11 incredible facts about Celine Dion worthy of a music icon

We look back at her iconic duets, award wins aplenty... and Stuart Little 2.
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Celine Dion is nothing short of a music icon.

A former Eurovision winner, the French-Canadian artist has been a staple in music for the last 30 years, captivating audiences with her incredible vocal range and staggering array of showstopping ballads.

Having a career to monumental, Celine certainly has plenty of accolades to her name. Here, we list a few of her biggest.

She has two UK Number 1 singles, both are million-sellers

Not many musicians can say that one of their tracks has sold a million copies, never mind two of them. Celine is one of those lucky few who can shout it from the rooftops that she has a pair of million-sellers - Think Twice and My Heart Will Go On. They're also Celine's only two UK Number 1 singles, but what a cracking set to have. The cherry on-top is that Celine was the first woman in history to score two seven-figure shifters. Iconic.

MORE: View Celine Dion's complete UK singles and albums chart history

She won the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland

Celine's big break in Europe came as a result of winning Eurovision in 1988, representing Switzerland. We're not sure why considering she's from Canada, but Eurovision isn't really about things making sense, is it (hi Australia)? Singing Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi, Celine beat the United Kingdom into second place by a single point. Talk about being jammy.

My Heart Will Go On netted her a BRIT Award

An artist as legendary as Celine has of course won a BRIT Award. Only one sadly, but it's the taking part that counts - and she's been nominated for four in total. Her single trophy gain at the UK's biggest music ceremony came in the form of Titanic's Best Soundtrack/Cast Recording prize. Plain sailing for Celine that year!

Celine's trademark Titanic tune is one of the biggest selling love ballads

Near, far, wherever you are, you couldn't get away from Celine's Titanic single. It was everywhere back in 1997. One of the biggest selling singles of all-time, it is also the 6th biggest love ballad ever released. Fellow Canadian Bryan Adams got one over on Celine in this category, ranking higher on our countdown of the best selling sentimental numbers. Celine gets the last laugh though, as we'll see in a moment...

The most Juno Award nominations of all time? Celine, of course

When we talk about Celine, we have to talk about the Juno Awards, the BRITs counterpart in The Great White North. Celine has been nominated more times than any other act with 66 noms and 20 wins. Justin Bieber, Alanis Morissette, Drake and The Weeknd have nothing on her. And that's the way it is.

She worked with Sia on her most recent UK Top 40 single

Celine has been vocal about not writing her own music, picking the best writers to work with on her killer power ballads. One of her buddies is Sia, everyone's favourite powerhouse vocalist from Adelaide. Sia wrote Celine's 2013 Top 40 single Loved Me Back to Life, a textbook belter that brought Celine's chart presence back to life - it was her first Top 20 for 11 years. 

MORE: Sia's Official Top 10 biggest hits revealed - including the songs she gave away to other artists

Celine obviously has a star on the Canada Walk of Fame

If Celine wasn't on featured on this smorgasbord of top Canadian talent, then we would have been fuming. Thankfully she's not all by herself either. Celine was inducted onto the Toronto walkway in 1999, and is joined by the likes of Jim Carrey, William Shatner, Kim Cattrall and Ryan Reynolds. That's a dinner party we'd like an invite to.

I'm Alive is on the soundtrack to Stuart Little 2

Yes, this did actually happen. Celine's I'm Alive is the headline release from the film's score. A bizarre career move, but one that worked; Celine's 20th Top 20 single was in the bag as a result. In addition to that and the amazing video featuring Celine inside a clock (us neither), the songstress has belted out some more soundtrack singles. She also put her pipes to good use on Beauty and the Beast and My Heart Will Go On. 

She has 5 Grammys on her mantlepiece

Being one of the most decorated artists in history, it comes as no surprise that Celine has won 5 Grammys over the years. All of her wins are in different categories too, because she's that legendary: Record of the Year; Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; Album of the Year; Best Pop Album; and the very easy to say Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal with Peabo Bryson. Which brings us to...

Celine has collaborated with some of the very best

Not only has Celine had success singing on her own, she's fared well roping some of her suitably eclectic bunch friends along for the ride. Dion can say she has worked with some of the music world's elite, having sung with with Barbra Streisand, Ne-Yo, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Peabo Bryson, Josh Groban, Il Divo, The Bee Gees, Andrea Bocelli, Paul Anka, and R. Kelly. We bet Celine's phonebook is mental. We're big fans of the emotional All the Way, her heartstring-tugger with Frank Sinatra. 

This songstress has spent over 9 years on the Official Albums Chart

Celine has hit the Albums Chart top spot 5 times over the course of her career, gracing the Top 10 on 11 occasions. All of her collections have altogether spent 513 weeks on the chart - that's over 9 years in total. AKA a long bloody time. Congratulations Celine. 

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Fercho Gonzalías

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Voluptuosa mujer, de provocativa anatomía, expresada en unas magníficas tetas y en una soberbia cola de opulentas nalgas, incitadoras lascivas a oficiar los ritos de Eros, en una suprema cópula y un grandioso orgasmo simultáneo.

