rolling stone updated its list of the 100 Greatest Singers of 2008 with its new 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
And while the roster of artists is vast and varied, in part due to the change in criteria, there are a few questionable decisions that have outraged fans, but probably none more galvanizing than having Celine Dion omitted from the list, according to TMZ.
Known for her powerful and technically skilled voice, the 54-year-old Canadian singer has also amassed over 200 million record sales worldwide, while winning a host of accolades and awards during her five decades in the spotlight.
Fan backlash: Despite being known for her powerful and technically skilled voice, Celine Dion, 54, was dropped from the Rolling Stones’ 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, which is an update to her list of 100 Greatest Singers of 2008; the Canadian singer is seen in September 2019
There don’t seem to be any big surprises in the RS Top 10 list, other than Dion being snubbed.
Many would agree that having Aretha Franklin in the top spot is a no-brainer, who was followed by Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday and Mariah Carey, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Otis Reeding and Al Green.
While soul and R&B artists dominated the Top 10, the 11-20 number was much more varied and eclectic with the addition of rock and pop singers.
Rock and roll icons Little Richard and John Lennon were 11 and 12, followed by Patsy Cline, Freddie Mercury, Bob Dylan, Prince, Elvis Presley, Celia Cruz, Frank Sinatra and Marvin Gaye.
Some fans outraged by Dion’s snub would like to point out some of the questionable names on the updated roster who lack what most people would consider a classic voice, but that’s where the new criteria come in.
Star shines bright: After establishing herself as a star in her native Canada with French-language albums in the 1980s, Dion switched to English and became a global superstar after the release of The Color Of My Love (1993); she is pictured performing in 1988
Among those names that most experts say don’t have a better singing voice than Celine Dion, many rockers on the list such as Ozzy Osbourne (#112), Glen Danzig (#199), Kurt Cobain (#36 ), Bruce Springsteen (#77), Mick Jagger (#52), John Foggerty (#118), Patti Smith (#117), Chrissie Hynde (#114), Roger Daltry (#109), , Courtney Love (#125 ) and Joe Strummer (#130).
Plus, it’s obvious that crooners like Leonard Cohen (#103), Bob Dylan (#15), Lou Reed (#107), and Johnny Cash (#85) relied more on attitude and a unique poetic style. in their vocal delivery and lyrics.
Critics would also argue against most pop stars which included Lady Gaga (#58), Taylor Swift (#102), Usher (#97), Selena (#89), The Weeknd (#110) and George Michael (# 62).
But readers should remember that when Rolling Stone first released its list of the 100 Greatest Singers in 2008, journalists “used an elaborate voting process that included contributions from well-known musicians” who leaned towards rock. classical and singers of the 1960s and 1970s.
This updated version was respected by the publication’s staff and major contributors, and oriented itself towards the last 100 years of popular music, while asking its readers to “keep in mind that it is This is the list of the greatest singers, not the list of the greatest voices”.
What seemed most important to RS reporters was an artist’s “originality, influence, depth of catalog and breadth of musical heritage”.
Making the case: Many fans and critics would object to rocker Ozzy Osbourne (#112) being on the RS roster while Dion was left out
Making his point: Dion fans and singing experts would also take issue with crooners who made the list like Lou Reed, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, as well as many pop stars: the star deceased from the Velvet Underground is seen in June 2013, four months before her death
“These are the singers who have shaped history and defined our lives – from slick operators to raw screamers, from gospel to punk, from Sinatra to Selena to SZA,” the article reads.
Dion is by far one of the most accomplished and impactful singers in modern history having first emerged in her native Canada as a teenage star with a string of French-language albums in the 1980s.
She gained international fame by winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988.
After learning to speak English, Dion was signed to Epic Records in the United States, eventually releasing her first English-language album, Unison (1990).
In the wake of her third English album, The Color Of My Love (1993), the native of Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada had become a global superstar.
Over the past four decades, she’s had sons Grammys, six AMAs, seven Billboard Awards, 12 World Music Awards, 20 JUNO Awards, to name a few.
She also holds a multitude of world records, including the best-selling French-language albums in history; successful contemporary female artist; first and only female artist to have two of her albums sell over 30 million copies worldwide; The world’s best-selling solo artist of the 90s; and second woman in history to have sold 50 million albums in Europe, among many others.
It looks like Dion herself doesn’t seem to mind being left out of Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, given that she hasn’t publicly responded.
Major Credentials: With sales of over 200 million records worldwide, Celine Dion is among the best-selling musical artists of all time; we see her performing in France in July 2017
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