Candle in the Wind 1997
| "Candle in the Wind 1997" | ||||
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| Single by Elton John | ||||
| A-side | "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" "Candle in the Wind 1997" |
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| B-side | "You Can Make History (Young Again)" | |||
| Released | 13 September 1997 (UK) 23 September 1997 (US) |
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| Format | CD, vinyl record (7"), audio cassette | |||
| Recorded | September 1997 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock, symphonic rock | |||
| Length | 3:59 ("Something About the Way You Look Tonight") 4:11 ("Candle in the Wind 1997") |
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| Label | Rocket Records (UK) A&M (US/Canada) |
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| Writer(s) | Elton John, Bernie Taupin (re-written) | |||
| Producer | George Martin | |||
| Elton John singles chronology | ||||
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"Candle in the Wind 1997" is a re-written and re-recorded version of Elton John's own 1973 hit "Candle in the Wind" that was released as a tribute single to the late Diana, Princess of Wales. In many countries it was pressed a double A-side with "Something About the Way You Look Tonight". It was produced by Sir George Martin.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, with certified sales it is "the best-selling single of all time."[1][2] The Guinness World Records 2009 states that the song is "the biggest-selling single since UK and US singles charts began in the 1950s, having accumulated worldwide sales of 33 million copies," and is the best-selling single worldwide of all time.[3][4]
On release in September 1997, "Candle in the Wind 1997" entered at number one in the UK, John's fourth UK number one single, and became the best-selling single in UK Chart history.[5][6] In October it became John's ninth U.S. number one single, where it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks, and is the best-selling single in Billboard history, and the only single ever certified Diamond in the U.S.[7]
"Candle in the Wind 1997" topped the German Singles Chart for seven weeks, the Australian ARIA Charts for six weeks, reached number one in Japan, Canada, France and music charts around the world.[6]
The 1997 version won John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards ceremony in 1998.[8] The lyrics of the earlier version of "Candle in the Wind", written by Bernie Taupin, were a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. The opening lines of the 1973 version, "Goodbye Norma Jeane, though I never knew you at all," were adapted to "Goodbye England's rose, may you ever grow in our hearts." In fact, most of the lyrics were adapted to suit the circumstances of Diana's life and death, but a notable omission was the line, "Even when you died, the press still hounded you..." which was replaced with the lyric, "Even though we try, the truth brings us to tears..."
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Background[edit]
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in Paris, France. The news shocked Elton John, as he and the Princess had been very good friends. He had also lost another good friend, fashion designer Gianni Versace, earlier in the summer, whose funeral he had attended with Diana.[9][10]
I thought it was very important to project it from a nation's standpoint. I wanted to make it sound like a country singing it. From the first couple of lines I wrote [which began "Goodbye England's Rose"], the rest sort of fell into place
John sank into a deep depression, and to cope with the grief, wanted to pay a tribute to Diana.[12] He contacted his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, asking him to revise the lyrics of their 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" to honour her.[11] George Martin was contacted to help produce the song, and added a string quartet, (Peter Manning, Keith Pascoe, Levine Andrade, and Andrew Shulman), and woodwind (Pippa Davies, oboe) to help balance the recording.[8] It was recorded at Townhouse Studios in West London.[10]
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.[12] He continues to sing the original version of the song at his concerts, but has repeatedly turned down requests to perform the revised version,[12] even for the memorial Concert for Diana in July 2007, having vowed never to perform it again unless asked by Diana's sons.[13] The song has never been released (or re-released) on any of his other albums or compilations, not even on the 1997 Diana Princess of Wales: Tribute album (an official 2-CD release sanctioned by Diana's family that included other artists such as Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Queen, Celine Dion, and Rod Stewart).[14] "Candle in the Wind 1997" is not available on the iTunes Store in the US, but is available on iTunes in Canada and other countries.[15]
Chart performance[edit]
"Candle in the Wind" was expected to debut high on the charts, partly due to its tribute to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. It became the fastest-selling single in the UK, selling 658,000 copies in its first day of release, and over 1.5 million copies in its first week.[13] The single remained at number one for 5 weeks, and it eventually sold 4.9 million copies in the UK,[5] 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.[16][17]
The chart success in the United States was similar.[1][8] Released on 22 September 1997, "Candle in the Wind" debuted at number one on the Billboard 100, with first week sales at 3.5 million copies.[13] The album/single stayed at the top of the charts for 14 consecutive weeks, a record for a male solo artist. It has the biggest sales for any song sold within a single calender year when it sold 8,111,000 physical copies in 1997.[18] The best-selling single in Billboard history, and the only single ever certified Diamond in the United States, the single sold over 11 million copies in the U.S.[2][7]
