Elton John performed “Candle in the Wind” at Princess Di’s funeral

Candle in the Wind Elton John

Writer(s): Elton John, Bernie Taupin (see lyrics here) Released: February 4, 1974 First Charted: March 2, 1974 Peak: 6 US, 7 CB, 8 GR, 8 RR, 2 AC, 2 CL, 5 UK, 5 CN, 5 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 4.0 radio, 40.54 video, -- streaming

Candle in the Wind 1997 Elton John

Writer(s): Elton John, Bernie Taupin (see lyrics here) Released: September 13, 1997 First Charted: September 6, 1997 Peak: 114 US, 31 GR, 32 RR, 5 AC, 22 A40, 15 UK, 11 CN, 16 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 11.0 US, 5.4 UK, 37.0 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 4.0 radio, 44.4 video, -- streaming

Awards (1973): Click on award for more details. Awards (1997):

About the Song: According to Elton John, lyricist Bernie Taupin called “Candle in the Wind” “the best song we’ve ever written.” KL It charted three times in three decades with three versions. The original was a a tribute to legendary film star Marilyn Mornoe “from the somewhat tragic viewpoint of a sentimental and obsessive young Monroe fan.” LW ”Essentially a piano ballad rooted in a series of gospel-tinged chords, the song actually breaks away from the more traditional structure of a rock ballad but doe’n't fail to include some typical John piano flourishes.” LW “It had pathos and a generalized emotional truth that underscored and informed Elton John’s otherwise flamboyant and hugely camp character.” LW It hit #11 in 1974 in the U.K. In the U.S., when DJs latched on to “Bennie and the Jets” the planned single release was aborted, RS500 but a live version would hit #6 on the pop chart and #2 on the adult contemporary chart in 1987. The song’s greatest success came when Princess Diana died in a car crash on August 31, 1997. Elton proposed the idea to Taupin of revising the lyrics as a eulogy. Within the hour, Taupin had faxed the new words to John. HL Elton performed the only public performance of the revamped version at Diana’s funeral for a televised worldwide audience of more than 2.5 billion people. FB After the funeral, Elton headed to the studio with famed Beatles’ producer George Martin to record the song. FB When released in the U.K., the song went straight to #1 on the strength 658,000 copies sold in a single day. The song amassed 2 million in sales by the end of its second week and logged another million in the next week. MG In 2008, the song had moved more than 5 million, making it the U.K.’s biggest seller ever. MG The U.S. matched that number just in advance orders FB and would go on to 11 million in sales. MG Worldwide, it ranks as one of the top 100 best-selling songs in the world. Only Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas,” with estimates as high as 56 million, has sold more. The song topped the charts in 11 countries,” BB most notably with an astonishing 45 weeks at #1 in Canada. MG Its 14 weeks atop the U.S. charts make it one of the biggest #1 pop songs in U.S. chart history. Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Elton John BB Billboard (9/08). “All-Time Hot 100” FB Fred Bronson (2007). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (4th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 860. HL Michael Heatley and Spencer Leigh (1998). Behind the Song: The Stories of 100 Great Pop & Rock Classics. Blandford Books: London, UK. Page 66. KL Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh. (2005). 1000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press: London, UK. Page 447. LW Alan Lewens (2001). Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century. Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 178. MG Theo Morgan-Gan (year?). “The UK’s Best Selling Singles” RS500 Rolling Stone (12/04). “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” Related Links: First posted 9/6/2011; last updated 7/25/2023.