On January 1, the Rolling Stone music publication released a list of 200 best singers of all time that excluded the My Heart Will Go On singer Celine Dion.
The exclusion has since resulted in Dion’s fans trolling the publication on Twitter. Many expressed disgust and frustration while others demanded the names of the people who cast their votes.
@COCOCALIBER said: “Celine Dion is not in the top 200 of the greatest singers.”
Celine dion not in the top 200 of greatest singers of all time??? Is it crack? pic.twitter.com/RbHfPdQ4fm
— COCO CALIBER 🤎 (@cococaliber) January 1, 2023
@MSBIZLADY2 fumed: “Not this Celine Dion not being on the list! We need names of every person that voted on this list.”
Not this Celine Dion not being on the list! We need names of every person that voted on this list! https://t.co/PbdCgOKCOs pic.twitter.com/HbOm3GSGMJ
— MsBizLady (@MsBizLady2) January 1, 2023
@Mr Xecutive lashed out: “Rihanna should not even be on that Rolling Stones list of greatest singers. But for her to also be ahead of Michael Jackson, Usher, Anita Baker … then Celine Dion is not even on the list?”
Rihanna should not even be on that Rolling Stones list of Greatest Singers. But for her to also be ahead of Michael Jackson, Usher, Anita Baker, and Patti Labelle… then Celine Dion is not even on the list? I would like criminal charges brought against the entire company.
— Childless Gambino (@Mr_Xecutive) January 2, 2023
In its response Rolling Stone asked the readers to bear in mind that the list is for greatest singers, not greatest voices. The publication’s editors added that “talent is impressive, genius is transcendent”.
The Rolling Stone staff based the list on originality, influence, the depth of an artist’s catalogue, and the breadth of their musical legacy.
Rolling Stone said: “A voice can be gorgeous like Mariah Carey’s, rugged like Toots Hibbert’s, understated like Willie Nelson’s, slippery and sumptuous like D’Angelo’s, or bracing like Bob Dylan’s.
“But in the end, the singers behind it are here for one reason – they can remake the world just by opening their mouths.”
The extensive list features Rosalía in the 200th slot.
Rolling Stone explained further: “When Rosalía sings, it feels as if she’s pulling out decades of history from her throat and resurrecting them into thin air.
“Her vocal tone, the intuitive melismas and rhythmic accents of which were built from training in flamenco for more than a decade possesses a crystalline nature that in turn awakens emotions deep in the hearts of listeners.”
Aretha Franklin secured the top spot in the list followed by Whitney Houston. Beyonce claimed eighth place and Brandy landed at 193 while Alicia Keys is sitting at 185 spot.
Joining Dion out in the cold is Jennifer Hudson, Cher, Madonna and many other household names.
Rolling Stone, which published its first top 100 list in 2008, said: “We used an elaborate voting process that included input from well-known musicians. The results skewed toward classic rock and singers from the sixties and seventies.
“This new list was compiled by our staff and key contributors, and it encompasses 100 years of pop music as an ongoing global conversation, where iconic Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar lands between Amy Winehouse and Johnny Cash, and salsa queen Celia Cruz is up there in the rankings with Prince and Marvin Gaye. You might notice that, say, there isn’t any opera on our list.
“That’s because our purview is pop music writ large, meaning that almost all the artists on this list had significant careers as crossover stars making popular music for the masses.”
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