The song has sold over 33 million copies worldwide,[1][8] which makes it either the best-selling or the second best-selling single worldwide of all time.[4] 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, Bing Crosby's recording of "White Christmas," 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.[3] 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."[4]
In Canada, "Candle in the Wind 1997" 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. In Germany, the song is the 8th best selling pop hymn ever.[19] Having spent six weeks at number one on the ARIA Charts, "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the all-time best-selling single in Australia, and is certified 14 times platinum with 56 weeks in the Top 100.[20] According to Musiikkituottajat, the Finnish music industry federation, "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the best-selling single of all time in Finland, with platinum-sales of over 54,000 copies to date.[21][22]
It is estimated that at the peak of sales, almost six copies of the single were sold per second.[13] 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.[6] All artist and composer royalties and record company profits were donated to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.[13]
Charts[edit]
Peak positions[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
Sales and certifications[edit]
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Chart succession[edit]
| Preceded by "Men in Black" by Will Smith |
German Singles Chart number-one single 12 September 1997 – 31 October 1997 |
Succeeded by "Barbie Girl" by Aqua |
| French SNEP Singles Chart number-one single 13 September 1997 – 18 October 1997 |
Succeeded by "Savoir aimer" by Florent Pagny |
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| Preceded by "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba |
Irish Singles Chart number-one single 20 September 1997 – 18 October 1997 |
Succeeded by "Barbie Girl" by Aqua |
| Preceded by "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 |
Belgian Flanders Ultratop 50 number-one single 20 September 1997 – 1 November 1997 |
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| Preceded by "Men in Black" by Will Smith |
Belgian Wallonia Ultratop 40 number-one single 20 September 1997 – 25 October 1997 |
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| Swiss Singles Chart number-one single 21 September 1997 – 23 November 1997 |
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| Preceded by "Barbie Girl" by Aqua |
Swiss Singles Chart number-one single 11 January 1998 (one week) |
Succeeded by "It's Like That" by Run-D.M.C. vs. Jason Nevins |
| Swedish Singles Chart number-one single 26 September 1997 – 7 November 1997 |
Succeeded by "Burnin'" by Cue |
|
| Dutch Top 40 number-one single 27 September 1997 – 25 October 1997 |
Succeeded by "Alane" by Wes |
|
| Preceded by "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 |
Austrian Singles Chart number-one single 27 September 1997 – 31 January 1998 |
Succeeded by "Breathe" by Midge Ure |
| Italian FIMI Singles Chart number-one single 4 October 1997 – 23 November 1997 |
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| Preceded by "Breathe" by Midge Ure |
Italian FIMI Singles Chart number-one single 13 December 1997 – 20 December 1997 |
|
| Italian FIMI Singles Chart number-one single 11 January 1998 – 28 January 1997 |
Succeeded by "All Around the World" by Oasis |
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| Preceded by "All Around the World" by Oasis |
Italian FIMI Singles Chart number-one single 26 February 1998 |
Succeeded by "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion |
| Preceded by "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 |
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles number-one single 4 October 1997 – 8 November 1997 |
Succeeded by "Barbie Girl" by Aqua |
| Preceded by "Men in Black" by Will Smith |
Australia ARIA Singles Chart number-one single 5 October 1997 – 9 November 1997 |
|
| Preceded by "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba |
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single 5 October 1997 – 9 November 1997 |
Succeeded by "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" by N-Trance |
| Preceded by "Honey" by Mariah Carey |
Japanese Oricon International Chart number-one single[66] 6 October 1997 – 24 November 1997 |
Succeeded by "Be the Man" by Celine Dion |
| Preceded by "Tanoshiku Tanoshiku Yasashikune" by Tomomi Kahala |
Japanese Oricon Weekly Chart number-one single 6 October 1997 – 19 October 1997 |
Succeeded by "Liar! Liar!" by B'z |
| Preceded by "The Drugs Don't Work" by The Verve |
UK Singles Chart number-one single[67][68] 14 September 1997 – 25 October 1997 |
Succeeded by "Spice Up Your Life" by Spice Girls |
| Preceded by "4 Seasons of Loneliness" by Boyz II Men |
US Billboard Hot 100 number one single[69][70] (with "Something About The Way You Look Tonight") 11 October 1997 – 10 January 1998 |
Succeeded by "Truly Madly Deeply" by Savage Garden |
See also[edit]
- Candle in the Wind
- Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
- List of best-selling singles in the United States
- List of best-selling singles worldwide
- List of million-selling singles in the United Kingdom
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "RIAA News Room – The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century – Nov 10, 1999". Recording Industry Association of America website. RIAA. 10 November 1999. Retrieved 8 February 2010. "'Candle In The Wind 1997' soon surpassed Bing Crosby’s 'White Christmas' to become the best-selling single of all time." (certified sales)
- ^ a b Elton John: Biography | Rolling Stone Music Rolling Stone "Candle in the Wind 1997," easily became the all-time highest-certified single".
