What is the best selling song in British history?
Elton John’s reworked “Candle in the Wind” became the best-selling song in British history after he performed it at Princess Diana’s 1997 funeral. The charity release brought people together in national mourning and was bought in large numbers, despite criticism that changing the lyrics displaced the song’s original tribute to Marilyn Monroe.
The 1974 original reached number 11 in the UK; the 1997 version changed “Goodbye Norma Jean” to “Goodbye England’s Rose” and was released as a double A-side with “Something About the Way You Look Tonight”. It has sold more than 4.9 million copies in the UK, over a million more than Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, and raised money for charities supported by Diana.
In short
- Elton John’s Diana tribute became Britain’s best-selling song.
- The 1997 release sold more than 4.9 million copies.
- The charity single drew criticism over its rewritten lyrics.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Reworking the song for Diana’s funeral gave many people a shared way to express grief, and its charity release turned that response into substantial support for causes she backed. The lyrics honoured a public figure at a moment of national mourning, while the record’s extraordinary sales reflected how deeply the tribute resonated.
The case against
Changing the lyrics from a tribute to Marilyn Monroe to one for Diana may be seen as displacing the original song’s meaning and using a personal memorial for a new public occasion. Critics could also question whether a record’s sales, driven by intense mourning and a prominent charity release, make it the best measure of a song’s cultural or artistic standing.