How “Tiny Dancer” Revolutionized Pop Music

Elton John will be remembered as one of the most famous pop culture icons of all time. His record-selling albums, incredible stage presence, and songwriting genius has led to a worldwide love and respect for his music. I was first introduced to his music in my youth through The Lion King. His soundtrack made the movie enchanting and charming, and I'm still blown away to this day whenever I rewatch it. The passionate and free flowing melodies of John's songs share a story that would be mostly ineffective if presented any differently. From then on, I listened to more of his albums, feeling like I shared a connection with many of his songs. With each new song, I felt the same themes of his music playing out in my own life.

I had come to love all of Elton John's music, but once I reached “Tiny Dancer,” Elton John’s 1971 hit that clocks in at nearly six-minutes long, I was introduced to an enigma. While I loved the song and its chorus, something struck me as odd. Even at a young age, I could tell that the chorus of “Tiny Dancer” took a long time to establish itself. In a way, it gave me a build-up of tension and uncertainty. The song itself takes nearly two-and-a-half minutes to establish the first chorus after two verses and a bridge. The majority of pop songs during this time period were structured around an idea where the earlier the chorus was introduced the better. However, Elton John changed these norms and established what is to be considered his most well-known piece of all-time. Instead of creating a song that starts with a verse, moves to a pre-chorus, and then establishes the chorus, Elton John’s song starts with two verses, transitions to the pre-chorus, and then finally cements a tension resolution with the chorus.

This fascinating concept wasn’t established by Elton John. In fact, many remnants of this originates from early classical music. Famous classical composers like Tchaikovsky utilized the same tension and release build to keep audiences captivated. Tchaikovsky's most famous usage of this tension and release functionality was within his finale of Swan Lake on Classic Breakfast. A quiet oboe over strings plays, then moves to brass and a harmony that compliments strings whirring with excitement. Suddenly a cymbal crashes at the two-and-a-half minute mark, marking the beginning of the first descent period. While there isn’t a resolution, it resolves built up tension from the previous melodies. The theme, while drastically different, establishes a precedent that relies on tension building for its song development. This is the same genius that Elton John relies on in “Tiny Dancer”: it takes the best parts of different musical genres and time periods and establishes a perfect level of tension and release, ultimately creating a blissful and beautiful masterpiece.

While Elton John isn’t the only composer that created songs that rely on this mechanic, his expertise and diverse knowledge of music helped him change the way that people view modern pop songs. The proof of his success lies in the timeless appreciation for his musical creativity across generations, and the world is all the better thanks to his work.