When Rolling Stone published its list of the 200 best singers of all time last year, one omission drew the loudest uproar: Céline Dion. The publication argued that “what mattered most to us was originality, influence, the depth of an artist’s catalogue, and the breadth of their musical legacy.” Dion checks all those boxes.
Her voice, marked by her distinct Québécois lilt, is a singular force, instantly recognizable and unafraid to soar, often to heights few others can reach. Even though the famed singer has been away from the limelight for the past couple of years battling stiff-person syndrome, her awe-inspiring voice lives on in the playlists and hearts of fans everywhere.
Her catalogue also backs up her incredible legacy: with 27 studio albums and more than 400 songs, Dion has spent almost 35 years creating hits ranging from powerful ballads to uplifting anthems, experimenting with various genres along the way.
Although she sings about a number of different topics, love is the beating heart at the centre of all her songs. She’s explored almost every facet of love, from every possible angle, utilizing the drama of her voice to convey joy, pleasure, yearning, heartbreak and more. For Dion, love can help you overcome the biggest obstacles; it’s the thing that bonds us all, and the ultimate thing worth fighting for. Can it sometimes veer too cheesy? Yes, but Dion embraces it, and by the end of a long opus like “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” or a rousing declaration like “I Drove All Night,” you, too, will throw your hands into the air, surrendering to the power of love — but more importantly, to the magic of a Céline Dion performance.
Below are Dion’s 50 best songs of all time, as selected by CBC Music.
50. ‘Goodbye’s (The Saddest Word)’
Dion is best known for singing about the trials and tribulations of romantic love, but on this echoing ballad she gushes about the special place in her heart her mother holds: “There is no other love like a mother’s love for her child.”
49. ‘Loved Me Back to Life’
This pop power ballad has songwriter Sia’s handiwork all over it (the big and bold chorus is reminiscent of Rihanna’s “Diamonds”), and Dion rises to the occasion, her throaty vocals complementing the edgy production.
48. ‘Taking Chances’
Fun fact: this thrilling pop-rock ballad was originally written and recorded by Kara DioGuardi and former Eurythmics member Dave Stewart, but when they played it for Dion’s late husband, René Angelil, he knew it would fit Dion like a glove. It became the title track of her 23rd studio album.
47. ‘Imperfections’
On this 2019 single, Dion learns to love her own flaws. “Imperfections” is a self-love anthem with upbeat pop production and an earworm chorus.
46. ‘If Walls Could Talk’
“If Walls Could Talk” is heady and sultry, but as the song progresses, lust becomes love and the object of Dion’s desire holds the key to her heart.
45. ‘Love Doesn’t Ask Why’
Perhaps the lyrical predecessor to “When the Wrong One Loves You Right” (see No. 41), this track off Dion’s 1993 album, The Colour of My Love, starts with a whisper and ends with a trademark vocal bang.
44. ‘Nothing But My Broken Heart’
Breakup songs tend to be either wistful and tearful or big “screw you” bangers, but on “Nothing Broken But My Heart” Dion brings both camps together. Her vocal delivery in the beginning is trepidatious, as if she’s uncertain how she’ll go on, but by the end she’s booming and triumphant, hitting high notes and backed by a choir, absolutely certain she’ll make it through.
43. ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’
Roberta Flack laid claim to this love song when she covered it in the early ’70s, but Dion adds a pop power to it that slots the song perfectly into her catalogue. Fun fact: fellow Canadian Gordon Lightfoot also covered it, for his debut album.
42. ‘Fly’
There’s an overwhelming sadness to “Fly,” and Dion performs the melancholy song with gentleness, allowing listeners to wallow alongside her.
41. ‘When the Wrong One Loves You Right’
The synth pad is strong on this cut from the 2002 album A New Day Has Come. It’s a red flag-filled dance jam that you can sing at karaoke until your friends pull you away from Mr. Wrong One.
40. ‘Tout l’or des hommes’
For Dion’s 25th album, 1 fille & 4 types, she worked with writers Jacques Veneruso, Erick Benzi, Gildas Arzel and artistic director Jean-Jacques Goldman to delve into different sounds for her album. Veneruso is behind lead single “Tout l’or des hommes,” which is pretty strictly in Dion’s pop-rock lane — but if you want to hear her go country, hit play on “Ne bouge pas.”
39. ‘Calling You’
“Calling You” may be a Jevetta Steele cover, but Dion puts her own angelic spin on the ballad and effortlessly stretches her voice to the heavens.
38. ‘Then You Look at Me’
There’s no reason that the theme song for the sci-fi comedy film Bicentennial Man should be so dazzling, but of course, it would only be Dion who can make an ode to a robot feel tender and poignant.
37. ‘Courage’
Co-written by fellow Canadian Stephan Moccio, “Courage” is the tender piano ballad that kicked off Dion’s 2019 Courage world tour. As soon as you hear the first verse — “I would be lying if I said I’m fine/ I think of you at least a hundred times” — it’s impossible not to think of Dion’s husband, who died three years before it was released.
