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TERRITORIAL IDENTITY AND DEVELOPMENT
Volume 4 / No. 1, Spring 2019
ISSN 2537 - 4850
ISSN–L 2537 - 4850
MUSIC GEOGRAPHIES AND ICONIC MUSIC LEGENDS: MAPPING
CÉLINE DION’S OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC
AND GLOBAL POPULAR MUSIC CULTURE
Ioan-Sebastian JUCU
West University of Timişoara, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, ROMANIA
ioan.jucu@e-uvt.ro
DOI: http://doi.org/10.23740/TID120195
ABSTRACT
Between music geography and iconic music legends, a strong connection has been established in terms of spatial
and temporal analysis of popular music and the representation of national identities in the contemporary global
cultures of popular music. The existing literature unveils a gap in the analysis of music geography and famous
musicians, real global music icons identified with particular cultures. This paper argues that such music legends
must be geographically studied to unveil their outstanding contribution to the world music cultures. Against such a
background, a geographical approach that takes Canadian singer Céline Dion as a case study is developed. The
research aims to analyse Dion’s outstanding contribution to global music culture in both spatial and temporal terms.
Based on the music industry emergence, the paper focuses on how and why Céline Dion appeared in global music
culture and examines her outstanding contribution with specific reference to music cartographies and statistical
research. National identity and related cultural issues beyond the music, lyrics, and performances are also
addressed. The empirically led study is based on a multi-method approach and makes use of statistical data
analysis, GIS methods, biographical inquiry, the analysis of lyrics and visual methodologies, all suggesting that Dion’s
contribution has greatly influenced the global popular music culture of the last few decades. Although the topics in
question cannot be fully discussed within the limits of this paper, it highlights the importance of these issues and
calls for further in-depth research to provide a new critical understanding of the intimate connections between
popular music, legendary music icons and the recent perspectives in music geographies.
Keywords: music industry, cultural globalisation, diffusion, music scenes, famous artists
INTRODUCTION
This paper deals with music and geography since these fields are “intimately connected” and a
legitimate topic of academic research (Johansson & Bell, 2009, p. 1; Anderson et al., 2005).
Music is “one of the world’s defining products” (Florida et al., 2010, p. 787), a singular form of
symbolic expression shaping human existence (Lull, 1987), a part of people’s lives and human
experience. It is a universal cultural norm, an expression of human culture (Johansson & Bell,
2009; Lashua et al., 2014; Levitin, 2006), and “a means by which cultures defined themselves”
(Throsby, 2002, p. 2). Music is an agent in the social and cultural reproduction of space and
everyday life (Cohen, 1995) with a key role “in the formation of social life and identity”
(Milburn, 2017, p. 3) providing multiple opportunities to gain new understandings in
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geographical analysis based on its continuous development over space and through time
(Kearney, 2010; Waterman, 2006). Consequently, music “is by nature geographical” (Hogan,
2007, p. 1). It could be used as a platform for specific topics, arguing the contribution of high-
profile musicians and emphasizing the global issues of their music (Kearney, 2009, 2010).
Acknowledged “as perfect models of consumption” (Till, 2010, p. 71), global music legends
shape representative spatio-temporal pathways in music consumption and thereby influence
the global cultures. A review of the existing literature in the field of geography revealed a gap
in terms of scientific inquiry into geography and music, especially examining the living famous
artists and their contribution in the global popular music culture. Several studies investigated
passed away music icons as Beatles, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra (Kruse, 2004, 2005; Fraser
& Brown, 2002; Milburn, 2017; Rodman, 2013). Since musicians’ behavior is highly encouraged
to be geographically studied (Florida et al., 2010) and geographers have only very rarely
investigated major figures and legendary music icons of popular music (see Milburn, 2017, p.
3), this paper aims to fill this hiatus. It focuses on music geographies and living music legends
and particularly on the global music icons with a geographical study of Céline Dion’s
outstanding contribution to global music culture and on the worldwide cultural influence of
this global fame songstress, a real phenomenon in the global music mainstream (Grenier,
2000, 2002). Dion is one of the best-selling female artists of all time and an iconic legend in the
contemporary global music culture. “After 35 years as a performing and recording artist, Dion
has become a legend of popular music, one of the most powerful and moving voices ever
heard” being the 6th most admired woman on the planet (Dahlgreen, 2016; Bouvia, 2017).1
She is a Canadian singer who has diffused her music from local audiences to the world through
domestic music deterritorialisation and cultural globalisation (Brown et al., 2000; Connell &
Gibson, 2004, 2009; Richardson & Wilkie, 2015).
Living music legends contribute to the spatio-temporal development of local and global music
cultures shaping representative pathways in music production and consumption, and in local,
national and global identity representation, influencing the world’s cultures. Since the
diffusion of music in recent decades has expanded through commercial and digital broadcasts,
recordings and tours (see Lashua et al., 2014; Shuker, 2016), legendary musicians have
removed the cultural borders, with people recognizing their common identities through music
(Smith, 1997). Where different boundaries (national, political, cultural, artistic or musical) have
maintained for various reasons, music has had the power to penetrate them. Consequently,
Dion’s music has crossed the globe, sharing the real values of music and culture. This
songstress became one of the most important artists in the world, a global living legend
promoting the identities of French and English music (see Grenier, 2000).
Thoroughly admired, with a global popularity or sometimes criticized, Dion remains one of the
most iconic legends of the global music culture. Since the spatial focus is relevant in the
contemporary culture of popular music (Florida & Jackson, 2010; Milburn, 2017), the overall
goal of this research is to advance a geographical analysis of how music has made this singer a
global music legend. In addition, the main objective of the study is to map and discuss Dion’s
musical career through the lens of a geographical approach to provide professional maps using
GIS methods and to present a spatio-temporal geographic examination of the outstanding
musical contribution of this artist to music and global popular music culture.
1 See http://www.celinedionforum.com and www.celinedion.com, Accessed September 2017.
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MUSIC GEOGRAPHY AND LEGENDARY MUSIC ICONS: TOWARDS A THEORETICAL
BACKGROUND
The main issues in music geographies were considered in the following theoretical
background. In line with different states of the art in music geography recently provided by
different scholars as Milburn (2017) and prior by Byklum (1994), Johansson & Bell (2009),
Kearney (2009, 2010), Carney (1987a, 1987b, 1990, 1998a, 1998b), Cohen, (1995), Kong
(1995), Leyshon et al. (1998), Revill (2005), all the studies in music geography remain
influential for decoding the intimate connections between geography, music and legendary
artists. The older studies highlight traditional approaches to music, with cultural hearths and
spatial patterns of diffusion, key factors in the geographic analysis of music. The complex
patterns of diffusion have been found to engage economic development through the
emergence of the commercial music industry, advances in information/communication
technology and globalisation. Therefore, local music has expanded into contemporary global
music through music legends from various cultural hearths all-across the world, generating
certain spaces where famous musicians are strongly internalised by fans, people, audiences
and communities. Their delimitation is important, particularly when music legends are
involved given the strong relationships between music, place, identity, musical practices and
music demand (Leyshon et al., 1998; Lieb, 2018).
Since music is “a mirror of society” (Attali, 1985, p. 4), the interchangeable connections
between music, culture and the role of economies in music evolution have been discussed
without paying much attention to the famous musicians’ contribution in the global music
cultures. As music permanently inhabits the geographic space (Hudson, 2006), in the same
vein music legends are iconic figures for different communities, with a spatio-temporal
involvement from local to global cultures influencing places and identities. This approach
stated by Cohen (1995) emphasises the meaning of music as residing in “a cultural form that
actively produces geographic discourses and can be used to understand broader social
relations and trends, including identity, ethnicity, attachment to place, cultural economies,
social activism and politics” (Johansson & Bell, 2009, p. 2). In light of this argument, scholars
have focused on music related to the sense of life, to place and cultural identity, to music
scenes and the relationship between local and global. Traditions and cultural diffusion, music
cartographies and the analysis of lyrics to decode the geographical meanings of music were
also unveiled (see Anderson, 2004; Bennett, 2000; Bennett & Peterson, 2004; Carney, 1974,
2003; Cohen, 2017; Connell & Gibson, 2003; Gibson & Connell, 2004; Hudson, 2006; Finn &
Lukinbeal, 2009; Kong, 1995, 1999; Kruse, 2003, 2005, 2009; Kuhlke, 2009; Pesses, 2009;
Romig, 2009; Stokes, 1997; Young, 2002). These studies argue the relevance of music
geographies by revealing the ways music artists diffuse their cultural values, which are then
internalised by different communities worldwide.
