If you think January 6th is the anniversary of the attack on the Capitol, think again. This date will go down in history as the attack on the American magazine Rolling Stone.
In fact, a huge crowd, estimated at… 12 people, protested in front of the magazine’s premises to loudly and clearly denounce the exclusion of Celine Dion from the list of the 200 best singers in the world.
I love Celine Dion as a performer. She has undeniable guts and stage presence. But is she a better singer than Barbra Streisand or Adele? I don’t think so, as they say in New York.
THE POWER OF CELINE
Before driving for hours to show their anger, Celine fans should perhaps have taken five minutes to carefully read the list presentation. They could have learned that this is “the list of the greatest singers, not the list of the greatest voices.” The talent is impressive; Genius is transcendent. »
Is Celine talented? Yes. Is it brilliant and transcendent? It is discussed.
Later in the intro, Rolling Stone clarifies its criteria: “What mattered most to us was the originality, the influence, the breadth of the artist’s repertoire and the influence of his musical legacy”.
I’m sorry (and won’t make friends here), but by those standards, it’s entirely understandable that Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin made the list but left Celine out.
Something else. Several singers that make Rolling Stone’s list have, as the saying goes, “different” voices. Leonard Cohen spoke more than he sang, yet found himself at number 103 on the charts. The magazine also takes pleasure in describing his voice as a mixture of a hum and a croak.
But we understand why it’s on the charts if we read Rolling Stone’s lyrics to the end. “The chart singers are here for a reason: They change the world just by speaking out. »
Did Celine leave such a rich musical legacy? Does she recreate the world by opening her mouth? Did she have a repertoire of transcendent depth? Is his singing style original and influential? Asking the question means answering it.
Leonard Cohen sings Hallelujah, even if it’s awkward, it touches your soul from top to bottom. Does Celine sing All By Myself, even if it’s perfect, bother you that much?
Throw tomatoes at me if you want, but I see no scandal here. Finally, neither Cher nor Madonna make the list.
I WILL GO EVERYWHERE YOU GO
When Rolling Stone magazine published its list of the 100 greatest singers in 2018, Celine was not among them. However, the singer’s fans did not demonstrate in front of the magazine’s New York office. Why ? At the time, no television show in Quebec had thought of organizing a publicity stunt.
We agree that when you demonstrate in New York in front of an American magazine with posters in French (“The Last Shall Be First”), you are addressing a French-speaking audience…
