# In 1969, George Harrison thought Elton John lacked depth. He went on to sell 300,000,000 records

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1969-george-harrison-thought-elton-john-lacked-depth-he-went-on-to-sell-300000000-records/
- Published: 2026-10-23T14:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T14:54:30+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1969-george-harrison-thought-elton-john-lacked-depth/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Harrison thought Elton John’s early hits lacked depth.
- He valued music with meaning over popularity.
- John later sold 300 million records, according to the headline.

## Summary

George Harrison respected Elton John’s talent and showmanship but felt his early hits, including “Crocodile Rock”, lacked depth and meaningful ideas. The article presents this as a reflection of Harrison’s own priorities: after The Beatles, he focused on music that expressed something personal or spiritual rather than chasing popular trends.

Harrison said he wanted music to enrich his experience and described John as a talented entertainer whose work lacked depth and experience. The article suggests Harrison may have overlooked the range of John’s songwriting, citing later songs such as “Funeral for a Friend” and “Candle in the Wind”. Its headline says John went on to sell 300 million records.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.