"Candle in the Wind 1997", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose" and "Candle in the Wind '97", is a song by English musician

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

and songwriter

Bernie Taupin Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English songwriter, singer and visual artist. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with musician Elton John, a songwriting partnership that is one of the most successful in history. Tau ...

, a re-written and re-recorded version of their 1973 song " Candle in the Wind". It was released on 13 September 1997 as a tribute single to

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

, with the global proceeds from the song going towards Diana's charities. In many countries, it was pressed as a

double A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

with " Something About the Way You Look Tonight". It was produced by Sir George Martin. According to the ''

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

'', "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the second highest-selling physical single of all time (behind

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

's "

White Christmas White Christmas most commonly refers to: * White Christmas (weather), snowfall or snow-covered ground on Christmas Day * "White Christmas" (song), a 1942 song written by Irving Berlin White Christmas may also refer to: Film, television, and the ...

" from 1942),Guinness Book of Records, 2007 Edition, page 187
See also: Guinness Book of Records, 2009 Edition, pages 14, 15 & 169 and is the highest-selling single since charts began in the 1950s.Elton John: Biography , Rolling Stone Music
'' Rolling Stone'' "Candle in the Wind 1997," easily became the all-time highest-certified single". After being released, "Candle in the Wind 1997" entered at number one in the UK Singles Chart, John's fourth UK number-one single, and became the best-selling single in UK chart history. In October it became John's ninth US number-one single, where it topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for 14 weeks, and is the best-selling single in ''Billboard'' history; it was the first single certified Diamond in the US.Billboard 3 Apr 1999
''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Retrieved 24 February 2011 The song also topped the German Singles Chart for seven weeks, the

Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

for six weeks, and many other music charts around the world. The 1997 version won John the Grammy Award for

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a male in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The award wen ...

at the

40th Grammy Awards The 40th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1998, at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Rock icon Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, and R. Kelly were the ...

ceremony in 1998. At the

1998 Brit Awards Brit Awards 1998 was the 18th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. It was organised by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 9 February 1998 at the London Arena in London. Performa ...

the song was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Single. The lyrics of the earlier version of "Candle in the Wind", also written by Taupin, were a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. The opening lines of the 1973 version, "Goodbye Norma Jean, though I never knew you at all," were adapted to "Goodbye England's rose, may you ever grow in our hearts." Most of the lyrics were adapted to suit the circumstances of Diana's life and death.

Background

On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in Paris, France. The news shocked John, as he and the Princess were very good friends. A month earlier, he had also lost another good friend, fashion designer Gianni Versace. Pictures depicting Diana appearing to console a distraught John at Versace's funeral were featured prominently in news coverage throughout the world.Fred Bronson ''The Billboard book of number one hits'' p.860. '' Billboard Books'', 1997 To cope with the grief, John wanted to pay a tribute to Diana. In his autobiography, ''Me'', John says he had a phone call from Richard Branson who said that many of those writing in the

book of condolence A condolence book or book of condolence is a book in which people may record their condolences after a death or great tragedy. After the death of a leading figure or great disaster, condolence books are placed in public places for members of the ...

St James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster in London. Altho ...

were quoting the lyrics of "Candle in the Wind". Branson asked John if he would rewrite the lyrics and sing them at the funeral. John believed that Branson had been contacted by the Spencer family. John contacted his songwriting partner

, asking him to revise the lyrics of their 1973 song " Candle in the Wind" to honour her. George Martin was contacted to help produce the song, and added a

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...

(

Peter Manning Peter Manning FRSA (born 17 July 1956) is a British conductor and violinist. Biography Manning was born in Manchester on 17 July 1956. His conducting career includes work with the Royal Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, the Edsberg Chamber Orch ...

Keith Pascoe Keith Pascoe (born 1959) is a musician and conductor from Liverpool, England, best known for his work with musical ensembles such as the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the London Philharmonic, and the RTÉ Vanbrugh String Quartet. Background B ...

Levine Andrade Levine Andrade (1954 – 20 November 2018) was an Indian-born British musician (violin and viola), and conductor. Early life Levine was born in Bombay to his parents Bonaventure and Juliana, and emigrated to England. Following a scholarship to ...

, and

Andrew Shulman Andrew Shulman (born 1960 in London, England) is an English virtuoso cellist, conductor and composer. He is currently the principal cellist of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and maintains his cello studio at the University of Southern Californ ...

), and woodwind (Pippa Davies,

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

and oboe) to help balance the recording.Barry Mile
Massive Music Moments
p.207. Anova Books, 2008 It was recorded at Townhouse Studios in West London, immediately following the funeral. John publicly performed "Candle in the Wind 1997" only once, at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997. He continues to sing the original version of the song at his concerts but has repeatedly turned down requests to perform the revised version,Katherine Whit
Elton John
pp.11–12. The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003 even for the memorial

Concert for Diana Concert for Diana was a benefit concert held at the newly built Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday. 31 August that year brought the 10th ann ...

in July 2007, having vowed never to perform it again unless asked by Diana's sons. The song has never been released (or re-released) on any of his other albums or compilations, not even his 1997 album '' The Big Picture'', nor the 1997 '' Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute'' album (an official 2-CD release sanctioned by Diana's family that included other artists such as Barbra Streisand,

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

, Paul McCartney, Queen, Celine Dion, and

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

). The song was included on ''Diana, Princess of Wales: The BBC Recording of the Funeral Service''. The soundtrack was released on 30 September 1997.

