Sacrifice (Elton John song)

"Sacrifice"
"Sacrifice"
Single by Elton John
from the album Sleeping with the Past
A-side	"Healing Hands" (second release)
B-side	"Love Is a Cannibal" (first release)
Released	October 1989 (first release); May 1990 (second release);
Genre	Soft rock
Length	5:07
Label	Rocket, MCA
Songwriter(s)	Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Producer(s)	Chris Thomas
Elton John singles chronology
Music video
	"Sacrifice" on YouTube

"Sacrifice" is a ballad by English musician Elton John. The song was written by John and his collaborator, Bernie Taupin. The song appears on the 1989 album Sleeping with the Past. It was first released in October 1989 as the second single from the album. It achieved success in 1990, particularly in France and the United Kingdom, becoming John's first solo chart-topper in both nations.

Chart performance[]

"Sacrifice" was initially released as a single in 1989, but stalled at number 55 in the UK and at number 18 in the US in March 1990. In mid-1990 English DJ Steve Wright began playing the song on BBC Radio 1, soon followed by many more radio DJs. The song was then re-released as a double A-side single, along with "Healing Hands", and reached number one in the UK in June 1990. Thus, it became John's first solo number-one single in the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the top spot for five weeks. With this re-release, Elton John also got his first number one in France and stayed on the chart for 26 weeks.

Track listings[]

First release

12-inch single – UK

"Sacrifice" – 5:07
"Love Is a Cannibal" (From the Columbia Motion Picture Ghostbusters II) – 3:53

CD single – US

"Sacrifice" – 5:07
"Love Is a Cannibal" (from the Columbia Motion Picture Ghostbusters II) – 3:53
"Durban Deep"

Second release

UK single

"Sacrifice" – 5:07
"Healing Hands" – 4:22

Personnel[]

Elton John – vocals, Roland RD-1000 digital piano
Guy Babylon – Yamaha DX7
Fred Mandel – Roland Alpha Juno synthesizers
Davey Johnstone – electric guitar
Romeo Williams – bass
Jonathan Moffett – Linn LM-1 programming

Charts and sales[]

Weekly charts[]

Chart (1989–1990)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[2]	7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[3]	2
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[4]	15
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)^[5]	4
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[6]	1
France (SNEP)^[7]	1
Germany (Official German Charts)^[8]	36
Ireland (IRMA)^[9]	2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[10]	3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[11]	3
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[12]	19
Norway (VG-lista)^[13]	2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[14]	23
UK Singles (OCC)^[15]	55
UK Singles (OCC)^[16] with "Healing Hands"	1
US Billboard Hot 100^[17]	18
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[18]	3
Zimbabwe (ZIMA)^[19]	6

Year-end charts[]

Chart (1990)	Position
Australia (ARIA)^[20]	47
Belgium (Ultratop)^[21]	10
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)^[22]	31
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[23]	4
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[24]	11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[25]	8
UK Singles (OCC)^[26]	3
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[27]	8

Certifications and sales[]


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[20]	Gold	35,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[28]	Platinum	600,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

^ Kirkl, Justin (29 May 2019). "Neither 'Rocket Man' Nor 'Tiny Dancer' Is Elton John's Best Song". Esquire. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
^ "Australian-charts.com – Elton John – Sacrifice". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Ultratop.be – Elton John – Sacrifice" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9210." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 6674." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 25. 23 June 1990. p. IV. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Lescharts.com – Elton John – Sacrifice" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Elton John – Sacrifice" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sacrifice". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 9, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Elton John – Sacrifice" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Charts.nz – Elton John – Sacrifice". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Elton John – Sacrifice". VG-lista. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Elton John – Sacrifice". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Elton John Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Elton John Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "1990 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Jaaroverzichten 1990" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1990". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "Eurochart Hot 100 of 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 51. 22 December 1990. p. 60. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 15 January 2020 – via World Radio History.
^ "Single top 100 over 1990" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
^ "1990 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 2 March 1991. p. 41.
^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ "British single certifications – Elton John – Sacrifice". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

External links[]

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

[1] Kirkl, Justin (29 May 2019). "Neither 'Rocket Man' Nor 'Tiny Dancer' Is Elton John's Best Song". Esquire. Retrieved 8 August 2019.

[sc_Australia_Elton_John-2] "Australian-charts.com – Elton John – Sacrifice". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Flanders_Elton_John-3] "Ultratop.be – Elton John – Sacrifice" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Canadatopsingles_-4] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9210." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Canadaadultcontemporary_-5] "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 6674." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[6] "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 25. 23 June 1990. p. IV. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_France_Elton_John-7] "Lescharts.com – Elton John – Sacrifice" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Germany_Elton_John-8] "Offiziellecharts.de – Elton John – Sacrifice" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Ireland2_-9] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sacrifice". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Dutch40_-10] "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 9, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Dutch100_Elton_John-11] "Dutchcharts.nl – Elton John – Sacrifice" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_New_Zealand_Elton_John-12] "Charts.nz – Elton John – Sacrifice". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Norway_Elton_John-13] "Norwegiancharts.com – Elton John – Sacrifice". VG-lista. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Switzerland_Elton_John-14] "Swisscharts.com – Elton John – Sacrifice". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_UK_-15] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[uk1990-16] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Elton_John-17] "Elton John Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[sc_Billboardadultcontemporary_Elton_John-18] "Elton John Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[19] * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000

[ausye-20] Jump up to: ^a ^b "1990 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[21] "Jaaroverzichten 1990" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[22] "Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1990". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[23] "Eurochart Hot 100 of 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 51. 22 December 1990. p. 60. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 15 January 2020 – via World Radio History.

