Elton John

Elton John can sit behind a piano wearing something completely ridiculous and somehow the ridiculous outfit is only the second-most noticeable thing happening.

First come the songs.

That's his case. The melodies survived changing fashions, changing formats and changing generations. He could deliver flamboyant arena-show energy without needing to leave the piano behind, and the catalog keeps producing those moments where everyone suddenly realizes they know every word.

Against The Beatles, it's a songwriting and melody slugfest. Against Madonna, longevity means something completely different. Against Michael Jackson, Elton gives away choreography but comes armed with songs that have lived forever.

He's probably the least obvious “pop star” archetype in the solo field — and that makes his battles interesting.

Does pop greatness require dominating the visual culture? Or can an outrageous pair of glasses, a piano and an immortal chorus do the job?