| Breaking Hearts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 June 1984[1] | |||
| Recorded | December 1983 – April 1984 | |||
| Studio | AIR,Montserrat | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 40:43 | |||
| Label | Geffen (US),Rocket (UK) | |||
| Producer | Chris Thomas | |||
| Elton John chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Breaking Hearts | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| Record Mirror | [5] |
| Smash Hits | 3/10[6] |
| Sounds | [7] |
Breaking Hearts is the eighteenth studio album by British musicianElton John. It was released on 18 June 1984 through John'sRocket label in the UK andGeffen Records in the US. Like the precedingToo Low for Zero (1983), the album was produced byChris Thomas and features the classicElton John Band lineup ofDavey Johnstone on guitar,Dee Murray on bass, andNigel Olsson on drums.
Upon release,Breaking Hearts was a commercial success, peaking at number two in the UK and number 20 in the US. "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" was released as the album's lead single and reached number five in the US and number seven in the UK. Four further singles were released, including "Passengers", which reached number five in the UK, as well as "Who Wears These Shoes?" and "In Neon", both of which reached the top 40 in the US.
This album would be the last to feature all (core) members of the "classicElton John Band lineup" playing their instruments (although they would reunite to provide backing vocals on John'sReg Strikes Back album). It was the last of Elton John's studio albums to feature bass fromDee Murray, who would die in 1992 of skin cancer, and it was the last studio album until 2001'sSongs from the West Coast that would featureNigel Olsson on drums. It was also the last recorded album in which John played both piano and keyboards in the studio by himself.
Breaking Hearts was also the first album sinceVictim of Love to not feature a string or horn section on any track. This is one of only two albums with John's classic band to which (unofficial member)Ray Cooper did not contribute at all, the other being 1973'sDon't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player. Shortly after the tour, the band line-up would change andGus Dudgeon, John's former producer, would produce the next two albums. In the US, it was certified gold in September 1984 and platinum in August 1998 by theRIAA.
John has continued performing "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" as of 2023, as he included the song in hisFarewell Yellow Brick Road Tour setlist. Apart from the 1984Breaking Hearts Tour (both theEuropean and theNorth American leg), no other songs from the album have been performed live except "Restless" and "Passengers", on the following 1985–1986Ice on Fire World Tour (the latter song only performed on the UK leg).
All tracks are written byElton John andBernie Taupin, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Restless" | 5:17 |
| 2. | "Slow Down Georgie (She's Poison)" | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Who Wears These Shoes?" | 4:04 |
| 4. | "Breaking Hearts (Ain't What It Used to Be)" | 3:34 |
| 5. | "Li'l 'Frigerator" | 3:37 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Passengers" (John, Taupin,Davey Johnstone, Phineas Mkhize) | 3:24 |
| 2. | "In Neon" | 4:19 |
| 3. | "Burning Buildings" | 4:02 |
| 4. | "Did He Shoot Her?" | 3:21 |
| 5. | "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" | 4:55 |
| Total length: | 40:43 | |
Track numbering refers to CD and digital releases of the album.
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[26] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[16] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[27] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[28] | Gold | 240,000[25] |
| United States (RIAA)[29] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
