Ranking The 10 Best Celine Dion Studio Albums
Not every album Celine Dion has made has been greeted warmly by the critics. In fact, most have received mixed reviews. It hasn’t stopped her from selling them by the boatload though. After releasing several French-language albums in her native Canada, she released her English-speaking debut, Unison, in 1990. It sent her career stratospheric, and over the next decade, she cemented her reputation with one mega-selling album after another. She’s now sold over 200 million albums worldwide, becoming the best-selling contemporary female artist in history. Here’s our pick of the 10 best Celine Dion albums of all time.
10. One Heart
Named by Return of Frock as one of Celine Dion’s best albums, One Heart is the kind of album that manages to cover a wide range of genres, from dance-floor fillers like I Drove All Night to sumptuous ballads like Have You Ever Been In Love, without losing its focus. Released in March 2003, it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 in the UK, and topped the charts in numerous other countries. It’s now sold over five million copies worldwide and achieved 3x Platinum status in Canada, 2x Platinum status in the US, and Platinum status in Europe.
9. Incognito
Dion’s 8th studio album (and her first on a major record label), is Incognito. Released several years before she made her US debut, it’s a youthful, confident offering that showcases the singer’s heavenly vocals. All six of its singles reached the top five on the Quebec Airplay Chart, with four of them topping the chart. The album proved similarly successful, peaking at No. 1 on the Quebec Albums chart in 1987 and eventually certifying double Platinum.
8. Unison
In 1990, Dion made her commercial breakthrough in the US with Unison. An upbeat blend of soft rock, dance, and ballads, it met with widespread critical acclaim, with both Dion’s vocal talents and the album’s song choice receiving praise. Described by All Music as a “fine, sophisticated American debut,” it soared to No. 1 in Quebec, No. 74 on the Billboard 200, and No. 55 in the UK. Five of its singles were top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s since been certified seven-times Platinum in Canada, Platinum in the United States, and sold over four million copies worldwide.
7. Celine Dion
Two years after making her US debut with Unison, Dion was back with her second English language album, Celine Dion. It received a warm reception from the critics, with the Chicago Tribune calling it “even better (than Dion’s debut), because the young singer-only 24-has developed enough confidence in her second language to really deliver the emotional nuances of a lyric, especially in the ballads that dominate this album.” It was equally successful commercially, reaching number one in Quebec, number three in Canada, and selling five million copies worldwide.
6. D’elles
On D’elles, Dion covers 13 songs written by female artists from France and Quebec. A hugely ambitious album, it finds Dion breaking loose, testing new themes, touching on different genres, and allowing her vocals free reign. It’s less controlled and less polished than her usual output, and all the better for it. For someone who’s often been accused of being all voice and no heart, here, she proved her critics wrong with an album of wonderful emotional depth. Released in May 2007, it debuted at No. 1 in Canada, Belgium, and France and reached No. 3 in Switzerland.
5. A New Day Has Come
After an extended hiatus from the recording studio, Dion returned in 2002 with A New Day Has Come. Described by Billboard as “broader” and “more adventurous” than her earlier output, it’s almost impossible to fault. Individually, the songs aren’t particularly memorable, but as All Music says, oddly, that doesn’t seem to hurt. It certainly didn’t harm its chart success: the album topped the charts in more than 17 countries and has since been certified three times Platinum in the US, six times Platinum in Canada, and three times Platinum in Europe.
4. The Colour of My Love
The Colour of My Love, Dion’s third English-speaking album, cemented her status as a pop megastar. The song range is impeccable, covering both soaring ballads and upbeat dance numbers, while Dion’s vocals have rarely sounded so angelic. A commercial and critical success, it reached No. 4 in the US and topped the charts in Canada, Australia, the UK, and numerous European countries. It’s since sold over 20 million units worldwide to become one of the best selling records of all time.
3. Let’s Talk About Love
Let’s Talk About Love, the much-awaited follow-up to the hugely successful Falling Into You, didn’t disappoint. Not only did it feature collaborations with Barbra Streisand, Luciano Pavarotti, Carole King, and The Bee Gees, it was also home to Dion’s seminal hit, My Heart Will Go On. Released in November 1997, it topped the charts in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and many other countries. It’s now sold over 31 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling albums in history.
2. D’eux
Described by theeccentricarjun.com as the French equivalent of Thriller, D’eux saw Dion collaborate with legendary French singer-songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman to create a modern classic. Expertly conceived, beautifully written, and executed with heart, it’s an intelligent, heartfelt masterpiece. To date, it’s sold over 10 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling French-language album of all time.
1. Falling Into You
It should come as no surprise to fans to find Falling Into You at the top of our list of the 10 best Celine Dion albums of all time. A timeless classic, it’s the album that cemented Dion’s status as one of the most iconic singers of all time. On its release in March 1996, it topped the charts in countless countries, including the US, UK, Canada, France, and Australia. It’s since become one of the best-selling albums in history, selling over 32 million copies worldwide. Even if she’d never sung another note again, Falling Into You would have been enough to secure her legacy, and her legend.
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