"Goodbye England's rose, may you ever grow in our hearts / You were the grace that placed itself where lives were torn apart."

With those words, Elton John rechristened "Candle in the Wind" from 1973's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road as "Candle In the Wind 1997," a tribute to the late Princess of Wales, Diana. And 17 years ago on October 11, 2014, that homage to the late princess began its 14-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"Candle In the Wind 1997" may be one of the biggest anomalies in music history. In a year dominated by Spice Girls, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men and Puff Daddy, a 24-year-old song from a 50-year-old classic rocker dominated the charts. Not to mention it's the rare No. 1 hit that was performed just once in a live setting -- at a funeral.

Furthermore, it remains one of the most divisive hits of the decade. While "Candle In the Wind 1997" sold in excess of 10 million units in the U.S. alone -- it achieved diamond status and remains the best-selling physical single of all time in the U.S. -- British listeners voted it one of the most-loathed No. 1 hits just four years after its international success.

Haters aside, the rewritten "Candle In the Wind" came from a place of deep reverence. Like most of the world, Elton was shocked when a car crash claimed the life of 36-year-old Diana on August 31, 1997. But unlike most of the planet, Elton was a close, personal friend of Lady Di's.

So while the world mourned and coverage of Diana's death dominated the news, Elton called up his longtime lyricist, Bernie Taupin, with the idea of rewriting their ode to Marilyn Monroe (which was not released as a U.S. single in the '70s) as a tribute to Princess Diana. George Martin wrote a string arrangment for it, and less than three weeks after her funeral, it was officially released.

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