The cultural diffusion has enabled music to be consumed under the umbrella of globalisation
(Shuker, 2016) and of new creative industries, because music is an integral part of these
industries, one that has rapidly expanded in space and time. It dominates markets and media
environments and creates music scenes the world over (see Florida et al., 2010; Throsby,
2002). Globalisation is also the background of the music legends production. Through cultural
globalisation, music has been the main contributor to the creation of iconic music performers
as products and agents of world music, intensely demanded by a large audience. From 1987,
world music has connected the local to the global and the traditional with the modern, thus
deterritorialising cultures and spreading music worldwide. Therefore, music broadly expanded
(Florida et al., 2010) starting to be largely diffused from the West (Connell & Gibson, 2004)
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shifting places and identities and producing “a displacement of place by space” (Brown et al.,
2000, p. 438). In this context, music legends are agents in the cultural diffusion of cultural
values and music contributes to the spatial diffusion of various musicians based on consumer
demand, turning them into famous artists, thus constructing iconic music legends.
Through digital recordings, broadcasting, internet and media, tours and live concerts,
consumers and music fans have been always connected to their favourite artists. Therefore,
the cultural diffusion of popular music appeared as a multi-channelled process (Waterman,
2006) (re)producing social systems through the spatial distribution of music, musical activities
and performers. Hence, music hearths, music diffusion, geographic delimitations of areas with
certain musical traits and musical traditions connected to place and identity remain
meaningful (Kong, 1995) and could be associated with different music legends. The above-
mentioned elements have been incorporated into a global culture with music production,
distribution and consumption sustaining iconic music legends that are now recognised and in
demand worldwide. Against such a background, a key merit is given by music industry
expanded through the rapid emergence of creative industries (Leslie & Rantisi, 2017). They are
part of economic development and assumed an important role in many global economies over
a period of significant economic evolution across the twentieth century (Florida & Jackson,
2010; Hracs et al., 2016), governed by technology, tastes of music consumption,
commercialism and music marketisation (Smith, 1997).
Musicians became unique actors, their music being an important economic resource for social,
cultural and economic development (Florida & Jackson, 2010; Hudson, 2006). From a classic
creative industry, popular music has become broader and produced intangible products,
involving cultural producers, agents and various market actors (Caves, 2000; Florida et al.,
2010). Through the global cultural flows and spatial networks (Kearney, 2010; Lovering, 1998),
they turned popular music into an agent in the spatial distribution of music values, producing
important music performers and iconic music legends. Their music penetrated by global
structures and spatio-temporal mobility reflects the economic importance of arts and music on
a global scale (Brown et al., 2000; Banks et al., 2000). That is because music is always in a state
of movement. It travels through commercial activities and artists’ tours (Finn, 2011; Lashua et
al., 2014), being (re)produced by cultural events and economic networks. Music became a
mobile cultural expression (Connell & Gibson, 2004) sustained by music legends travelling
worldwide and sharing their music (see Milburn, 2017). Therefore, “music and fans,
collectively, share their common musical tastes” (Bennett & Peterson, 2004, p. 1) in specific
places, creating authentic music scenes and music legends. This aspect is particularly visible
regarding legendary musicians who perform worldwide.
Music scenes appear to be music locations for the music industry (Florida et al., 2010; Florida
& Jackson, 2010; Kruse, 2009a) and for the production and consumption of music (Kong, 1995;
Kruse, 2005). They are places for music practices and performances illuminating authentic
connections with mainstream music, audience demand and famous musicians (see Forman,
2002; Krims, 2007). As live music is a key feature in contemporary society (Frith, 2012), music
scenes are sites of live performances of living legends, where producers and consumers meet
for production and consumption to take place. They frame regions spatially delimited by those
large markets offered by cities and regions where artists perform (Florida et al., 2010).
Furthermore, music scenes are produced by the concentration of musicians in geographical
centres (Currid, 2007), providing opportunities for unique artistic goods to be produced and
consumed in certain places and in different ways, articulating the geography of inequality
(Lloyd & Clark, 2000; Smith, 1997). As music scenes, cities are homes and venues for global
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music legends and often places to which global music icons are embodied identifying
themselves in many ways through fans, through music production, or through feelings framed
by the various senses of belonging. Furthermore, music scenes are sites of music consumption
connected to specific artists and to communities’ demand for specific musicians perceived as
music legends (Glaeser et al., 2001; Johansson & Bell, 2009; Kearney, 2009).
Against such a background, iconic music legends are prominent artists, whose lives, careers
and songs have constructed important traditions in music mainstream, setting their
performances on the world’s cultural map. According to Beauregard (2002, p. 3), “every
musical decade has embraced its superstar acts that generated iconic music legends, branding
the global popular music culture stardom” and they must be studied to gain new
understandings into the pathways shaped by their music in world’s cultures. In spite of being
only emblematic figures of popular music, these artists are legends through their
commitments to other areas across the social, cultural, economic and political fields. Iconic
music legends have influenced world cultures, people’s way of life and regional and local
communities. They are universally recognized through performances, sales, awards and
humanitarian involvement. Iconic music legends are devoted to their audiences and fans and
contribute to the production of music scenes as veritable locations for live performances.
Concerts, awards, chart statistics and in-demand performances are important features in the
music legends construction. Since music and global audience produced legends, in 2011,
media brand Billboard established the Billboard Icon Award to recognize singers and their
contribution to global music culture.2 The Icon Award is the highest form of worldwide
recognition an artist can receive, often marking a career that has spanned decades and is
deserving of respect and admiration. Only a few select performers have received the Icon
Award, with Céline Dion joining the list in 2016.3 Even though she was already considered a
music legend, this recognition officially turned this artist into a worldwide iconic music legend
with a global recognition.
METHODOLOGY
Since case studies remain an important facet in music geography research (see Anderson,
2004; Cohen, 1991; Milburn, 2017), this study focuses on Céline Dion artist, a global music
living legend, with an outstanding contribution to music and to global popular music culture.
The research was conducted between 2016 and 2019.4
The first step of this investigation was an inventory of available data concerning Dion’s musical
career. A huge database of spatio-temporal information was uncovered.5 It was approached
2 According to Billboard www.billboard.com, Accessed September 2017.
3 Legends officially recognized: Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, etc.; see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slJbFawC, Accessed September 2017.
4 The starting point of the research was the time after Dion officially received the Icon Music Award by
Billboard, May 2016.
5 The analysis of statistic data was an attempt to comprise the data on the artist’s albums, tours and
concerts as accurately as possible. Due to various sources of information providing different data or
due some inexact values during the data processing, some minor errors may occur (±0-5%), without
altering neither the main spatial and temporal results at different geographical scales, nor the general
findings of the study on the outstanding contribution of the artist to music and global popular music
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through a set of methods. The topic’s complexity required geographical methodologies that
overlap with other fields of research (Smith et al., 2017). Therefore, a multi-method approach
was used. In line with the general aim of the investigation of the career evolution, from the
initial cultural hearth of Quebec to a musical involvement with a global reach, biographic
analysis with autobiographies, biographies and discourse analysis related to narrative research
(Roberts, 2002; Shuker, 2016) provided meaningful information on Dion’s artistic life,
involvement and musical commitments. Hence, biographic textbooks, video and online
biographic documentaries were useful. Then, quantitative research, as a key method in gaining
accurate findings in music geography (Cohen, 1995; Florida & Jackson, 2010), was used.
Statistical data analysis based on multiple variables was useful in acquiring objective results to
assess Dion’s contribution to global music. The statistical method provided critical, explanatory
and correlational analysis (bivariate correlative research). The main variables considered from
available sources were international tours and concerts examined per continents and
countries, albums sold per continent, home videos, and tickets sold, the music scenes (as
places of performances) and the gross sales. In addition, the spatial distribution of the artistic
activities from Dion’s hometown to far across the globe was examined. The data was mapped
highlighting that musical cartographies and maps remain relevant to study this phenomenon
from a geographical perspective (see Finn & Lukinbeal, 2009; Florida & Jackson, 2010). The
maps were realised using ArcGIS Desktop 10.3.
Quantitative cartographic methods using graduated symbols were used, providing a
representation of worldwide spatial distribution of concerts per continent and country and
highlighting each music scene in which the artist performed. The qualitative research was
based on the internet resources and digital environment using visual methodologies as key
methods in geographical approach on music (Connell & Gibson, 2004; Rose, 2016). The
research made use of the internet since its “potential to increase the connectivity across the
world” (Verboord & van Noord 2016, p. 59), contributes to the popular music diffusion thus
reaching to a global audience. Specifically, YouTube, online videos and materials, suggested by
Chenail (2011), Rogers (2010) and Rossetto & Andrigo (2017), were used to assess Dion’s
musical contribution. Special attention was paid to the official YouTube channel of the artist
and to YouTube statistics included in Social Blade database. Through these channels the
artist’s most highly ranked songs in online videos considering the numbers of viewer ‘likes’ and
comments as representations of the cultural perception and popularity were analysed. A
number of 18 videos were studied. Given the extraordinary amount of data available online,
selecting relevant media materials and data was difficult.6
culture. Since different albums are still on sale in the present days and the album sales are an ongoing
process it is difficult to determine certain and complete results on the total album sales.