[24] "Single top 100 over 1990" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 12 April 2010.

[25] "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

[26] "1990 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 2 March 1991. p. 41.

[27] "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[United_KingdomElton_JohnSacrificesingleCertRef-28] "British single certifications – Elton John – Sacrifice". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

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show v t Elton John songs
1960s	"Skyline Pigeon" (1968) "I've Been Loving You" (1968) "Lady Samantha" (1969) "It's Me That You Need" (1969)
1970s	"Border Song" (1970) "Rock and Roll Madonna" (1970) "From Denver to L.A." (1970) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1970) "Your Song" (1970) "Friends" (1971) "Levon" (1971) "Indian Sunset" (1971) "Tiny Dancer" (1972) "Rocket Man" (1972) "Honky Cat" (1972) "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself" (1972) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (1972) "Crocodile Rock" (1972) "Elderberry Wine" (1972) "Daniel" (1972) "Have Mercy on the Criminal" (1972) "Teacher I Need You" (1973) "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" (1973) "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (1973) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) "Step into Christmas" (1973) "Candle in the Wind" (1974) "Bennie and the Jets" (1974) "Harmony" (1974) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1974) "The Bitch Is Back" (1974) "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1974) "Philadelphia Freedom" (1975) "I Saw Her Standing There" (1975) "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (1975) "Island Girl" (1975) "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (1976) "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" (1976) "Pinball Wizard" (1976) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976) "Cage the Songbird" (1976) "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (1976) "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" (1977) "Crazy Water" (1977) "The Goaldiggers Song" (1977) "Ego" (1978) "Part-Time Love" (1978) "Song for Guy" (1978) "Are You Ready for Love" (1979) "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (1979) "Johnny B. Goode" (1979)
1980s	"Little Jeannie" (1980) "Sartorial Eloquence (Don't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More?)" (1980) "Dear God" (1980) "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" (1981) "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" (1981) "Blue Eyes" (1982) "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" (1982) "Ball and Chain" (1982) "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1982) "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (1983) "I'm Still Standing" (1983) "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (1984) "Passengers" (1984) "Nikita" (1985) "That's What Friends Are For" (1985) "Wrap Her Up" (1985) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1988) "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" (1988) "Town of Plenty" (1988) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" (1988) "Healing Hands" (1989) "Sacrifice" (1989)
1990s	"Club at the End of the Street" (1990) "You Gotta Love Someone" (1990) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1991) "The One" (1992) "Runaway Train" (1992) "The Last Song" (1992) "Simple Life" (1993) "True Love" (1993) "Shakey Ground" (1994) "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1994) "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (1994) "Circle of Life" (1994) "Believe" (1995) "Made in England" (1995) "When the Money's Gone" (1995) "You Can Make History (Young Again)" (1996) "The Madness of King Scar" (1997) "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (1997) "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997) "Written in the Stars" (1999)
2000s	"I Want Love" (2001) "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (2002) "Original Sin" (2002) "Are You Ready for Love" (2003) "Ghetto Gospel" (2005) "Electricity" (2005) "The Bridge" (2006) "Joseph, Better You than Me" (2008) "Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)" (2009)
2010s	"Good Morning to the Night" (2012) "Sad" (2012) "Looking Up" (2015) "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" (2019)
2020s	"Ordinary Man" (2020) "Sine from Above" (2020) "Learn to Fly" (2020) "The Pink Phantom" (2020) "It's a Sin" (2021) "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)" (2021)
Related	Albums discography Videography
Category:Elton John

show v t Ivor Novello Awards – Best Song Musically and Lyrically
1960s	"She's Leaving Home" (1968)
1970s	"Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?" (1970) "Something" (1971) "Don't Let It Die" (1972) "Without You" (1973) "Daniel" (1974) "Streets of London"* (1975) "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (1978) "Baker Street" (1979)
1980s	"The Logical Song" (1980) "Woman in Love" (1981) "Memory" (1982) "Have You Ever Been in Love" (1983) "Every Breath You Take" (1984) "Against All Odds" (1985) "Nikita" (1986) "Don't Give Up" (1987) "Something Inside So Strong" (1988) "They Dance Alone" (1989)
1990s	"The Living Years" (1990) "Sacrifice" (1991) "The Whole of the Moon" (1992) "Why" (1993) "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" (1994) "Think Twice" (1995) "Common People" (1996) "Too Much Love Will Kill You" (1997) "Paranoid Android" (1998) "Believe" (1999)
2000s	"Strong" (2000) "Babylon" (2001) "Walk On" (2002) "The Other Side" (2003) "Leave Right Now" (2004) "Dry Your Eyes" (2005) "Suddenly I See" (2006) "Elusive" (2007) "Love Is a Losing Game" (2008) "One Day Like This" (2009)
2010s	"The Fear" (2010) "Becoming a Jackal" (2011) "The A Team" (2012) "Next to Me" (2013) "Strong" (2014) "Take Me to Church" (2015) "Wasn't Expecting That" (2016) "Black Man in a White World" (2017) "Magnificent (She Says)" (2018) "Nica Libres at Dusk" (2019)
2020s	"Age of Anxiety" (2020)
*Awarded as The Best Song