Editing Nightwish (section)

===2004–2005: Chart-topping success with ''Once'' and Turunen's dismissal===
{{main|Once (Nightwish album)}}

{{Listen
| filename    = Nightwish - Nemo.ogg
| title       = Nightwish – Nemo
| description = Nightwish's style in this period made heavy use of Tarja's soprano lead against an orchestral background
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Nightwish released their fifth album, ''[[Once (Nightwish album)|Once]]'', on 7 June 2004, along with its first single, "[[Nemo (song)|Nemo]]". The popularity of [[Evanescence]] in 2003 had piqued international and especially American interest in symphonic goth metal bands like Nightwish, [[Lacuna Coil]], and [[Within Temptation]]. Consequently, ''Once'' sold triple platinum in Finland,<ref name="sales fin" /> platinum in Germany,<ref name="sales ger">{{cite certification|region=Germany|artist=Nightwish |access-date=June 1, 2010}}</ref> and gold in 6 other countries; it also reached No.&nbsp;1 in the [[Greek Albums Chart|Greek]],<ref name="gre charts">{{cite web |url=http://greekhcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Nightwish |title=Nightwish charts in Greece |access-date=June 1, 2010 |work=Greekcharts.com }}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[VG-lista|Norwegian]]<ref name="nor charts">{{cite web |url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Nightwish |title=Nightwish charts in Norway |access-date=June 1, 2010| work=Norwegiancharts.com}}</ref> and [[Media Control Charts|German]] album charts,<ref name="ger charts">{{cite web |url=http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Nightwish/longplay |title=Nightwish charts in Germany |access-date=June 1, 2010 |work=Musicline.de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830001226/http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Nightwish/longplay |archive-date=August 30, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> and charted the Top 10 in [[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|France]],<ref name="fra charts">{{cite web |url=http://lescharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Nightwish |title=Nightwish charts in France |access-date=June 1, 2010| work=Lescharts.com}}</ref> [[Mahasz|Hungary]]<ref name="hun charts">{{cite web |url=http://www.mahasz.hu/?menu=slagerlistak&menu2=archivum |title=Archive: Nightwish |access-date=June 1, 2010| work=Mahasz.hu}}</ref> and [[Sverigetopplistan|Sweden]].<ref name="swe charts">{{cite web |url=http://swedishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Nightwish |title=Nightwish charts in Sweden |access-date=June 1, 2010| work=Swedishcharts.com}}</ref> "Nemo" topped the charts in Finland<ref name="fin charts"/> and Hungary,<ref name="hun charts"/> and reached the charts in six additional countries. The following singles were: "[[Wish I Had an Angel]]" (featured on the soundtrack of the film ''[[Alone in the Dark (2005 film)|Alone in the Dark]]''), "[[Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan]]" (released only in Finland and Japan) and "[[The Siren (song)|The Siren]]". Besides the commercial success, ''Once'' was also well received by critics, with many positive reviewers drawing comparisons with ''Oceanborn''.<ref name="once" /> "Nemo" remains the band's most successful single release to date.

''Once'' utilizes a full orchestra in nine of the eleven songs on the album. Unlike for ''Century Child'', Nightwish looked for an orchestra outside of Finland this time, choosing the [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]].<ref name="once">{{AllMusic |class = album |id = r701351 |label = ''Once'' |access-date = July 10, 2010}}</ref> It is also their second album to feature a full-length song in Finnish, "[[Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan]]" (English: "Death Makes an Artist").   
[[File:NightwishJune2005.jpg|thumb|right|Nightwish live in [[Jämsä]], Finland, on 25 June 2005]]

The production cost of ''Once'' totaled approximately 250,000 euros (over 1,000,000 including video production), making it Finland's most expensive recording in history. The band would go on to break this record again later in their career.

The success of the album allowed them to perform the [[Once Upon a Tour]] tour, in which the band played in many countries they had never visited before.<ref name="oncetour">{{cite web |url=http://www.nightwish.com/en/live/archive?year=2004 |title=Nightwish Live −2004 |access-date=July 10, 2010 |work=Nightwish.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605032730/http://www.nightwish.com/en/live/archive?year=2004 |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nightwish performed at the opening ceremony of the [[2005 World Championships in Athletics]], held in [[Helsinki]], highlighting the acclaim the band had gained.<ref>{{cite web |title=Helsinki skies open as World Championships get under way |work=[[Helsingin Sanomat]] |date=9 August 2005 |url=http://www.hs.fi/english/article/1101980518329 |access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref> A "best of" album, ''[[Highest Hopes]]'', was released in September 2005. The compilation also featured a live cover "[[High Hopes (Pink Floyd song)|High Hopes]]" (from the [[Pink Floyd]] album ''[[The Division Bell]]''). Besides "High Hopes", a remake of "[[Sleeping Sun]]" (from ''Oceanborn'') was included on the album and released as a single. A video for the remake was shot, featuring a medieval battle, and can be found on the German release of the single and as a separate DVD released by Spinefarm.<ref name="nw bio"/>

The four other members of Nightwish had decided that it was best to continue Nightwish without Turunen. After a concert at the [[Hartwall Areena|Hartwall Arena]] on October 21, 2005, they expressed their decision through a letter given to Turunen by Holopainen, and afterwards posted openly on the band's website.<ref name="letter">{{cite web|url=http://www.nightwish.com/en/article/6|title=Open Letter to Tarja|date=October 22, 2005|work=Nightwish.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060410185248/http://nightwish.com/en/article/6|archive-date=April 10, 2006|access-date=October 22, 2005}}</ref> The letter was written by Holopainen and signed by all four band members. The main justification given for Turunen's dismissal was that the band felt that her husband, Marcelo Cabuli, and her own [[Commercialism|commercial]] interests had changed her attitude towards the band.<ref name="letter" />

Turunen responded to the incident twice during press conferences in Finland and Germany, saying that her dismissal came as a shock to her; she had not been notified before the letter was given to her.<ref name="tarjafirement">{{cite web|url=http://www.metalyou.com/band/nightwish/news/nightwish_tarja_turunen_letter_to_the_band_fans_and_media/|title=Nightwish: Tarja Turunen letter to the band, fans and media|date=October 26, 2005|work=MetalYou.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516032753/http://www.metalyou.com/band/nightwish/news/nightwish_tarja_turunen_letter_to_the_band_fans_and_media/|archive-date=May 16, 2006|url-status=live|access-date=October 26, 2005}}</ref> The singer felt that the personal attacks on her husband were unwarranted, and that playing the issue out in public was "senselessly cruel". Turunen expressed these feelings through her own open letter, which was published on her personal website, and through various TV, magazine, and newspaper interviews.<ref name="tarjafirement" />