6 Internet search returned in October 2017 an enormous amount of results: 14,100,000 results including
5,890,000 video materials, 186,000 news and 45,100 texts. In December 2019, Internet search
returned an approximate value of 97,600,000 results in 0.49 sec., 40,600 000 videos in 0.19 sec., and
8,050,000 news in 0.13 sec. The selection was difficult. However, 50 video clips, 100 live
performances, 30 documentaries, and 30 TV shows have been examined. Articles from specialized
magazines, documentaries and concerts produced by Laporte & Snyder, 2010; Lamourex et al., 2008;
Lamoureux & Snyder, 2009, 2010, 2013, provided relevant information. Statistic data processed in the
study and available up to 2014 was selected from http://www.celinedioncharts.com/online accessed
during the research. The maps are based on https://www.setlist.fm/ with data available in 2016.
Internet resources and websites with data and information were approached under the fair use
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To portray Dion’s music and to understand its meanings and messages, discography and
videography analysis (with English and French versions) helped with careful consideration of
the messages that the artist has attempted to convey to her global audience. Therefore,
phonographic methods through listening investigation, songs research and lyric analysis – as
suggested by Carney (1998b), Gallagher and Prior (2014), Gallagher et al. (2017) – provided
important information.7 This helped in understanding how this iconic music legend gained her
unique international music stardom mirrored in the outstanding contribution of the artist to
global popular music culture and in the musical meanings of her performances. Based on this
methodology, the next sections unveil the main findings.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
From the Quebequois dream to a musical career with a global reach: music, identity and place
through a biographic analysis
Born in Charlemagne near Montréal in 1968, Dion first expressed her wish to become a singer
at the age of five. When she was twelve, she sang to her first official audience (Caraman-Fotea
& Nicolau, 1999). Music has been Dion’s passion for as long as she can remember,8 and her
native town was the first cultural hearth from which her music started to resonate. To
investigate Dion’s outstanding contribution to global music, one must look at it in three
separate stages that shifted different music types, identities and places.
The first stage (1980-1990) stands on the French identity diffusion and national music culture
enrichment and reveals multiple changes in music industry when Dion appeared on the Canadian
music scenes. Her first albums were released in French, and in a short period of time, her music
expanded in Europe (France) and Asia (Japan). These were some of the regions where she would
go on to register huge success. A distribution contract through EMI, diffused her music in Europe
with the first single released in 1982. Her performance at the World Popular Song Festival in
Tokyo, where Dion represented France (organized by the Yamaha Music Foundation) won a Gold
Medal and a special prize. This event was watched at that time by 115 million TV spectators. This
enormous success under the French identity was acknowledged by the Quebecer authorities
with Dion receiving the local mayor’s recognition for the great honour offered to Canada,
Quebec and Charlemagne (Beauregard, 2002; Dion & Germain, 2000). Thereby, this space
officially became the cultural hearth of Dion’s French music.
In 1983, Dion represented Canada at MIDEM (International Market of Disc and Musical
Edition, Cannes) and became the first Canadian artist to win a global award. Four albums
released in Canada, a French single and four ADISQ awards (the Quebecer version of the
Grammys) completed Dion’s contribution to French popular music, which was then diffused in
Germany. A number of new albums and singles were released in Canada and France,
distributed by Trans-Canada Music Company and she won five Felix Awards – the most
anybody had won to date. Even though she sold almost one million albums in Quebec, CBS
Records (Toronto) had not heard of her. This was a consequence of national cultural and
regulation since online public data can be used without copyright permission in research, educational
purposes and scholarships with non-profit and non-commercial aims.
7 Based on the author’s personal collection of materials (original albums and DVDs).
8 As Dion officially admitted; see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJXvDFN-pxE, Accessed July 2017.
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political tensions since English Canada ignored the cultural values of French Canada and vice-
versa (Beauregard, 2002; Hurley, 2011). In 1987, a contract for an English album was signed to
be released under Carrer (CBS). A large tour with 42 live performances followed in Quebec,
and Dion’s English album was distributed in Europe (Denmark, Spain and Germany). The
French-Canadian chanteuse started her English performances by including English songs in her
repertoire, which would ensure a larger audience and new music markets. Attending the 1988
Eurovision Contest in Dublin (Ireland), Dion represented Switzerland and won, watched by 600
million European TV viewers. With all of this success, the UK and Germany had still not
adopted her songs. However, she won four ADISQ Awards in Canada. In 1990, CBS Recording
released Dion’s first English album (Unison) and sold two million copies (Beauregard, 2002).
A new stage began in 1990 and continued until 2000, which transformed Dion into an
international singer with an outstanding career. This stage saw massive internationalisation of
her music through different channels: tours, live performances, new albums with impressive
sales, media and broadcasts. The continuous development of music industry contributed to
Dion’s success in the coming decade. CBS was bought over by Sony International to become
Sony Music Canada with a branch in Quebec (Sony Musique). In 1991, a $10M contract – the
biggest for any Canadian to date at that time – was signed for five new albums over the next
10 years. It was fulfilled in less than five, and a new contract followed. This decade brought the
most important successes for Dion all-across the globe (including the UK and Germany), with
her music officially acknowledged in the Anglophone music markets. The first large US tour
started in the 1990s with other tours completed in Asia, Australia and Europe. New singles and
another English album, The colour of my love, were released worldwide together with a French
album and a special Christmas one. In 1994, Dion recorded a huge success, with The power of
love holding the No. 1 position on the Billboard Charts for four weeks.9 In the same year, her
sold-out shows at the Olympia Music Hall in Paris ended with a recording of a live album, A
l’Olympia (Glatzer, 2005; Gerra, 2007; Beauregard, 2002; Jones, 2001). Dion has continued to
perform worldwide in French, promoting her native language through her music.
Consequently, the important French album released in 1995 (D’Eux) became the best-selling
Francophone album with a huge impact in France and Canada. Thus, Dion was acknowledged
as the No. 1 artist in France and another French album was released. In Japan, huge sales were
recorded by To love more, one of the artist’s most emblematic hits (Laporte & Snyder, 2010;
Dion & Germain, 2000).
In 1995, Dion was the biggest selling artist in the French and English languages and in 1996
new tours and live performances were held at international music scenes including Marseille,
Lyon, Paris, London and Brussels. The new album, Falling into you, was released worldwide
alongside the single of the same name. The album was a best seller in almost every country
with its songs ranking highly on the Billboard charts. A new worldwide live tour started with
148 concerts from America to New Zealand covering every important music scene of the
world. Dion sung not only in French and English, but also in Spanish and German, unveiling a
multicultural approach in her artistic performances that in the US culminated in more than 250
concerts. Two short concerts were held in Las Vegas at the Caesar Palace, which would go on
to host her emblematic residency show. In addition, many European cities hosted Dion’s live
concerts across France, Belgium, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Norway,
Switzerland and cities as Paris, London, Dublin, Berlin, Milan alongside other many European
cities became important music scenes both for the artist and for Dion’s fans. The album Falling
9 According to https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7743569/celine-dion-biggest-
billboard-hot-100-hits, Accessed July 2017.
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into you held the number one position on the Billboard chart for three weeks. The French
music industry also achieved huge international recognition with the albums Live à Paris, D’Eux
and Falling into you. More than 1.5 million spectators attended Dion’s concerts and at the
Opening Ceremony of the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 where the artist performed her The power
of the dream anthem in front of 200,000 spectators and 3.5 billion TV viewers. It was a huge
international performance for a French singer. The tour that opened in 1996 continued
accompanied by other epic representations in Japan, Korea, and Montreal, performing on the
most important music scenes across four continents (Beauregard, 2002).
Dion’s musical contribution made her next studio album the most anticipated album in 1997.