- ^ a b Guinness Book of Records, 2007 Edition, page 187
- ^ a b c Guinness Book of Records 2009 states that "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the "best-selling single since charts began"; however, not of all time. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is still recognized as the best selling single of all time, but since it was released prior to the start of many charts, its sales prior to the 1950s are estimated. John's 1997 song has sold the most copies when looking at copies sold since charts began, as verified in Guinness World Records. ISBN 1-904994-37-7. See also: Guinness Book of Records, 2009 Edition, pages 14, 15 & 169 [1]
- ^ a b c Ami Sedghi (4 November 2012). "UK's million-selling singles: the full list". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ a b c 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"
- ^ a b Billboard 3 Apr 1999 Billboard Retrieved 24 February 2011
- ^ a b c d Barry Miles Massive Music Moments p.207. Anova Books, 2008
- ^ The Advocate 14 Oct 1997. Retrieved 25 December 2010
- ^ a b Fred Bronson The Billboard book of number one hits p.860. Billboard Books, 1997
- ^ a b "The songwriters idea book". Writer's Digest Books p.103. "I thought it was very important to project it from a nation's standpoint. I wanted to make it sound like a country singing it. From the first couple of lines i wrote [which began "Goodbye England's Rose"], the rest sort of fell into place."
- ^ a b c Katherine White Elton John pp.11–12. The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003
- ^ a b c d e Doyle, Jack (26 April 2008 (updated 2008-05-12)). "Candle in the Wind, 1973 & 1997". PopHistoryDig.com. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
- ^ Last FM: Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute page. Retrieved 15 January 2011
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (2008-06-30). "Five Great Songs You Still Can't Buy On iTunes (AAPL)". Business Insider. Retrieved 2013-03-17. "While you can easily get the Marilyn-Monroe version, the Princess Diana-inspired remake is, much like “99 Problems,” only available on iTunes across the border or overseas." (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6FC2V3FMD)
- ^ BBC – Press Office: Elton John tops million sellers chart BBC Radio 2 The Official Charts Company
- ^ UK Top 10 Best Selling Singles ukcharts.20m.com
- ^ Paul Grein (3 January 2013). "Chart Watch Extra: Top Songs of 2012". Chart Watch (Yahoo Music). Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ Die erfolgreichsten Pop-Hymnen aller Zeiten RTL
- ^ ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Singles ARIA. Retrieved 25 August 2011
- ^ "Kaikkien aikojen myydyimmät ulkomaiset singlet" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ^ "Kaikkien aikojen myydyimmät kotimaiset singlet" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ^ "Australian-charts.com – Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997 – Austriancharts.at" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997" (in French). Ultratop 50. Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Elton John Album & Song Chart History" Canadian Hot 100 for Elton John. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Hits of the World: Denmark". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media): 61. 11 October 1997.
- ^ "Finnishcharts.com – Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997". Suomen virallinen lista. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997" (in French). Les classement single. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Candle In The Wind 1997/single Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ The Irish Charts – Top 20 of all time Irish charts.ie. Retrieved 19 April 2012
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997". Top Digital Download. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "エルトン・ジョン-リリース-ORICON STYLE ミュージック".
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Elton John search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Charts.org.nz – Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997". Top 40 Singles. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997". VG-lista. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997". Singles Top 60. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Elton John – Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997 – swisscharts.com". Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Elton John" UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Elton John Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for Elton John. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1998". Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ "Austrian single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 28 June 2010. Enter Elton John in the field Interpret. Enter Candle in the Wind in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
- ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 1997". Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
- ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Gold and Platinum Search". Music Canada. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Finnish single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "French single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ^ "Les Meilleures Ventes Tout Temps de 45 T. / Singles" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Elton John; 'Candle in the Wind')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ^ "Japanese single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "List of best-selling international singles in Japan". JP&KIYO. 2012.
- ^ "Mexican single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Dutch single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Norwegian single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Spanish single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Elton John; 'Candle in the Wind')". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "British single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 July 2011. Enter Candle in the Wind in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Click Go
- ^ "American single certifications – Elton John – Candle in the Wind". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2 July 2011. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
- ^ Grein, Paul. "Week Ending June 24, 2012. Songs: Elton & The Peas". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ "Mr.Heartbreaker's Chart Liner_Japan No. 1 Disks". Oricon Hot Singles. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive". The Official Charts Company. 13 September 1997. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive". The Official Charts Company. 25 October 1997. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 4 October 1997. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ "Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 17 January 1998. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
External links[edit]
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- Singles certified septuple platinum by the Belgian Entertainment Association
- Singles certified undecuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
- 1990s ballads
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- Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
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- Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
- Number-one singles in Australia
- Number-one singles in Austria
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- Number-one singles in Germany
- Number-one singles in Sweden
- Number-one singles in Switzerland
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- UK Singles Chart number-one singles
- Ultratop 50 Singles (Wallonia) number-one singles
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- Songs in memory of deceased persons
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- Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin
- Singles certified nonuple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
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