36. ‘If You Asked Me To’
This track, written by Diane Warren, had a life pre-Dion: it was recorded by Patti LaBelle for her 1989 album, Be Yourself, and was featured on the soundtrack for the James Bond movie Licence to Kill. Dion recorded essentially a note-for-note version of it three years later — and launched the song to the top of the charts.
35. ‘Je danse dans ma tête’
Y a six milliards d’humains sur terre
Mais chacun vie sa vie en solitaire
(There are six billion humans on Earth
But everyone lives their lives alone)
These lines date from 1991, but are even more apt today, with everyone glued to their devices. An early foray into the dance idiom that would return so emphatically on some songs on 2019’s Courage.
34. ‘Fade Away’
Oozing fierceness, “Fade Away” boasts a soaring bridge on which Dion sounds triumphant: “I know that one day I’ll find that feeling again/ but until I do, I’ll do fine by myself,” she sings optimistically.
33. ‘Parler à mon père’
Grief crops up often throughout Dion’s extensive catalogue, and in 2012, she released this ode to her father, who died in 2003. After listing all the incredible things she’d love to accomplish, she admits in the chorus that what she wants above all else is to speak with her father again.
32. ‘(If There Was) Any Other Way’
It’s funny that Dion’s first English-language single is a song about infidelity, when she went on to be widely known for sweeping, tearjerker love ballads. On “(If There Was) Any Other Way” she finds herself dealing with the aftermath of a tryst that became more than she bargained for.
31. ‘Ne partez pas sans moi’
In 1988, Dion competed in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Sweden (there are no rules on a singer’s nationality). It begins a little soft but picks up steam until the then 20-year-old is doing her now trademark vocal gymnastics. She won the contest for Switzerland, and as a result opened the 1989 Eurovision contest with the song — and performed one of her first English-language singles, “Where Does My Heart Beat Now?”
30. ‘River Deep, Mountain High’
In 1996, Dion covered one of the most enduring soul records of the 1960s, giving it her own spin with an upbeat, shiny, pop-rock sound and powerhouse vocals worthy of the original.
29. ‘Have You Ever Been in Love’
A standout from Dion’s seventh album, A New Day Has Come, “Have You Ever Been in Love” is a slow burner: the track starts off slowly, and Dion’s theatricality shines when she belts out the chorus.
28. ‘When I Fall in Love’
Although not the most renowned song Dion sang from a movie soundtrack, “When I Fall in Love,” from Sleepless in Seattle, is a gorgeous duet cover with swooning lyrics and that quintessential tug of the heart that she’s mastered.
27. ‘On ne change pas’
This mid-tempo pop number is a reminder that we all retain a bit of our childhood selves — and that as much as life changes all around her, she’s still that little girl from Charlemagne, Que.
26. ‘Water From the Moon’
Dion’s penchant for high stakes and over-the-top emotionality is on fine display on this single off her 1992 self-titled album. During the soaring chorus, she pleadingly asks what it will take to get the love she so desperately desires: “Do I gotta get water from the moon/ is that what I gotta do/ to make you love me?”
25. ‘Je sais pas’
This moody song topped the charts in France for seven straight weeks when it was released in 1995, and you can hear why: it’s got a brooding “Earned It” vibe, and Dion’s forthright singing drives home the song’s powerful message of survival against the odds.
24. ‘Love Can Move Mountains’
Dion was made for the dramatic weight of this song, another hit written by Diane Warren. Released on her 1992 self-titled album, “Love Can Move Mountains” combines gospel and pop influences for a song that beautifully showcases Dion’s vocal range — and that registered on the dance charts.
23. ‘The Reason’
This track, co-written by Carole King and off Dion’s 1997 album, Let’s Talk About Love, is peak pop-rock love ballad. Drum roll? Check. Sexual innuendo? Check. Guitar solo? Check. Dion throwing her voice around like it’s no big deal? Absolutely.
22. ‘To Love You More’
Co-written by David Foster and Edgar Bronfman Jr., “To Love You More” ramps up the power-ballad drama with a string section — plus a dramatic pause three-quarters of the way through. Used as the theme song for a TV show in Japan, where the song would become a best-seller, we think it would enjoy a second life on Season 4 of Bridgerton.
21. ‘Misled’
Dion experiments with dance music on this Billboard Dance Club Songs chart-topper: a sparkling anthem that brings out a fierce R&B-inspired vocal performance.
20. ‘The Prayer’ with Andrea Bocelli
Originally recorded as two solo versions for the 1998 film Quest for Camelot, a third version of “The Prayer” united Dion with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, bringing together two powerfully expressive voices that exquisitely complement each other. It appeared on her 1998 Christmas album, These Are Special Times.