Let’s talk about love overlapped with the release of the Titanic movie, which brought further
international success. The song My heart will go on – the theme song of the motion picture –
became one of the artist’s most important hits, registering huge success worldwide. The song
also recorded the largest radio audience ever, being No. 1 all around the globe. The reason
stands on the emotional love message of the song that touched millions of people worldwide
and on the exciting movie multiple awarded at that time unveiling on the background of
Titanic disaster a true and dramatic love story. Besides, love appears to be as the major topic
in Dion’s songs. The true love expressed and shared through the moving music and the moving
voice of the artist is the core argument for people, and fans appreciate Dion as a unique
songstress. Following this huge success, the artist performed at the Oscars Awards Ceremony
for a third time. A new world tour then started, spanning 15 months with more than 2.3
million tickets sold. At the same time, a new French album was released. Dion’s outstanding
contribution to global music cultures turned her into an international artist in the global
popular music. Thereby, to frame her contribution in a single product, the album All the way –
A decade of songs was released with its content varying from “one region of the world to
another, to reflect the songs that had more impact in some regions” (Beauregard, 2002, p. 24).
Two important moments were then designed: an impressive event in Montreal on 31
December 1999 – The Millennium Concert – to which fans from all over the world attended,
tuned in on TV and the TVA Network; and a break in her musical activity. The major reason for
the break was her desire to become a mother, which she described as the most important
thing in life (Laporte and Snyder, 2010).10 It happened in 2001, when her first child was born
(Dion & Germain, 2000).
Following this period, a new artistic journey started and has not stopped despite various
changes in the artist’s life and in the global music industry. The key features of this stage were:
new studio albums and compilations; a new residency show in Las Vegas – a real music scene
for the fans and tourists from round the world who have the chance to see Dion in person
there (see Lamoureux et al., 2008) and a new epic world tour, Taking chances (2008-2009),
with Dion being joined by all her music team and family. A special documentary was released
then to unveil the most important cultural issues of the tour and Dion’s own personality-
experiencing people, places and cultures through music. The film portrays the cultural traits of
Dion’s behaviour related to different cultures of the world. Place, identity, peace, human
rights, politics, love, cultural diffusion and diversity, true human values, music perception and
related themes were illustrated, triangulating Dion’s artistic and personal involvement in
global music cultures. Humanitarian commitments, philanthropic endeavours, care, respect
and unconditional love for people, cultures, nations and world identities are some of the key
10 See also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRsoPiKR1bY;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLcq3W1cKyc, Accessed July 2017.
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features that define the artist in the contemporary culture of global popular music (see
Laporte & Snyder, 2010; Lamourex & Snyder, 2009, 2010, 2013).
In 2011, Dion’s Vegas show was re-launched, with the artist now a mother of three children.11
Between 2011 and 2019, live concerts and performance were held in Las Vegas, the artist’s
long-run residency show ending in 2019, after 16 years of live performances with 1,141
concerts, shared with more than 4 millions of fans (Katsilometes, 2019). At the same time,
Dion continues touring in 2016 and 2017 in different European countries with multiple sold-
out shows. Since ‘the show must go on’ – a powerful motto in the artist’s life (see Lamourex &
Snyder, 2010) – a new regional Asia-Pacific tour was held in the summer of 2018 and new
musical projects started: a new large world tour designed for 2019-2020 and a new English
album released at the end of 2019 (both of them under the title Courage).
All these demonstrate that Dion continues to represent one of the most demanded artists in
the world, and the artist, with a legendary career spanning almost four decades, continues to
share her music and her love with millions of fans worldwide being on top positions in the
contemporary music industry. That is because the people and fans all over the world demand
both for Dion’s music and Dion artist. In this respect, the singer continues her musical
commitments with the fans and the music and this artistic involvement goes on.
Towards a statistical analysis
Turning the brief biographic investigation to statistical analysis, the data show relevant issues of
Dion’s career and the impact of her music on global music cultures. The first investigated item
focuses on her albums. Table 1 shows worldwide albums sales (French and English). Of these, 26
were studio albums12 – a real record for an artist. Due to sales data, all albums were
internationally awarded with tens of millions of copies sold worldwide. English albums account
for more than 50 percent of the gross sales. They include the most important songs placed in the
top positions of the international music charts.13 Of these, the most relevant remains Billboard,
the world music Bible of all times (Beauregard, 2002). The French albums are detailed in Table 2,
showing the same patterns of success. Statistics on album sales at a regional scale (Table 3)
reveal the artist’s sales in North America, with over 83 million copies sold in the US and Canada.
These massive sales are due to most Dion’s fans being from her native Canada and with the US
becoming her country of residence (Laporte & Snyder, 2010). Europe is the second top-selling
continent, with sales exceeding 50 million. The impressive sales in France, UK, Germany,
Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Italy,
Portugal, Poland, Hungary and Belgium are justified for many reasons.
Firstly, the music industry and media development were responsible for the spatial distribution
of Dion’s music, as some of the most important global music companies supported the singer’s
management. CBS (Canada, France), Columbia and Carrere (France), Epic (UK, Japan), Sony
Musique Canada, Sony 550 US and Sony Music are all international companies with an important
role in the global economy of music (Shuker, 2016) and made a decisive contribution in the
spatial diffusion of Dion’s albums. Secondly, consumption of Dion’s music and public demand
11 See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLcq3W1cKyc, Accessed July 2017
12 According to Today Show, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYJSMd2gSeA, Accessed
December 2016.
13 According to Billboard, available at https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-
beat/7743569/celine-dion-biggest-billboard-hot-100-hits, Accessed July 2017.
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were determinant, as communities enjoyed the artist both from media channels and live in
concert. Overall, Sony Music had and still has a key role in Dion’s music production and in the
spatial diffusion of the artist’s albums. In addition, an outstanding contribution in Dion’s
successful career had René Angélil as Dion’s husband and musical manager.
Table 1: Statistics on albums sales 1981 – 2014
Album title
Year /
Released
Copies sold
in millions Percent Awarded
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
First French albums
Unison
Dion chante Plamondon/Dion sings
Plamondon
Céline Dion
The color of my love
Céline Dion á l’Olympia
D’Eux/From them
Falling into you
Live á Paris/Live in Paris
Let’s talk about love
S’il suffisait d’aimer/If only love could
be enough
These are special times
Au coeur du Stade/At the heart of
the Stadium
All the way… a decade of songs
The collector’s series Vol. 1/Tout en
amour
A new day has come
One heart
1 fille&4 types
A new day – live in Las Vegas
Miracle
On ne change pas
D’elles
Taking chances
My love. Essential Collection
Taking chances world tour
Sans attendre
Loved me back to life
Un seule fois
Other albums
1981-1990
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1996
1997
1998
1998
1999
1999
2000
2002
2003
2003
2004
2004
2005
2007
2007
2008
2008
2012
2013
2013/2014
2014
1.3
3.1
1.2
5.4
16.6
0.8
7.7
30.3
2.3
32.1
3.9
12.1
1.2
22.5
2.6
10.5
5.1
1.4
1.2
2.6
1.2
0.7
3.4
2.6
0.4
1.4
1.5
0.1
2.3
0.73
1.74
0.67
3.04
9.34
0.43
4.31
17.07
1.30
18.09
2.19
6.81
0.69
12.68
1.47
5.90
2.90
0.81
0.69
1.48
0.67
0.40
1.90
1.47
0.23
0.76
0.87
0.06
1.31
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
TOTAL
1981-2014
177.7
100
Source: http://www.celinedioncharts.com/byalbum.html, Accessed May 2017.
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Table 2: Statistics on French album sales 1981 – 2017
Album title
Year/
Released Copies Awarded
Certified
La voix du Bon Dieu/The voice of God
Céline chante Noël/Céline sings Christmas
Tellement j’ai d’amour/I have so much love
Les chemins de ma maison/The paths to my home
Du soleil au coeur/Sunshine in the heart
Chants et contes de Noël/Songs and tales of Christmas
Les oiseaux du bonheur/Birds of happiness
Les plus grands succės de Céline Dion/Greatest hits of
Céline Dion
Mélanie
C’est pour toi/That is for you
Céline Dion en concert/Céline Dion live
Les chansons en or/The Golden songs
Incognito
The best of...
Dion chante Plamondon/Dion sings Plamondon
Les premiėrs années/The first years
Céline Dion a l’Olympia/Céline Dion at the Olympia
D’Eux
Céline Dion Gold
Céline Dion Gold 2
Live á Paris/Live in Paris
C’est pour vivre/It’s to live
The Collection 1982 – 1988
S’il suffisait d’aimer/If only love could be enough
Au couer du Stade/At the heart of the Stadium
1 fille&4 types
On ne chage pas
D’elles
Sans attendre
Un seule fois
Encore un soir/One more night*
Un peu de nous**
1981
1981
1982
1983
1983
1983
1984
1984
1984
1985
1985
1986
1987
1988
1991
1993
1994
1995
1995
1995
1996
1997
1997
1998
1999
2003
2005
2007
2012
2013/2014
2017
2017
50,000
25,000
125,000
100,000
50,000
50.000
50,000
75,000
175,000
50.000
50,000
150,000
500,000
100,000
2,000,000
250,000
1,500,000
8,000,000
250,000
75,000
3,000,000
50,000
50,000
6,000,000
1,000,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
700,000
1,400,000
100,000
1,500,000
80,082
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
-
-
YES
YES
-
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
Total
1981 -2017
30,105,082
*According to Montet, 2017;
**According to: UnPeuDeNous @celinedion certifié Album Or" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition
Phonographique. 4 September 2017.
