Song · Elton John
“Don'T Let The Sun Go Down On Me” by Elton John
From the album Caribou (1974)
“Don'T Let The Sun Go Down On Me” by Elton John appears on 16 radio countdowns from 9 stations between 1997 and 2026. It was first released in 1974 on the album Caribou. Its best result is #128 on the WMGK Philly 500 (2026). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,003 indie & aaa song of all time.
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"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is the big, bruised showstopper on Caribou, Elton John's eighth studio album, from 1974, with Bernie Taupin's words and Elton's music. Gus Dudgeon produced it for maximum widescreen: Elton on piano and organ, Davey Johnstone's guitars, Dee Murray's bass, Nigel Olsson's drums, and Ray Cooper shaking bells and tambourine at the edges.
Then there are the backing vocals, a stacked choir of Carl Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Toni Tennille and Billy Hinsche, and they turn the chorus into a slow-motion avalanche. It's Elton at full melodrama, which is exactly where he belongs. As a single it climbed to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached 16 in the UK.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 352 | 102.3 WBAB | WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) | 1023 |
| 2001 | 1920 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2007 | 322 | WTMD | WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time | 897 |
| 2013 | 358 | Big 100 | BIG 500 Labor Day Countdown (2013) | 500 |
| 2014 | 138 | Big 100 | BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) | 1000 |
| 2014 | 785 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) | 885 |
| 2019 | 209 | 102.5 KZOK | KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 | 1025 |
| 2020 | 784 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2020 | 703 | 102.5 KZOK | KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) | 1025 |
| 2021 | 406 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) | 1043 |
| 2023 | 938 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) | 1043 |
| 2024 | 204 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) | 1043 |
| 2024 | 282 | WMGK | WMGK Philly 500 (2024) | 500 |
| 2025 | 327 | WMGK | WMGK Philly 500 (2025) | 500 |
| 2026 | 144 | KSHE 95 | KSHE 95 U-Man 500 (2026) | 499 |
| 2026 | 128 | WMGK | WMGK Philly 500 (2026) | 500 |
Also listed as: Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me; Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me; Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me; Don't Let The Sun Go Down....
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