Sacrifice

Bernie Taupin wrote the lyric that became "Sacrifice," a ballad he composed with Elton John for the album Sleeping with the Past in 1989. The song examines how difficult it is to remain faithful and devoted in a marriage, pushing back against the idea that a successful union demands sacrifice. John's own piano playing carried the melody, and the track appeared in October 1989 as the second single from the album, which was his twenty-second studio release.

The single's first run was modest. It stalled at number 55 in the United Kingdom and reached number 18 in the United States in March 1990. Then English DJ Steve Wright began playing it on BBC Radio 1 in mid-1990, and other radio DJs soon followed. Re-released as a double A-side with "Healing Hands," the song climbed to number one in the UK in June 1990, giving John his first solo chart-topper at home and holding the top spot for five weeks. France followed, where it also became his first number one and stayed on the chart for 26 weeks.

Alek Keshishian directed the music video, which cast supermodel Yasmeen Ghauri and singer-songwriter Chris Isaak. Following the lyrics, it portrayed a married couple whose relationship breaks down after raising a daughter, leaving the man to raise the child alone. John went on to perform "Sacrifice" in various locations in the years after its release.