"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John's 1974 album Caribou; it was released that year during the latter half of May in the United Kingdom, and on 10 June in the United States.

In the song, Elton sings to someone he has helped and from whom he is now experiencing rejection:

I took a chance and changed your way of life, but you misread my meaning when I met you, closed the door and left me blinded by the light, don't let the sun go down on me, although I search myself, it's always someone else I see.

It was written with the other songs on the album during a ten day period in January 1974.

The chorus of the song is supported with a horn arrangement by Del Newman, and features backing vocals of the Beach Boys' Carl Wilson and Bruce Johnston, and Toni Tennille. Also on the song are percussion accents provided by Ray Cooper and a mellotron played by Dave Hentschel.

As successful as the 1974 record had been, it was as a duet with George Michael that "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me" had its greatest success. The pair had performed the song at the Live Aid concert in 1985. Recorded live at a concert at Wembley Arena, London on 25 March 1991 when Elton John was a surprise guest of George Michael, the duet became a massive hit on both sides of the Atlantic. It was released later that year and reached number one on the UK singles chart for two weeks in December 1991 and a single week on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1992.

The footage used for the music video of the song was taken from a "live" concert in Chicago with 70,000 fans. "The video was actually shot over several days," confirms Michael Pagnotta, George's publicist. "It was shot in an airline hangar in Burbank where George had been rehearsing; Elton came in for a night and they ran through the song a couple of times. Then the song was filmed in its entirety live in Chicago in the middle of October as part of that Cover to Covertour, and when Elton came out from the wings, that place went crazy." It appears on John's Love Songscompilation. The proceeds from the single were divided among 10 different charities for children, AIDS and education.

Both John and Michael performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert a year after the single's release.

"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" charted on 1 June 1974 in Great Britain, making it to number 16. In the United States, it was released while "Bennie and the Jets" was still in the Top 40, and reached the Top 10 after four weeks. On 10 August, the song's two week stay at number 2 ended. It could not oust John Denver's "Annie's Song," Roberta Flack's "Feel Like Makin' Love" nor Paper Lace's "The Night Chicago Died" from the top spot. But a number 2 pinnacle guaranteed it further airplay. By September it became Elton's fourth gold single.

"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" has been a popular song for other artists to perform or record as well. Jay Chattaway arranged this song into a jazz version, which Maynard Ferguson first performed in the 1970s show "The Mark of Jazz" with host Sid Mark. This live version stems from around 1975; it was never recorded onto an album.

Joe Cocker recorded his version of the song on "The Best of Joe Cocker".

Roger Daltrey (who also appeared at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert) sang it for the 1987 soundtrack The Lost Boys.

African-American Gospel group The Winans released a version of the song on their album Decisions in 1987

Gloria Estefan recorded it in 1989.

Jazz singer Oleta Adams recorded it on the 1991 tribute album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin. Late 1990s punk cover specialty act Me First and the Gimme Gimmes also took it on. In December 2002 David Sneddon won the BBC's first Fame Academy show singing his version of "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" and his own song "Stop Living The Lie". Sneddon also put his version of Elton's song on the B side, which was number one in the UK Singles Chart in January 2003.

In 2003, Vanessa Carlton performed the song during the Elton John Tribute Concert. Also in the 2000s, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" has become a frequent selection of reality television singing contestants. Most notably, Clay Aiken's performance of it in the semi-final wild-card round of the second season of American Idolpropelled him into the finals and later a very successful recording career. "Don't Let" became one of Aiken's signature performances, and was reprised in the fifth season in a surprise appearance involving Michael Sandecki. David Archuleta's performance of it during the American Idol Season 7 Final received a lot of praise from all the Judges and even prompted Simon to proclaim it to be Archuleta's best performance on the show. Other such contestants who have performed it include American Idol's Justin Guarini, Jasmine Trias, Bo Bice, Jorge Nuñez, Canadian Idol's Tyler Hamilton, Australian Idol's Nathan Brake, New Zealand Idol's Clinton Randell, and The X Factor's Journey South and Joe McElderry, who received a standing ovation from all the judges, which was the first time in the series. Lately, it has become popular on Spanish show "Operación Triunfo", sung by Moritz. Forest Whitaker sang "Don't Let" in a comedy skit when he hosted the television show Saturday Night Liveon 10 February 2007.

The song is covered by the company Wavegroup for the music video game Karaoke Revolution Presents:American Idol.

Duet version

"Careless Whisper" · "A Different Corner" · "I Want Your Sex" · "Hard Day" · "Faith" · "Father Figure" · "One More Try" · "Monkey" · "Kissing a Fool" · "Praying for Time" · "Waiting for That Day" · "Mother's Pride" · "Freedom! '90" · "Heal the Pain" · "Cowboys and Angels" · "Too Funky" · "Killer" / "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" · "Jesus to a Child" · "Fastlove" · "Spinning the Wheel" · "Older / I Can't Make You Love Me" · "Star People '97" · "You Have Been Loved / The Strangest Thing '97" · "Outside" · "Freeek!" · "Shoot the Dog" · "Amazing" · "Flawless (Go to the City)" · "Round Here" · "John and Elvis Are Dead" · "An Easier Affair" · "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)"

Discography