Near, far, wherever you are, you won’t be named one of the greatest singers ever, Celine Dion–at least according to Rolling Stone. The Grammy-winning singer, who led Titanic’s ballad “My Heart Will Go On” to an Oscar, was notably omitted from the publication’s list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Obviously any list is subjective–and Rolling Stone did preface their list with the following: “Before you start scrolling (and commenting), keep in mind that this is the Greatest Singers list, not the Greatest Voices List. Talent is impressive; genius is transcendent…In all cases, what mattered most to us was originality, influence, the depth of an artist’s catalog, and the breadth of their musical legacy. A voice can be gorgeous…rugged…understated…slippery and sumptuous…or bracing…But in the end, the singers behind it are here for one reason: They can remake the world just by opening their mouths.”
The preemptive defense by Rolling Stone hasn’t helped matters much, as they are, by omission, suggesting that someone like Celine Dion holds no originality or depth. Fans of Celine Dion are, naturally, whatever the Canadian term for “royally pissed off” is. One even pointed to evidence that she could sing the phone book and still dazzle audiences!
As it turns out, Titanic isn’t the only movie she has leant an original song to. She also had a duet with Miss Piggy in Muppets Most Wanted and recorded “Ashes” for Deadpool 2, releasing an accompanying music video.
The top 10 of Rolling Stone’s Greatest Singers of All Time: Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, Mariah Carey, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Otis Redding, and Al Green. You can read the entire list here. And no, Bob Dylan should not be that high.
Celine Dion isn’t the only remarkable singer snubbed by Rolling Stone. Others that failed to make the list include Madonna, Janet Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Tony Bennett, and Nat King Cole.
Late last year, Celine Dion announced she suffers from Stiff Person Syndrome, “an autoimmune disorder of the nervous system, often resulting in progressive, severe muscle stiffness and spasms of the lower extremities and back.” It is currently incurable.
What do you think of Rolling Stone’s list? Should Celine Dion have been included? Who else was left off that should have ranked? Let us know your take in the comments section below!