Source: Beauregard, 2002; http://www.celinedioncharts.com/byalbum.htm Accessed May 2017.
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Table 3: Statistics on album sales per continent 1991 – 2014
Album title Year
America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Total
Album sales (in thousands)
Unison
Dion chante Plamondon
Céline Dion
The color of my love
Céline Dion á l’Olympia
D’Eux
Falling into you
Live á Paris
Let’s talk about love
S’il suffisait d’aimer
These are special times
Au Coeur du Stade
All the way a decade of songs
The collector’s series Vol. 1
A new day has come
One heart
1 fille&4 types
A new day: live in Las Vegas
Miracle
One ne change pas
D’elles
Taking chances
My love: Essential collection
Taking chances World Tour
Sans attendre
Loved me back to life
Une seule fois
1991
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1996
1997
1998
1998
1999
1999
2000
2002
2003
2003
2004
2004
2005
2007
2007
2008
2008
2012
2013
2013
2,425
400
4,705
8,325
260
1,100
15,850
365
15,550
790
7,550
110
11,950
1,375
5,050
2,775
238.14
699.1
1,345
220
240
1,605
960
231
310
620
21
500
710
280
4,855
400
6,085
8,247
1,740
10,120
2,675
1,849
935
5,581
765
3,603
1,498
1,020
329
540
820
388.5
1,123
1,331
126
971
781
78
100
45
275
2,395
50
150
3,630
100
4,530
150
2,050
75
3,750
300
975
475
75
100
100
75
40
360
245
30
35
45
10
40
35
80
300
45
300
1,350
90
1,200
250
500
100
900
150
600
300
100
80
100
60
35
200
50
20
30
80
5
20
5
60
725
5
22.5
1,260
20
745
25
150
10
360
25
255
100
10
15
45
10
7.5
95
21
7.5
5
21
1
3,085
1,195
5,400
16,600
760
7,657.5
30,337
2,315
32,145
3,890
12,099
1,230
22,541
2,615
10,483
5,148
1,443
1,223.1
2,630.5
1,185
711
3,383
2,607
415
1,351
1,547
115
Total
83,694.74
57,350.5
20,165,000
7,000
4,025.5
174,111.24
Source: Processing data according to http://www.celinedioncharts.com/byalbum.htm, Accessed May 2017.
Beyond the market reasons, Europeans recognized part of their cultural identity in Dion’s
music, which acted as a driving force for consumption, especially in France and in countries
where the French language is spoken. Following the release of English albums, there were no
borders between Dion’s music, people, audience, spaces and places. This is demonstrated by
strong sales in South Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The reason stands on the cultural
and language globalisation, with these regions being either areas where English is spoken or
regions where, in spite of the different national languages, English appears as a universal way
of communication through music. This also explains Dion’s music consumption in other
language areas under the contemporary cultural globalization.
Globalisation flows ensured the spatial diffusion of Dion’s music in many countries, even
though statistical information for most of them is not available due to various reasons
including political systems (Eastern Europe, South America), cultural differences and economic
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status (Asia), reduced sales in some regions, music piracy, and the huge influence of YouTube
(see Hui & Png, 2003). Sales in Switzerland, Ireland and France are consequences of Dion’s
attendance at Eurovision and other performances, these countries being the European cultural
hearths of her music, with important communities of fans. In the same vein, Asia discovered
Dion since she won the Yamaha Contest in Japan. Dion’s music has spread to every continent,
reaching out to people of different cultures and identities, with all of them resonating with the
universal expression of her music. Even though according to available data showed in Table 1
and Table 3 that counts over 200 million albums, overall, Dion has sold over 250 million
albums worldwide as of 2016,14 making her the biggest female artist of all time – a true legend
in global music cultures15 and a singer with one of the most famous voices in the world.16 The
pattern of how Dion became successful around the world based on the album sales is argued
by the massive involvement of the music companies in the diffusion of the albums all around
the world where the artist made relevant communities of fans. This is arguable by the high
rates sales of the most relevant albums from America to Asia and Oceania. Table 3 illustrates
this pattern of the artists’ global success that can be related to the tours data unveiled in table
4. The most relevant tours all-across the world were close connected to Dion’s new released
albums to share and promote globally the music from the native places of the artist to far
across the planet (from America to Australia and New Zealand). This fits to the new released
album Courage in 2019 accompanied by a world tour from America to Europe and Middle East.
The Pearson correlation provides a high rate (0.901) between albums sold and number of
concerts per country with the US, Canada, France, the UK, Japan and Australia being
positioned in the top ten countries where the artist has performed (Figure 1). A similar value
(0.9281) establishes a correlation between albums sold and tickets sold (Figure 2). Statistical
correlation argues that Dion’s tours and concerts were produced in different countries, where
she was in demand, experiencing people and cultures and their diversities. Dion’s in demand
music and performances are argued by the historic residency show from Las Vegas, a sold out
spectacle for four years in a row,17 as her European tours from 2016 and 2017 were, with
multiple sold-out shows in music scenes including Paris, Avers, Montreal, Quebec, etc.18 These
patterns illustrate the high correlation between the number of concerts and grossing sales
value in 2014, with a rate of 0.9467 (Figure 3).
A comparative approach between statistics of album sales and the live-concerts and tours in
the last decade illustrate a decreasing trend of the album sales in favour of concerts and live-
performances. This is because the artist always paid attention to live artistic commitments to
the fans, people and audience, involving live concerts thus ensuring continuously a direct
contact between the singer and the fans and audience. On the other hand, this is argued by
the artist’s passion for live singing in the front of the people, either in her musical residency or
live in concerts and different other events. Adopting and practicing always live performance
14 According to Today Show 2016, Sony Music, 2019 available at
https://www.sonymusic.co.uk/news/2019-11-15/celine-dion-releases-new-album-courage; other
source mention 185 million records worldwide; see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KoBHIrcSMs, Accessed July 2017.
15 Ibidem.
16 Idem.
17 Idem, See also Lamoureux et al., 2008.
18 According to Retrospective 2016 available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWE0vnMAgvQ,
Accessed July 2017 and Retrospective 2017 available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecU1GnV3mhM, Accessed January 2018.
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certainly is the key argument for the music authenticity of the artist, for the artist’s respect to
her audience and for the public appreciation of a wider audience.
Nevertheless, in line with music industry emergence and based on a professional music
management, such an artistic perspective brought to the artist important financial profit. In
this regard, the data show Dion’s income based on albums sales, world tours and her Vegas
show. Statistics reveal increasing an evolution of gross sales between 1983 and 2009, with the
A New Day and Taking Chances tours being the most profitable (Table 4).
Figure 1: Pearson correlation between sold albums Figure 2: Pearson correlation between sold albums
and the number of concerts and the sold tickets to live concert
Figure 3: Pearson correlation between gross sales value and the number of concerts in 2014
Since 2011, with Dion’s return to Caesar’s Palace in Vegas, she has continued to achieve
significant income and remained one of the richest artists and one of the most important and
wealthiest female musicians in the world based on music industry (Forbes Magazine, 2017;
Martin et al., 2016; Matthews, 2018; O’Malley-Greenburg, 2016). In all, the residency show
from Vegas cumulated 1,141 spectacles in 2019 with more than four million tickets sold. In
addition, an impressive amount of sold tickets was registered in the latest European tours from
2016 and 2017, as well as in the Asia-Pacific tour (2018). In the same vein, the ongoing
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critically acclaimed Courage world-tour received positive reviews being considered as one of
the best live shows of 2019 according to Billboard (see Warner, 2019). Beyond this status
highlighting the role of music industry in the global popular culture, the most important
remains the worldwide fans and people’s demand for Dion’s live concerts and albums. This
question is argued by the different extents of album sales all around the world and by sold-out
concerts from America (USA and Canada), to Europe (France) and Asia.
Table 4: Statistical data of most important international worldwide tours and concerts 1983 - 2009
Tour Year
Number
of concerts
Tickets
sold Gross sales Continents and countries
Les chemins de
ma maison 1983-1984 40 40,000 200,000 America: Canada; Europe: France.
