"Crocodile Rock" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and recorded in June 1972 at the Strawberry Studios, Château d'Hérouville in France. It was released on 27 October 1972 in the UK and 20 November 1972 in the US, as a pre-release single from his forthcoming 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, and became his first U.S. number-one single, reaching the top spot on 3 February 1973, and stayed there for three weeks. It was the first song released as a single on the MCA label (catalogue #40000) after MCA dissolved its Uni, Decca, Kapp and Coral labels. (John had previously been with the Uni label.) "Crocodile Rock" is dominated by a Farfisa organ, played by John. The Farfisa is instantly recognizable by its carnival-like sound and honky-tonk rhythm, while the lyrics take a nostalgic look at early rock 'n' roll, and a relationship with a woman named Suzie, which the writer instantly associates with the music of the era. Regular Elton John band members, such as Davey Johnstone and Nigel Olsson, are among the song's performers.

The song was inspired by John's discovery of leading Australian band Daddy Cool and their hit single "Eagle Rock", which was the most successful Australian single of the early 1970s remaining at #1 for a (then) record 10 weeks. John heard the song and the group on his 1972 Australian tour and was greatly impressed by it. The cover of John's 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player(the album on which "Crocodile Rock" is included) features a photo of John's lyricist Bernie Taupin wearing a "Daddy Who?" promotional badge. The song also appears to have been strongly influenced by the hit "Little Darlin'", most famously recorded in 1957 by The Diamonds (although the original version was recorded by The Gladiolas.) The chorus resembles "Speedy Gonzales" by Pat Boone. While there was no actual "Crocodile Rock", there was a dance called The Alligator.

Bob The Builder included a cover of this on his debut album, The Albumin 2001.

On the tribute album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupinrecorded in 1991 by a symposium of eminent performers as the soundtrack of the documentary film Two Rooms, the song "Crocodile Rock" is covered by The Beach Boys. Their interpretation emphasises the vocal reminiscence of the Rock and Roll era and tones down the honky tonk and cha-cha-cha ambiance of the original.

The Baha Men covered the song for the 2002 movie The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course.

There are also well-known nightclubs called the "Crocodile Rock" in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Toronto, Ontario.

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