects of the Sensual World Eat the Music Singles `` Wuthering Heights '' `` The Man with the Child in His Eyes '' `` Them Heavy People '' `` Moving '' `` Hammer Horror '' `` Wow '' `` Symphony in Blue '' `` Strange Phenomena '' `` Breathing '' `` Babooshka '' `` Army Dreamers '' `` December Will Be Magic Again '' `` Sat in Your Lap '' `` The Dreaming '' `` There Goes a Tenner '' `` Suspended in Gaffa '' `` Ne t'enfuis pas '' `` Night of the Swallow '' `` Running Up That Hill '' `` Cloudbusting '' `` Hounds of Love '' `` The Big Sky '' `` Do n't Give Up '' `` Experiment IV '' `` The Sensual World '' `` This Woman 's Work '' `` Love and Anger '' `` Rocket Man '' `` Rubberband Girl '' `` Eat the Music '' `` Moments of Pleasure '' `` The Red Shoes '' `` The Man I Love '' `` And So Is Love '' `` King of the Mountain '' `` Lyra '' `` Deeper Understanding '' `` Wild Man '' Live albums Live at the Hammersmith Odeon Before the Dawn Compilation albums The Single File The Whole Story This Woman 's Work : Anthology 1978 -- 1990 Videos Live at the Hammersmith Odeon The Single File The Hair of the Hound The Whole Story The Sensual World : The Videos The Line, the Cross and the Curve Concert tours The Tour of Life Before the Dawn Related List of tribute albums The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever David Fonseca Albums Sing Me Something New ( 2003 ) Our Hearts Will Beat As One ( 2005 ) Dreams in Colour ( 2007 ) Between Waves ( 2009 ) Seasons : Rising ( 2012 ) Seasons : Falling ( 2012 ) Singles `` Superstars '' ( 2007 ) `` Rocket Man '' ( 2007 ) `` Kiss Me, Oh Kiss Me '' ( 2007 ) DVDs `` Dreams in Colour : Tour Edition '' ( 2008 ) Related artists Silence 4 Humanos Major Tom Songs Space Oddity ( 1969, David Bowie ) Rocket Man ( 1972, Elton John ) Ashes to Ashes ( 1980, David Bowie ) Major Tom ( 1983, Peter Schilling ) Major Tom, Part II ( 1983, Peter Schilling ) Hallo Spaceboy ( 1995, David Bowie ) Mrs. Major Tom ( 2003, K.I.A. ) Blackstar ( 2015, David Bowie ) Albums Seeking Major Tom ( 2011, William Shatner ) Video Love You till Tuesday ( 1984, David Bowie ) Bowie 's in Space ( 2007, Flight of the Conchords ) ISS expedition 35 Space Oddity ( 2013, Chris Hadfield ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rocket_Man_(song)&oldid=856710536 '' Categories : 1972 songs 1972 singles 1980 singles 1991 singles 1992 singles 1970s ballads Animated music videos Elton John songs Kate Bush songs David Fonseca songs Rock ballads Songs with music by Elton John Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin Outer space themed songs Song recordings produced by Gus Dudgeon DJM Records singles Mercury Records singles Universal Records singles Uni Records singles Major Tom Hidden categories : CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs Use British English from February 2012 Use dmy dates from April 2018 Articles with hAudio microformats Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2010 All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from February 2018 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018 Pages incorrectly using the quote template Articles with trivia sections from June 2017 All articles with trivia sections Articles with unsourced statements from April 2018 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español Euskara فارسی Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Svenska Türkçe Tiếng Việt 8 more Edit links This page was last edited on 27 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Question: when did elton john's rocket man come out
Answer: 14 April 1972