C’est pour toi
1985
36
45,000
400,000
America: Canada
Incognito
1988
75
150,000
1,500,000
America: Canada
Unison
1990-1991
75
150,000
2,000,000
America: Canada
Celine Dion
1992-1993
74
500,000
12,000,000
America: USA, Canada.
The colour of
my love 1993-1995 98 1,300,000 33,000,000
America: USA, Canada; Europe:
France, UK, Switzerland,
Netherlands; Asia: Japan
D’eux 1995 47 500,000 13,000,000
America: Canada; Europe: France,
UK, Switzerland, Netherlands,
Belgium, Ireland, Germany,
Norway, Sweden, Denmark.
Falling into you 1996-1997 148 2,220,000 80,000,000
America: USA, Canada; Europe:
France, UK, Switzerland,
Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland,
Germany, Norway, Sweden;
Denmark, Italy; Asia: Japan, South
Korea; Australia; New Zealand.
Let’s talk about
love 1998-1999 97 2,300,000 133,000,000
America: USA, Canada; Europe:
France, UK, Switzerland,
Netherlands, Belgium, Germany;
Asia: Japan, China; Australia;
A new day
2003-2007
723
2,930,000
390,800,000
America: USA
Taking chances 2008-2009 132 2,300,000 279,200,000
America: USA, Canada, Mexico,
Puerto Rico; Europe: France, UK,
Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium,
Ireland, Germany, Finland, Sweden,
Denmark, Italy, Czech Republic,
Poland, Austria, Monaco; Asia:
Japan, South Korea, China,
Malaysia, UAE; Australia; Africa:
South Africa.
Total
1983-2009
1,545
12,435,000
945,100,000
Source: http://www.celinedioncharts.com/concerts.html, Accessed May 2017.
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The global sales of Dion’s home videos show the same pattern of musical success. Table 5
illustrates that more than 5 million of video copies were sold with high rates in America and
Europe that brought multiple awards.
Table 5: Statistics on home videos sold worldwide with a continental approach (1991 – 2010)
Title / Year
America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Total
%
Most
successful
country
Awards
(in thousands)
Unison / 1991
80
10
5
1
1
97
1.92
Canada
1G
The colour of my love / 1995
285
205
100
25
35
650
12.89
USA
3P
Live a Paris / 1996
80
220
50
15
3
368
7.30
France
4P
Live in Memphis / 1998
75
72
20
5
2
174
3.45
Canada
3G
Au Coeur du Stade / 1999
40
170
40
30
5
285
5.65
France
1D
All the way, a decade / 2001
470
195
150
25
55
895
17.75
Australia
5P
On ne change pas / 2005
25
120
10
5
1
161
3.19
France
5P
Live in Las Vegas / 2007
1,015
422
100
150
65
1,752
34.74
Canada
3G, 8P
Céline sur les plaines
Live á Paris / 2008
105
53
3
2
0.5
164
3.24
Canada
2G, 2D
Céline. Through the eyes of
the world / 2010
261
67
30
25
15
398
7.89
Canada
-
Other videos
-
-
-
-
-
100
1.98
-
-
Total
2,436
1,534
508
283
182.5
5,044
100
9G, 25P, 3D
Legend: G – Gold; P – Platinum; D – Diamond
Source: http://www.celinedioncharts.com/byhomevideo.html, Accessed May 2017.
Countries from Asia, Africa and Oceania are also places where Dion’s home videos were sold.
These statistics argue that the music industry is one of the most profitable in the
contemporary global economy as artists are in demand by audiences the world over. This is
argued by the most successful sales acknowledged with important awards in terms of
Diamond, Platinum and Gold prizes. They were multiple times achieved by Dion, from the
countries of the native continent to Europe and Australia. The analysis of this issue shows
countries as Canada and France prevailing. These awards say important things about relative
standing of the artist in top positions of various musical charts in different countries. On the
one hand, Canada and France are countries with important communities of fans based on the
place attachment of the artist to the native country and to the French people and culture.
Then USA remains the country of the artists with relevant fans communities belonging to
Anglophone culture. It also fits to the case of Australia where the synthesis album All the
way… was repeatedly awarded with Platinum. Furthermore, data highlights Dion’s music
consumption based on the people’s demand related to their cultural and musical preferences.
Within this context, the music consumption on a global scale and public demand for music,
regardless of identity, age, religion and ethnicity, remain important (see Laporte & Snyder,
2010). For instance, considering the first-ever concerts scheduled for Taipei in July 2018, “over
300,000 fans desperately clambered to buy up the 20,000 seats available (…), causing the
system to crawl to a standstill for 30 minutes” (Everington, 2018). This shows the huge
demand from Dion’s fans and the examples could go on. These findings demonstrate Dion’s
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outstanding contribution to music on a global scale in spatial terms. To understand
geographically these facets, the maps remain relevant, conveying the spatial involvement of the
artist through music cartographies across the world. They are disclosed in the next section.
Mapping and representing Dion’s outstanding contribution in the global musical culture and
beyond
Mapping Dion’s live concerts worldwide from 1984 to 2017 argue the artist’s outstanding
spatial evolution at a global scale. From Western America to Eastern Asia and from Northern
Europe to South Africa (Figure 4), Dion has shared her music and love with hundreds of
communities of fans regardless of their location, nationality, cultural identity and ethnicity. As
expected, the map reveals her presence in states where she registered important albums sales
and large audience demand. Canada (the native country and the cultural hearth for the Dion
phenomenon) and the US are the countries with the largest amounts of concerts with more
than 1,000 live performances in the US alone. In Europe, France has enjoyed the live
performances with over 70 concerts followed by Germany, the UK, and Belgium.
In terms of cultural background, France is the European music hearth of Dion’s music due to
her Francophone identity. Asia and Australia are also relevant destinations through
globalisation flows of popular music. An interesting case is the UAE, with Dubai being a
particularly strong music scene in this context. In spite of strong cultural differences, Muslims
appear to highly appreciate Dion’s music as evidences provided by Taking Chances world tour
unveil. This fits in with other states in the region (Iran), also where large communities
anticipated live performances in South-Western Asia (see Laporte and Snyder, 2010). Across
the world, hundreds of cities and important music scenes have hosted the artist, including Las
Vegas, New York, Memphis, Boston (US), Montreal, Quebec, Toronto (Canada), Paris (France),
London, Glasgow (UK), Zurich (Switzerland), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), Beijing
(China), Sydney (Australia), Johannesburg, and Cape Town (South Africa). They are mapped in
Figure 5, next to other important cities where Dion has performed.
A detailed map of North America (Figure 6) illustrates the spatial distribution of the artist’s
concerts in Canadian and US cities, emphasizing the two distinctive regions. The Western part of
the US stands out with Las Vegas remaining the most important music scene, with a continuous
stream of live concerts. For years, Dion has travelled the world, taking her concerts to the
communities where her fans live. With the Vegas show, the artist invited fans to join her. And
they did, with Dion demonstrating that “no other artist on the planet could claim such a power
of attraction”, with over 700 sold-out shows and more than 3 million spectators “changing the
face of Las Vegas forever and marking show business history for all time” (Lamoureux et al.,
2008). As it was already stated, in 2019, the Vegas residency-show culminated with 1,141 shows
and more than 4 million spectators, arguing the in-demand status of the artist (see Katsilometes,
2019). Eastern Canada hosts such emblematic music scenes as Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and
Quebec, the latter being the native region of the artist, the place to which the artist is attached,
and the place that she acknowledges as home, which has turned geographically into the cultural
hearth of this music legend. The European music scenes relate to French culture and to those
countries where the music industry is intensely developed (Figure 7).
Dion’s presence is emphasised in places where her music is widely consumed and where
European charts have ascribed her music top-rated positions. Paris, London, Dublin and Zurich
are emblematic for the artist’s tours. Overall, Dion has performed all over the world (with few
exceptions, e.g. South America), travelling to share her music with all those communities that
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cherish true cultural values and trust her talent, devotion and passion for music and singing.
Economic social and cultural backgrounds played a key role in her presence in particular places.
Globalised capitalist cultures and economies have enabled the artist to be present in Western
European countries where the music industry has triggered both demand for and the
consumption of particular artists’ music. Even though Dion has been absent from Central and
South-Eastern European countries, perhaps due to post-socialist political and economic
transitions and to the slow-go paces in music industry and business development, they remain
states where important communities of fans appeared. The ongoing Courage Tour includes for
the year of 2020 important live concerts in states as Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Malta, etc.,
countries where the artist has never performed before. These countries are places and music
venues where Dion is also in demand, and, as Figure 8 unveils, the artists’ albums are currently
on sale in stores specialized in music in cities from Austria, Hungary, and Romania. This
statement fits to other countries across Asia, South America, and Africa.19 In this regard,
Romania with Bucharest as a music venue for various emblematic artists is just an example
alongside cities as Zagreb and Budapest in South-Eastern Europe.