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Sunshine Gal

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i don't think i know the 'think twice' single...i can't recall it on the hot 100 over here.

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etin

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becows you loved me was a soundtrack song of "up close & personal" movie too

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Sunshine Gal

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one thing this article failed to mention and is a little known fact about her: she was also a teen artist in canada :). she's been on the canadian music charts i'm guessing since she was 13 or 14.

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A Taste Of International Music

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Great article! Check out our own little worshipping of Céline on our facebook music page:

1994 > Canada > Pop / Soft Rock
The incomparable Céline Dion celebrates her 50th birthday today!!
Born in Montreal in Canada in 1968, she won her first singing contest in the early 1980s. And, what only few know, she represented Switzerland in the international singing competition Eurovision Song Contest with "Ne partez pas sans moi" (meaning "Don't leave without me") in 1988. She won by just one point over the UK to ensure Switzerland's second victory (they have not won since) after winning in the very first contest in 1956. Whilst there are rumours that Céline does not want to be connected to the song contest any more, it sure gave her career a shot in the arm. In 1990, her ninth studio album "Unison" became her first English-speaking, resulting in the ballad "Where does my heart beat now" becoming her first US-Top 10 hit. Her cover of Jennifer Rush's 1984 ballad "The power of love", released in 1993, went to #1 in the US, UK and Canada. Her amazingly beautiful "Think twice" (watch below) from 1994 fared especially well in the UK, topping the charts for 7 weeks and making her a household name for the British audience. Taken from her French-speaking album "D'eux" (meaning "About them"), her 1995 ballad "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" (meaning "So that you'll love me again") inevitably became a huge hit in French-speaking countries. After a string of hits in 1996 ("Because you loved me", "It's all coming back to me now" and "All by myself"), along came the career-defining hit "My heart will go on". Taken from the Titanic soundtrack, the song was 1997's global smash hit, winning an Oscar Awards, a Golden Globes award and four GRAMMYs. After duets with Bee Gees, R. Kelly and Andrea Bocelli, she returned in 1999 with "That's the way it is", appearing on another best-of album. In total, Céline released 26 studio albums and 153 singles up until today, making her the best-selling Canadian artist with record sales of over 200 million copies worldwide. Happy birthday!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGwIaL0jOUg

SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/atasteofinternationalmusic/posts/1971551533167289

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Gary Feld

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Her cover of Jennifer Rush's 1984 ballad "The power of love", released in 1993, went to #1 in the US, UK and Canada....NOPE...NOT IN THE UK!.

"In total, Céline released 26 studio albums and 153 singles up until today,"......153 SINGLES...NOPE!

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A Taste Of International Music

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Yes, you're right about the #1 in the UK. Wikipedia still stays she released 153 singles, but I guess it depends what you count as a single. It's probably less, you're right!

KP

Kevin Pugh

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Celine Dion a legend in our music times.Her vocals stand up there with Barbra Striesand,Who's duet Tell him is one of their best duets.
Celine has been entertaing us for the last 30 yrs and to another many years of her fantastic music.
I was able to see Celine live and what a energetic performer and every note perfect.
Looking forward to many new singles and albums.
Thankyou for your music

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Sunshine Gal

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celine is def. an all time fave artist of mine!! so many great memories of her on the bb charts back in the 90s...over here, she has 2 diamond albums 'falling into you' & 'let's talk about love' and the titanic soundtrack also went diamond here. her 'falling into you' album spent 1 full yr in the top 10 over here :). lots of fun times to be a hot 100 addict ;)

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Ashley

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"I'm Alive" wasn't a Top 10 hit...her last one, I believe, was "A New Day Has Come".

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Ronnie

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No mention of the fact that she's sold over 200 million records- one of only a few female recording artistes to achieve that- Whitney, Mariah, Celine, Madonna and Rihanna. Only five of them have surpassed that massive milestone.

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etin

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what r u talking about ? rihanna isnt milestone and she hasnt big album sales

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Mikkel Riedl

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I agree. I love Whitney, Mariah, Celine and Madonna but never really got the hold of Rhianna.
She definately needs some more years on her back before she can reach these hights. Beyonce is miles ahead Greetings from Norway

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Shaylan L. Govender

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You're joking right? Rihanna can't even sell an album to save her life. And let's not forget that Whitney, Mariah, Celine and Madonna all did it without the digital age!

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Sunshine Gal

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that's right ;). i always get mad @ billboard when they compare today's artists' feats to those artists that didn't have internet advantages. it really isn't the same.

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Sunshine Gal

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well, ronnie is also talking about riri's hot 100 chart run in the u.s., she's done very well as far as top 10 hits go...she has something like 30. but i don't consider her in the same league as mariah, whitney, celine and madonna.

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Tony Leadholm

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Well deserved. Can't wait to see her perform after the terribly rough year she's had.