# In 1994, Elton John made an album that sold 15,000,000 copies. Now, he only wants to play one song from it

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1994-elton-john-made-an-album-that-sold-15000000-copies-now-he-only-wants-to-play-one-song-from-it/
- Published: 2026-11-08T03:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-08T04:25:21+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1994-elton-john-album-sold-15000000-copies-play-one-song/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Elton John rarely performs songs from *The Lion King* live.
- “Circle of Life” is the exception in his set.
- He felt it deserved the Oscar won by “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”.

## Summary

Elton John has said he rarely performs songs from *The Lion King* live because they do not fit naturally into his concerts, but he makes an exception for “Circle of Life”. He praised its lyrics and said it should have won the Oscar, though “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” received the award.

The article presents the song as an ambitious part of the 1994 film’s score, with varied world instruments and an orchestral feel accompanying Simba’s introduction. It also notes John’s work with lyricist Tim Rice and composer Hans Zimmer on the film, and contrasts the soundtrack’s success with John’s view that most of its songs are not concert staples.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.