19. ‘A New Day Has Come’
The lead single from her 2002 album of the same name, “A New Day Has Come” is a beautiful ode to Dion’s first-born son, as she sings to him: “And the world thought I had it all/ but I was waiting for you.”
18. ‘Think Twice’
You’ve never truly experienced someone pleading for their lover to stay until you’ve heard Dion sing “baby” and “no, no, no” in the climax of “Think Twice.”
17. ‘Let’s Talk About Love’
Dion’s musical mission statement is most evidently showcased on “Let’s Talk About Love” when she sings that love is the “one true emotion that reminds me we’re the same.” Love is Dion’s calling card, and something that every person can relate to.
16. ‘I’m Alive’
“I’m Alive” has had a long life (sorry): released in 2002 on Dion’s A New Day Has Come album, it was featured on the Stuart Little 2 soundtrack, became huge in Jamaica and, 22 years later, got big on TikTok in 2024. Now, it’s the theme song for her upcoming documentary, I Am: Celine Dion.
15. ‘J’irai ou tu iras’ feat. Jean-Jacques Goldman
“J’irai ou tu iras” combines rock riffs and gospel-inspired backing vocals to make one of Dion’s most uplifting, upbeat anthems.
14. ‘Tell Him’ with Barbra Streisand
Streisand has been an idol of Dion’s since she was young, but on “Tell Him,” the two are equals, vocally fitting together like two perfect puzzle pieces.
13. ‘Immortality’ feat. the Bee Gees
Dion released this track on her 1997 album, Let’s Talk About Love, though the Bee Gees originally wrote it for their Saturday Night Fever musical. The band added backing vocals to Dion’s version, and it’s the combination of their voices that makes this song so memorable.
12. ‘I Surrender’
Dion is at her most determined on “I Surrender” as she makes it clear that she’ll surrender everything for her lover. When she hits that explosive note in the bridge (“I surrender all”), you can feel the seas parting for her.
11. ‘Where Does My Heart Beat Now?’
When Dion’s voice goes above and beyond, like it does on the chorus of “Where Does my Heart Beat Now?,” she’s able to convey the most undeniable sense of yearning that hits you square in the chest.
10. ‘That’s the Way it Is’
This Max Martin-produced hit gives Dion’s heartfelt lyrics a ’90s pop update, setting it comfortably on the Billboard charts alongside the decade’s biggest artists, NSYNC and Britney Spears.
9. ‘Beauty and the Beast’ with Peabo Bryson
Is there a more iconic Disney song than “Beauty and the Beast”? It cracked the Billboard Hot 100 chart’s Top 10, plus won a Golden Globe, two Oscars and a Grammy. Angela Lansbury sang the in-movie version with Peabo Bryson, but for the radio hit Bryson teamed up with Dion — and their vocal match is undeniable.
8. ‘I Drove All Night’
On Roy Orbison and Cyndi Lauper’s versions of this song, the music acts as the propelling force, but Dion’s soaring voice is the revved-up engine that drives her 2003 rendition.
7. ‘Encore un soir’
This tribute to Dion’s late husband begins as a somber piano ballad — but when the guitar hits, it turns into a pop-rock banger complete with backup singers.
6. ‘All by Myself’
Dion treats this Eric Carmen cover like a mountain she’s climbing, with every verse and chorus growing in intensity (and vocal dexterity) until she reaches the summit on the final chorus.
5. ‘The Power of Love’
This 1984 Jennifer Rush hit has been covered by Air Supply and Laura Branigan, but this triumphant anthem arguably belongs to Dion now. Her rendition not only goes toe to toe with the original, but she fills it in with additional layers of passion and vulnerability that takes this already towering ballad to new heights.
4. ‘Because You Loved Me’
“Because You Loved Me” would have been moving on its own, but the single was given even more staying power because it soundtracked the love story between Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford’s characters in Up Close and Personal. The transformational power of love is a consistent theme in Dion’s music, and when she sings, “I’m everything I am/ because you loved me,” no one can resist.
3. ‘My Heart Will Go On’
What started off as a song that Dion didn’t want to sing has now become one of her most successful hits, and one that’s equally as synonymous with Dion as it is with Titanic, the film it was written for. The wildest part: this song was completed in one take.
2. ‘Pour que tu m’aimes encore’
Dion’s biggest French-language hit, “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” was the lead single from her 13th studio album, 1995’s D’eux. The song is simple in structure but saturated in sentimentality — a perfect slow-build of a ballad where Dion finishes by belting out the titular lyrics (which translate to “So that you’ll love me again”).
1. ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now’
Praised by Andrew Lloyd Webber as “the greatest love song ever written,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” is a seven-plus minute mini rock opera that truly showcases the grandiosity of love and loss that Dion tries to convey in almost every song she’s ever sung. Here, you feel it all — through the thunderous instrumentation, but especially in the roller coaster of emotions displayed on Dion’s powerhouse voice.