On the song itself, he stated: "I think it's one of the best marriages of lyric and melody that Elton and I have ever put together. But it doesn’t change the fact that I wasn’t particularly enamored by Marilyn Monroe". The single release of the original song reached No. 11 in the UK charts in 1974. At the time, it was not released as a single in the United States as "Bennie and the Jets" was chosen instead. Legacy This version was ranked No. 347 on Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. In 2010, the ranking dropped to No. 356. During a concert on 7 April 1990 at Farm Aid IV, John dedicated the song to Ryan White, who had been suffering from AIDS. White died of AIDS complications the next day. John performed the song "Skyline Pigeon" at White's funeral. Personnel Elton John – piano, lead vocals Davey Johnstone – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals Dee Murray – bass guitar, backing vocals Nigel Olsson – drums, backing vocals Certifications 1986 live version On 14 December 1986, a live version of the song was recorded in Sydney, Australia. This version features only Elton backing himself on the piano, and atmospheric keyboard textures and bass pedals, which were played by Elton via MIDI and keyboardist Fred Mandel. It was released in 1987 on the album Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and as a single. In 1988, it reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 making a return for John to chart inside the Top 40 in both countries after "Heartache All Over the World" and "Slow Rivers", two of his singles from his 20th album in 1986, Leather Jackets failed to reach the top 40 on each country. Despite problems with his vocal cords at the time, the performance also earned John a Grammy nomination in 1988 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Personnel Elton John: Lead vocals, Piano Fred Mandel: Keyboards AccoladesGrammy Awards''' |- | style="width:35px; text-align:center;" |1988 || | "Candle in the Wind (live 1986)" || Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male || |- Year-end charts 1997 version "Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose" was a new recording of "Candle in the Wind", with new lyrics, written and recorded as a tribute to Diana, Princess