Although the artist did not perform live in a number of states – arguing the geography of
spatial inequality in music (see Smith, 1997) and generating certain delineated areas where
she performed – her music has spread worldwide. Whether cultural, physical, economic and
political borders separate these areas, the virtual environment appears more homogenous.
The cultural perception of Dion’s audience through YouTube channels shows important
results. Table 6 illustrates the artist’s most important music videos, with various songs viewed
by tens of millions of people worldwide.
In all, the artist’s videos have been viewed by more than a billion viewers (the 7th part of the
global people), who have expressed a total like rate of 95.77%. This demonstrates alongside the
YouTube comments’ content the global admiration for the artist in the virtual environment,
showing that Dion’s music has penetrated all spatial, physical and virtual borders. The official
YouTube channel of the artist registers 3.67 million subscribers and 2,149,421,608 video views in
December 2019. These data are specific only for the official Dion’s YouTube Vevo channel
without considering the fans and virtual communities YouTube channels, where countless of
video uploads are recorded with tens of millions of views. A complete analysis of this data is
difficult to make, but at a glance at YouTube channel, Dion appears to be one of the most viewed
artists of the world.20 Furthermore, according to Social Blade channel, statistics show that the
artist has 3.67 of million subscribers, with almost 1 million video views for the last 30 days of
December 2019 (958,646). In all, in 2019 December, 30, Dion’s YouTube channel recorded
11.471.229 video views with daily average subscribers of +2.66K, a monthly average subscriber
of +18.6K. The average for the last 30 days in December 2019 was +89K. The situation of views
shows a daily average of +31,955, a weekly average of +223,685 and for the last 30 days of
December 2019, a value of +958,646. The prediction data for the next 5 years announce a value
of 22,558,046 subscribers and an amount of 25,661,772 views.21 These data, correlated with
particular statistics unveiled in Table 6, demonstrate the artists’ success and an outstanding
contribution to music and global popular music culture both in the physical and online
environments.
19 Fans communities are relevant through fan clubs as Céline Dion Latino-America, Brazil, Argentina,
Peru, Romania, Russia, Armenia, Morocco, Vietnam, etc. For a full list see
https://www.viralvagon.com/facebook/pages/celine-dion, Accessed July 2017.
20 According to various YouTube channels of different fans and virtual communities and to Dion’s official
YouTube channel visited in December 30, 2019.
21 According to Social Blade Channel, accessed online December 30, 2019.
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Figure 4: The spatial distribution of Dion’s concerts in the world (1984 – 2016)
Source of data: Setlistfm, 2017
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Figure 5: Cities as music scenes where Dion performed (1984 – 2016)
Source of data: Setlistfm, 2017
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Figure 6: American cities as music scenes where Dion performed (1984 – 2016)
Source of data: Setlistfm, 2017
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Figure 7: European cities as music scenes where Dion performed (1984 – 2016)
Source of data: Setlistfm, 2017
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Figure 8: Dion’s albums on-sale in Villach (Austria), Budapest (Hungary), Bucharest & Braşov
(Romania) (from vinyl D’Eux album, upper-middle, to Encore un soir and Courage CDs, lower-
right side). Source: authors’ photos 2018 – 2019
Table 6: Statistics on YouTube video views with like rates and commentaries
Analyzed songs
Views
Rate of likes %
Commentaries
I’m alive
That’s the way it is
A new day has come
My heart will go on (official video)
The power of love
Pour que tu m’aimes encore
It’s all coming back to me now
Ashes
Parler a mon père
Encore un soir
I drove all night
Because you loved me
To love you more
Falling into you
Where does my heart beat now
Immortality
Courage
Flying on my own
176,781,871
161,879,290
145,098,350
135,428,894
120,376,122
113,876,321
99,493,941
76,721,509
75,332,021
62,250,347
54,200,642
43,505,789
21,665,607
10,889,428
9,554,511
37,327,012
3,992,970
3,653,081
94.52
95.06
94.74
96.29
95.48
93.24
95.91
99.99
94.59
93.26
94.61
96.32
95.42
96.20
96.56
96.02
98.18
97.56
20,591
18,331
18,279
39,035
17,613
12340
15565
51764
12,931
11,322
6,019
2,362
3,944
1,277
2,895
4,848
7,840
3,020
Total
1,352,027,706
-
249.976
Medium average
75,112,650.33
95.77
13,887.55
Source: YouTube, Updated December 30, 2019
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Beyond the physical and virtual, direct or indirect audience, Dion’s contribution was
recognised worldwide by countless awards. In 2016, she won the Icon Award at the Billboard
Music Awards. It is the highest prize that a music legend would achieve in a lifetime as
recognition of the artists’ involvement both in global popular music and in other community
backgrounds worldwide.22 Throughout her career, she has also received numerous awards for
different artistic accomplishments: artist of the year, women of the year, favourite artist, best
sales, best female albums, best singer, best movie soundtracks, most successful artist, top
female artist, and top selling Canadian artist. These awards have come from Canada, the US,
Japan, France, Switzerland, the UK, Malta, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Greece, South Africa,
Poland, Hungary, etc. Numerous worldwide prizes have also come her way including the
Billboard Music Awards, World Music Awards, American Music Awards, Grammy, Felix and
Juno Awards. Dion was acknowledged as the Millennium Entertainer receiving an Honorary
Doctorate in Music by Laval University (Quebec) for professional achievements in music and
has won two Academy Awards. In terms of cultural and political contexts, Dion was awarded
The Order of Canada and The National Order of Québec as an officer for her outstanding
contribution to world music, for her worldwide musical influence and for her commitments to
numerous humanitarian causes.23 For her influence on the French language, she became a
Knight of the French Legion of Honour and was decorated by the former president Nicolas
Sarkozy in 2008 (Figure 9, left), who stated: “France thanks you because your talent and your
success; you have taken our language beyond our own borders. It’s extraordinary to have an
artist who sings in French who takes our language to every continent.”24 Considering the sense
of belonging and the cultural identity in her discourse (Figure 9, right), Dion dedicated the
medal to her French family since she always recognized her French-Canadian identity
worldwide as a proud Quebecois.25 Her origin is the cultural heart of her music, reached to a
global audience. In keeping with this, at the 1990 Adisq Gala, despite the global success of her
English music, Dion refused The English Artist of the Year Award (Dion & Germain, 2000;
Young, 2001; Wilson, 2014).26
This demonstrates the sense of belonging and the place attachment of the artist. Her native
language is practised in her family everyday life (see Laporte & Snyder, 2010), and Canada is
always acknowledged as the artist’s home. In keeping with Dion’s place attachment to her
native country and her native culture, places, people and fans, in the course of her 2016
Canadian tour, the artist said deeply emotional: “I am ecstatic to be home,” while related to
her native audience acclamation Dion stated: “I did not expect what happened tonight”
(Retrospective, 2016). These statements argue the artist’s identity mirrored in her native
culture also confirmed by the Medal of Arts and Letters. It was offered to the artist by France’s
Minister of Culture to recognize the best-selling French-language artist in history, the Quebec
artist achieving the most success outside the Province of Quebec, and the most success
Quebecois artist in a language other than French. The Governor General's Award was
honoured with a recognition medal on Canada’s 125th Birthday for Dion’s contribution to
Canadian culture. As a Quebecois artist achieving the most success outside Quebec in the
22 According to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slJbFawCbkE, Accessed July 2017.
23 See http://www.celinedion.com/about Accessed July 2017; a complete list of awards is included in
this website.
24 Laporte & Snyder, 2010.
25 Ibidem; see also Lamoureux & Snyder, 2013; Beauregard, 2002.
26 See Dion & Germain, 2000; Beauregard, 2002. A video is available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivXa4mWebC4, Accessed July 2017.
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Francophone market, she was awarded the Trophy of Radio France International/Francophone
Council of Music. Furthermore, Victoires de la Musique Award acknowledged Dion as the best
Francophone artist. For the most successful Quebecois artist in a language other than French,
multiple Felix Awards complete Dion’s success in global music culture.27
Figure 9: (left) Céline Dion receiving the Legion of Honour from France, President Nicolas
Sarkozy in May, 2008. (right) Céline Dion’s discourse dedicating the medal to her French-
Canadian family
Source: Gulliver Trade, Romania, a master delegate of gettyimages, 2018.
