Let’s be real for a second. If you were around in late 1997, you couldn't go five minutes without hearing Elton John. But here is the weird thing about pop culture memory: ask most people about Elton’s biggest song from that year, and they’ll immediately point to the Princess Diana tribute. It makes sense. "Candle in the Wind 1997" is literally the best-selling single since charts began. Yet, there’s a massive piece of that puzzle often left in the shadows. Something About the Way You Look Tonight Elton John was the actual A-side in many territories, a towering ballad that dominated radio on its own merits.
It’s kind of a tragedy that it got swallowed up by the historical gravity of the Diana tribute. Honestly, if you strip away the funeral and the world's collective grief, you're left with one of the most polished, cinematic love songs the John/Taupin partnership ever produced.
The Ghost of the Best-Selling Single Ever
When Elton stepped into Townhouse Studios in London on January 13, 1997, he wasn't trying to break world records. He was just making an album. That album was The Big Picture, his 25th studio effort. He wanted something "big." Chris Thomas, the legendary producer who’d worked with everyone from The Beatles to INXS, was behind the glass.
They weren't aiming for a small, intimate piano vibe. They wanted a wall of sound.
"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" was released as a solo single on September 8, 1997. Just a few days later, the world shifted. Because of the timing of Princess Diana’s death, the song was paired with the re-recorded "Candle in the Wind."
Suddenly, this lush love song was the "other track" on a 33-million-selling physical single. In the UK, it was a double A-side. In the US, Billboard actually tracked them separately on certain charts. While "Candle" was the emotional powerhouse, "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" spent 10 weeks at number one on the US Adult Contemporary chart. It wasn't just a passenger; it was a driver.
👉 See also: The Entire History of You: What Most People Get Wrong About the Grain
Why the Song Hits Different
Bernie Taupin has always had a knack for writing about love without making it feel like a Hallmark card. Usually. In this case, he went for pure, unadulterated romance. The lyrics describe that specific, breathless feeling of being stunned by someone’s presence.
"I'm speechless and I don't know where to start."
It’s simple. It’s effective. And Elton’s melody? It’s a masterclass in tension and release. The way the verse builds into that "takes my breath away" hook is classic Elton.
But the secret weapon was Anne Dudley. She’s the Art of Noise co-founder who arranged the strings. If the song feels like a movie, it’s because of her. She didn't just add a few violins; she created a cinematic swell that made the song feel "expensive."
The "This Life" Connection and That Music Video
If you watch the music video today, it’s a weird time capsule of late-90s "cool." It was directed by Tim Royes and features a very specific cast.
✨ Don't miss: Shamea Morton and the Real Housewives of Atlanta: What Really Happened to Her Peach
- Kate Moss. Yes, the Kate Moss.
- Sophie Dahl. Another supermodel icon.
- Ramon Tikaram and Luisa Bradshaw-White.
If those last two names don't ring a bell, you probably weren't watching BBC’s This Life in the 90s. They played Ferdy and Kira, and their presence in the video was a huge "get" for the time. Elton himself barely wanted to be in it. By this point in his career, he had famously started to find music videos "loathsome," a sentiment he captured in his documentary Tantrums and Tiaras. He mostly just sits at the piano in an empty theater, looking a bit like he'd rather be anywhere else, while the models do the heavy lifting.
Why Does Nobody Talk About It Now?
It’s a fair question. You go to an Elton John concert in 2024 or 2025, and you’re almost guaranteed to hear "Rocket Man," "Tiny Dancer," and "Your Song."
You are very unlikely to hear "Something About the Way You Look Tonight."
Even on his massive Diamonds compilation, it’s there, but it feels like a legacy addition rather than a cornerstone. Part of the problem is the album it came from. The Big Picture isn't exactly a fan favorite. Even Bernie Taupin has looked back on that era as one of their weaker moments, calling the album a bit over-produced.
There's also the "Diana overlap." Because the song is inextricably linked to the single that mourned a princess, it’s hard for it to stand on its own as a happy, romantic wedding song. It carries a certain weight. It’s a bit of a "where were you when" song, which can sometimes kill a track's longevity as a standalone pop hit.
🔗 Read more: Who is Really in the Enola Holmes 2 Cast? A Look at the Faces Behind the Mystery
The Technical Brilliance
For the music nerds out there, the song is actually quite complex. It's written in G-flat major, which is a nightmare for casual piano players (so many black keys).
- Piano/Vocals: Elton John (obviously)
- Guitars: Davey Johnstone and John Jorgenson
- Bass: Bob Birch
- Organ: Paul Carrack (the "How Long" and "Ace" singer)
Having Paul Carrack on the organ added a soulful depth that you don't usually find in late-90s pop ballads. It gave the track a slightly more timeless feel, bridging the gap between Elton’s 70s heyday and the polished AC-pop of the late 90s.
The Legacy of Something About the Way You Look Tonight Elton John
Despite the lack of current radio play, the numbers don't lie. It remains part of the best-selling physical single in history. It helped solidify Elton’s "elder statesman" status at a time when Britpop was taking over the world. He wasn't just a legacy act; he was still a chart-topper.
If you’re looking to rediscover this track, don't just listen to the radio edit. Find the full album version from The Big Picture. It’s over five minutes long and lets the orchestration really breathe. It’s grand. It’s theatrical. It’s very Elton.
Actionable Insights for the Elton Fan
- Check the Credits: Look for the name Anne Dudley on other tracks if you love the string arrangements here; she’s a legend in the industry.
- Watch the Documentary: If you want to understand Elton's mindset during the Big Picture era, watch Tantrums and Tiaras. It’s raw, funny, and shows exactly why he stopped caring about music videos.
- The B-Sides: If you can find the original 1997 CD single, it includes "I Know Why I'm in Love" and "No Valentines," two deeper cuts that give a better sense of where Elton and Bernie were creatively at the time.
While "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" might always live in the shadow of a candle, it remains one of the most successful examples of a "classic" artist proving they could still write a world-class melody decades into their career.