Candle in The Wind 1997

"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 a double A-side with "Something About the Way You Look Tonight".

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, with certified sales it is "the best-selling single of all time." The Guinness Book of 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.

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. 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.

"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.

The 1997 version won John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards ceremony in 1998. 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..."