Rolling Stone published an extensive article titled “The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time” on Monday, and it has music fans in an uproar. In particular, fans of Celine Dion have made a lot of noise on social media. In spite of her vocal range and legendary career, Dion did not appear anywhere on Rolling Stone‘s list.
While the response to all art is subjective, Rolling Stone seems to have proven that many people believe there cannot possibly be 200 singers more talented than Celine Dion. On top of that, Dion’s exclusion naturally ignited fury over some of the more controversial inclusions. Fans raged to see names they disdained on the list, and nitpicked the order it was in as well. With no careful organization, the timeline quickly developed into a masterclass on Dion’s many virtues.
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Rolling Stone‘s article is attributed to the site’s entire writing staff, and not a single journalist. It is meant as a follow-up to the magazine’s “100 Greatest Singers in 2008” list published a decade and a half ago. It was reportedly based on votes submitted by staff and contributors.
If those voters weren’t familiar with Dion, they will be the next time they log on. Here’s a look at what fans are saying about her exclusion from this list.
Accomplishments
Most importantly, this controversy gave fans an excuse to flaunt Dion’s greatest achievements on social media, and they took the task seriously. Many also posted clips that demonstrated her powerful voice.
Invalid
Fans decided that leaving Dion off the list simply makes this list invalid overall.ย
Placement
Actress Yvette Nicole Brown proclaimed that Dion should be in the top 10 singers on this ordered list. For reference, number 10 on the list was Al Green, followed by Otis Redding at number nine, then Beyoncรฉ, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Mariah Carey, Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin.
Other Issues
Of course, Dion’s exclusion wasn’t the only thing fans disliked about this list, and many commenters raised other issues they had with it. At least these issues reassured them that Dion wasn’t the only one slighted in this list.
Competence
Lots of commenters legitimately questioned the competence of Rolling Stone‘s editorial staff after the publication of this list. To be clear, the methods used in voting on this list were explained in the introductory paragraphs alongside it.
Raw Talent
Many fans qualified their outrage by saying that it was perfectly fair to dislike Dion’s work, but that her skill as a vocalist needed to be acknowledged.
Nuance
Finally, as the conversation continued Rolling Stone‘s social media manager tried to draw a distinction between pure vocal talent and “singing genius.” This did little to appease fans, and the comments filled with more outrage on Dion’s behalf.