🔘 Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word – Single: Oct. 1976

Label: The Rocket Record Company

Catalogue Number: ROKN 517

Format: 7" Vinyl Single

Released: October 29, 1976 (UK)

A tender, piano‑led Elton ballad — backed with the upbeat Shoulder Holster.

Issued on Rocket, the single became one of Elton’s most enduring mid‑’70s classics.

🔘 Overview

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word was released on October 29, 1976 as a UK 7" single on The Rocket Record Company. A deeply emotive ballad from the album Blue Moves, the track showcased Elton John at his most introspective — sparse, elegant, and vocally raw.

The B‑side, Shoulder Holster, also taken from Blue Moves, provided a contrasting burst of rhythmic energy. ROKN 517 arrived in a Rocket company sleeve and quickly became one of Elton’s signature late‑’70s singles.

🔘 Track List (Common Configurations)

7" Vinyl — ROKN 517

A. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word

B. Shoulder Holster

Written by: Elton John, Bernie Taupin

Produced by: Gus Dudgeon

🔘 Release Details

Label: The Rocket Record Company

Formats: 7" Vinyl

Country: UK

Year: 1976

Notes:

- From the album Blue Moves

- B‑side also from Blue Moves

- Issued in Rocket company sleeve

- One of Elton’s most enduring ballads

🔘 Variants (Discogs‑Verified)

Variant 1

UK – Rocket – ROKN 517 (1976)

Format: 7" Vinyl (Paper Label)

Variant 2

UK – Rocket – ROKN 517 (1976)

Format: 7" Vinyl (Injection‑moulded label, select pressings)

🔘 Chart Data (BBC / Official Charts Company)

Peak Position: UK — No. 11

Weeks on Chart: 9

Chart Run (Official Charts):

13 Nov 1976 — No. 29

20 Nov 1976 — No. 18

27 Nov 1976 — No. 11

04 Dec 1976 — No. 12

11 Dec 1976 — No. 15

18 Dec 1976 — No. 20

25 Dec 1976 — No. 25

01 Jan 1977 — No. 33

08 Jan 1977 — No. 43

US Billboard Hot 100

Peak Position: No. 6 (1977)

🔘 Context & Notes

Recording Notes

A sparse, piano‑centred arrangement — Elton’s vocal performance is intimate, restrained, and emotionally direct.

Collector Notes

Paper‑label ROKN 517 copies are the most desirable. Early Rocket sleeves add value.

Legacy

One of Elton’s most beloved ballads — timeless, understated, and emotionally resonant.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Single

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (1976)

Next Single

Crazy Water (1977)

🔘 Discography (Selected, Chronological)

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word — 1976

Shoulder Holster — 1976

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

Oct. 29, 1976 — UK single released

1977 — US chart peak at No. 6

🔘 Glam Flashback

Elton strips it back — fragile, elegant, and quietly devastating.

🔘 Sources

The Rocket Record Company

Discogs

Official Charts Company

Billboard

Elton John archival documentation