Chart performance

"Candle in the Wind 1997" became the fastest-selling single in the UK, selling 658,000 copies on its first day of release and over 1.5 million in its first week. The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart the day after its release on 13 September 1997, staying at number one for five weeks and becoming the best-selling song in the UK, overtaking the 13-year-old record held by Band Aid's " Do They Know It's Christmas?" It has been certified as the best-selling single of all time in the UK,BBC – Press Office: Elton John tops million sellers chart
''

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

'' ''Official Charts Company'' and has sold 4.94 million copies in the UK as of September 2017. The chart success in the US was similar. (certified sales) Released on 23 September 1997, "Candle in the Wind 1997" debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with first week sales at 3.5 million copies. The single stayed at the top for the Hot 100 for 14 consecutive weeks (until 17 January 1998), a record for a male solo artist. At first, ''Billboard'' listed "Candle in the Wind 1997" before "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" on its sales charts, but once airplay points for "Candle" had fallen below "Something" on 1 November 1997, the latter song took first position as per new chart rules regarding

releases that took effect in March 1997. The single has sold 8,839,000 physical copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the number-one song for 1997 despite being on the chart for only eight weeks in the chart year, and it was the only number-one debut to top the Year-End Hot 100 until Ed Sheeran's " Shape of You" in

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

. It was on the chart for 35 more weeks, making it the number-eight song of 1998 and one of only five songs in the history of the chart to be ranked on the top ten of two separate Hot 100-year-end charts, along with Chubby Checker's " The Twist",

LeAnn Rimes Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at age 13 with 1996's "Blue". She has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Chris ...

' " How Do I Live",

The Chainsmokers The Chainsmokers are an American electronic DJ and production duo consisting of Alexander "Alex" Pall and Andrew "Drew" Taggart. They started out by releasing remixes of songs by indie artists. The EDM- pop duo achieved a breakthrough with the ...

’ “ Closer” and The Weeknd’s “ Blinding Lights”. The best-selling single in ''Billboard'' history, and the only single ever certified Diamond in the United States at the time, the single shipped over 11 million copies in the US. The solo number-one single broke Elton John's "Kiki jinx". After five number-one solo hits in America in the 1970s, John hit number one in a duet with Kiki Dee with 1976's "

Don't Go Breaking My Heart "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a 1976 duet by English musician Elton John and English singer Kiki Dee. It was written by John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", respectively, and intended as an affection ...

". From then until "Candle in the Wind 1997", John did not record a number-one single by himself and only had two chart toppers altogether, collaborating with other artists. "Candle in the Wind 1997" was also the only number-one song in the year-end to be number one the year after. (1997 year-end, and it was number one for the first two weeks of 1998.) On the

Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart was a chart compiled by the American-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan, which began publication in November 1996. It was published every Wednesday and also published on Thursday by '' Jam!''/Canoe. I ...

, "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" spent three years in the top 20, with 46 non-consecutive weeks at the top spot. However, the song's unusual chart performance in Canada has also been explained as a structural factor, due to the relative lack of CD singles available for sale in Canadian stores. On Canada's ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Top Singles chart, neither song made it to the top spot, with "Candle" reaching number 14 and "Something" peaking at number 13 and spending a much longer amount of time in the top 20. In Germany, the song is the 8th best selling pop hymn ever. Having spent six weeks at number one on the ARIA Charts, "Candle in the Wind 1997" is one of the all-time best-selling singles in Australia, being certified 14 times platinum with 56 weeks in the Top 100. According to Musiikkituottajat, the Finnish music industry federation, "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the best-selling single of all time in Finland, with quintuple-platinum sales of over 54,000 copies to date. It is estimated that at the peak of sales, almost six copies of the single were sold per second. In the UK, the single grabbed the number one slot on the first day of its release, with more than 650,000 copies sold in 24 hours, becoming the fastest-selling record of all time in the UK charts.Entertainment BBC , Entertainment: Elton's candle burns in Canada
'' BBC News'' "In the UK the song, which Sir Elton performed at the Diana's funeral on 6 September 1997, became the fastest-selling record of all time" All artist and composer

royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...

and record company profits were donated to Diana's charities via the

Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was an independent grant-giving foundation established in September 1997 after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, to continue her humanitarian work in the United Kingdom and overseas. It was a regi ...

All time sales ranking

The song has sold over 33 million copies worldwide, which makes it either the best-selling or the second best-selling single worldwide of all time. See also: Guinness Book of Records, 2009 Edition, pages 14, 15 & 169 The confusion and debate on whether John's record is or is not the best-selling single in the world is due to a lack of information on sales for the record's main contender for the number-one spot,

's recording of "

," because Crosby's recording was released before the advent of the modern-day US and UK singles charts. However, after careful research, Guinness World Records in 2007 concluded that, worldwide, Crosby's recording of "White Christmas" has, in their estimation, sold at least 50 million copies, and that John's recording of "Candle in the Wind" has sold 33 million, making Crosby's recording the best-selling single of all time.Guinness Book of Records, 2007 Edition, page 187
/ref> However, an update in the 2009 edition of the book decided to further help settle the controversy amicably by naming both John's and Crosby's songs to be "winners" by stating that John's recording is the "best-selling single since UK and US singles charts began in the 1950s," while maintaining that "the best-selling single of all time was released before the first pop charts," and that this distinction belongs to "White Christmas," which it says "was listed as the world's best-selling single in the first-ever Guinness Book of Records (published in 1955) and – remarkably – still retains the title more than 50 years later."

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications and sales

Cover versions

In 1997 La Bouche covered "Candle in the Wind 1997" as a bonus track on their album ''A Moment of Love''.La Bouche A Moment of Love
/ref>

References