Great Musical Moments From The Top Hot 100 Artists

In 1979, Elton John Was The First Western Rock Star To Perform In Russia

Photo Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

This was the first time Russians had seen a westerner perform. Because the country hadn’t released his music, it took some time to win over the crowd. But, all eight shows sold out and ran for over two hours with identical setlists.

Following the success of his shows, A Single Man would become John’s first officially released album in the USSR, but with one change. The project was renamed Elton John Sings in Russian.