Which tender 1970 ballad was Elton John's breakthrough hit single?

“Your Song” was Elton John's breakthrough hit single. Written by John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin, the tender ballad introduced John's warm piano style and became his first international Top 10 single.

John recorded the song at Trident Studios in London on 22 January 1970, and it appeared on his self-titled second studio album later that year. American band Three Dog Night actually recorded it first as an album track, but they did not release it as a single because they wanted the emerging John to have the opportunity to succeed with it.

In the United States, “Your Song” initially appeared as the B-side of “Take Me to the Pilot.” Radio DJs preferred the ballad, effectively turning it into the main hit; it reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number seven in the United Kingdom. “Border Song” preceded it as a single, but “Your Song” was the song that established John internationally. Its intimate lyrics are often mistaken for a direct autobiography, though Taupin wrote the words.