Elton John’s Fifth No. 1 Hit Knocked Off a Song He Secretly Sang On

• Fifty-one years ago today, Elton John claimed his fifth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, a milestone that cemented his rise as one of pop’s biggest stars.
• The chart-topping success came with a twist: it dethroned a song that featured Elton John himself, who had secretly contributed vocals to the track.
• The story is a fun piece of music trivia that highlights how deeply intertwined the artist’s career was with the era’s biggest hits.

AI-generated briefing — triage, not the story; every claim links out to the coverage below.