"Rocket Man" is a song by Elton John, with music by John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. Recorded on 16 January 1972 at the Château d'Hérouville in France and produced by Gus Dudgeon, it first appeared on the album Honky Château (1972). It was released as the lead single in the United States on 31 March 1972, with "Susie (Dramas)" on the B-side. It reached No. 2 on the UK singles chart and No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was certified platinum in both countries. The arrangement is a classical rock ballad anchored by piano, with an ARP synthesizer played by David Hentschel and slide guitar, and it was the first John song to feature the backing vocals of Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone. It is considered John's signature song and a staple of his concerts, and it was played at the launch site of Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998. Covers include versions by Kate Bush (1991), Neil Diamond (2003) and William Shatner's 1978 spoken-word recording, as well as the 2021 Pnau remix mashup "Cold Heart" with Dua Lipa.