Then The Legend Award (World Music Awards) in recognition of a top recording artist in terms
of global success and outstanding contribution to the music industry was awarded. The
Nevada Commission on Tourism acknowledged Dion as the Entertainer of the New Millennium
for contribution in the bettering of the quality of life for Nevada residents and for the
immense success of the Las Vegas show, a revolution in music industry. Many awards attest
the humanitarian involvement as ELLA Award (USA) for contribution to music, humanitarian
and community support as the artist has always been devoted to many humanitarian causes
regardless of places, identities, cultures, races, or regions.28 She supports the Foundation
against Cystic Fibrosis – a fact that she has mentioned on all of her album covers. Stand up to
cancer, American Red Cross, Voices that care (supporting the troops in the 1992 Gulf War), Les
yeux de la faim (helping starving Ethiopians) are other humanitarian causes together with
support to the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York in 2001, Paris in 2015 and recently
Manchester and Las Vegas in 2017. Crossing cultures and music identities, Dion has performed
together with important music legends with some of the best voices in the world, including
Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Mariah Carey, Aretha
Franklin, etc.
As Dion has stated, through her music she is always thrilled to share her love with the world.
Therefore, love is the major theme of her repertoire since she considers that everything in life
27 See www.celinedion.com/about Accessed July 2017. The awards situation of the singer could be a
new avenue for further research dealing with music, geography and the greatest rewards.
28 See Laporte & Snyder, 2010, and Billboard at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xklZ5wysniE,
Accessed July 2017.
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is based upon love and she shares the love with the world (through her music and fans).29
Since her songs speak about love, miracles and power, when asked in Shanghai about China’s
future, Dion stated “if you follow your dreams it means you follow your heart. If you do follow
your heart, I don’t think you can go wrong” (see Laporte & Snyder, 2010).
Such messages transcending music are the main reasons for which this legendary music icon is
worldwide appreciated. Songs like The power of the dream, The power of love, Let’s talk about
love, Love can move mountains, and many others remain emblematic as love is their central
theme. Lyrics analysis demonstrated this finding, revealing that Dion’s outstanding contribution
to global music culture stands on the message conveyed in the music that she has performed.
Love, trust, life, hope, joy optimism, courage, generosity, family and the landscapes of home and
native places, prays, memories, children and childhood, care for all those in need, peace,
freedom and fraternity are relevant issues in Dion’s music.30 Overall, true values and real virtues
are expressed in her universal music touching the audience worldwide.31
The moving messages conveyed in Dion’s music make people find and resonate itself with the
artist’s music culture arguing the universal trait of popular music that appears as a pervasive
mean of global identities and communication. In summing these questions all up, the song
Let’s talk about love remains emblematic portraying this issue, with the singer saying that:
“Everywhere I go, all the places that I’ve been/Every smile is a new horizon on a land I’ve never
seen/There are people around the world – different faces different names/But there’s one true
emotion that reminds me we’re the same…/Let’s talk about love… .” This is just an example.
Therefore, Dion’s outstanding contribution to global culture is confirmed through musical
messages expressed through a unique and moving voice, through epic live performances,
concerts and worldwide tours alongside her respect and admiration for the audience, fans,
people and communities. In 2016, addressing her fans, Dion stated: “My voice does not
resonate without you. You have made my childhood dream come true. I hope I have inspired
you to reach out for yours.”32
Behind the signs of “divafication” (see Lister, 2001), Dion’s music, career and life define her as
a symbol of kindness, honesty and generosity, showing in her turn, respect and admiration for
fans, audience, people, cultures, communities and the world’s cultural values. Through music,
the artist always shares her love and supports people regardless of their age, race, nationality
and other cultural identities. Certainly, beyond the music, this is the most important
contribution of an iconic music legend to the global popular culture.
CONCLUSIONS
This paper has dealt with the intimate connections between music geography and iconic music
legends, taking Céline Dion as a case study. Its analysis has demonstrated the spatial focus
relevance for music, unveiling the rise of Dion artist as a global music legend, with an
impressive contribution to global music culture. Both issues are supported by the emergence
29 According to Making of Somebody love somebody. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzkJf9899rs,
Accessed July 2017.
30 These findings are based on the analysis of lyrics.
31 See the statement in Laporte & Snyder, 2010.
32 According to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWE0vnMAgvQ, Accessed July 2017.
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of popular music through globalisation and music industry alongside the music consumption by
the fans and communities and by the people admiration for iconic artists. Music industry has
shaped representative pathways in music production and consumption, producing a large
international audience for specific singers. As has been argued, artists’ domestic music has
been deterritorialised, replaced and diffused to a global audience, turning them into music
legends based on the audience perceptions, admiration and public demand.
From her French musical hearth of Quebec, Dion’s music has spread across the world through
various channels of cultural diffusion. Supported by some of the most important music
companies, by family, by fans from worldwide communities and through professional
management, Dion developed her career through different ways. Recordings and epic
performances were the most important music products, allowing her to reach out from her
domestic public to a global audience that in time produced large communities of fans
worldwide. Then, in line with music consumers’ demand, important sell-out concerts and tours
were realised worldwide to share the music with the world, demonstrating the global
distribution of Dion’s music. Specific pathways were followed in line with local, regional and
global features of cultural and economic backgrounds.
The passion for singing allowed Dion to share her music with people through her unique voice,
songs and performances, which has been internationally acknowledged. The French-Canadian
songstress spread her French musical culture to France, Paris being both the most important
European music scene and the cultural hearth for Dion’s music diffusion in Europe. Dion’s
determination to be successful in the global music markets through fair competition and
always striving for excellence brought her to Dublin and Japan where she won important
prizes. This demonstrates not only her spectacular reach in Europe and Asia but also
worldwide, as well as her preference to connect with a large international audience, even
though she only performed in French at that time.
Turning to English music (without altering her native French identity of which the artist is
always so proud), Dion soon dominated the Anglophone music markets and became the most
important Anglophone and Francophone artist of her day. Continuous recordings and live
performances in English and French, with numerous albums released and sold by the most
important global music companies, kept the singer in the top positions of the global music
charts. This pathway has been ensured by the singer’s professional epic performances. Since
gaining her worldwide success, Dion has continuously strived for excellence in her
performances and devotion to her audiences regardless of their identity, age, gender,
ethnicity, and religion. Respect and admiration for her audience made the singer a generous
artist who through music has diffused her unique messages of love that made communities
resonate in unison with her. Regardless of different cultural traits, people and communities
find themselves in the same specific cultural identity of the singer and her music, thus
demonstrating the universal expression of music as a cultural global product. Through
recordings, tours and epic concerts on different worldwide music scenes, Dion has broadcast
the music to her fans. Even though her residency show in Las Vegas ended, it remains
emblematic in the global music industry and in music tourism for allowing people to join her
live performances. With every show selling out for years, these concerts demonstrate the
singer’s unique power of attraction for people and the music consumers’ demand.
Music cartographies have revealed particular delineating regions, unveiling certain geography
of inequality in spatial terms. The key territories of the hegemonic Anglophone music industry
prevail. In light of this finding of spatial heterogeneity, the virtual musical environment
appears more homogenous since numerous communities of fans are present online in regions
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where Dion has never performed live. Broadcast, TV and the internet are relevant channels by
which her music is consumed and appreciated. Her outstanding contribution to global music
culture can be seen in her gross sales, countless tours, sold-out concerts and personal
recognition. Multiple acknowledgements from various awards offered by global musical
forums and official national authorities are further testament to her outstanding contribution
to global music culture. Dion is the only artist diffusing French and English music worldwide
who has enriched the global culture of popular music in recent decades. She dominated both
the Anglophone and Francophone markets for years, framing a unique cultural expression
through which people find itself as part of Dion’s music culture. It is argued by the music
products as recordings, tours, epic concerts and sales worldwide developed and consumed by
a global audience under the umbrella of its musical preferences and its cultural perception of
the true values of popular music culture.
The findings of this geographical analysis testify Dion’s outstanding contribution to music and
to global popular music culture and it opens new fertile backgrounds for further research both
on the present case study and on other legendary music icons of the world. Considering the
first avenue, further research might focus on the cultural geographies of legendary artists, on
their global recognition through greatest rewards and on the analysis of lyrics in different
emblematic songs to understand why music of different famous artists has such a power of
attraction to the wider audiences belonging to different cultural identities. Pioneering the links
between music geographies and legendary music icons through this particular case study, this
research opens new avenues for further research and invites for critical debates and academic
dialogues on this complex and challenging topic related to geography, music and the
geographical analyses of iconic music legends.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr. Andrei Dornik for his support in designing the maps for this study and to Rory
O’Farrell for the work in stylistic English proofreading. I extend my acknowledgments to Gulliver Trade
Romania, a master delegate of gettyimages, for photo credits and to the anonymous reviewers for their
instructive feedback and valuable suggestions in improving the content of this paper. Also I am thankful
to many researchers and professors for their suggestions, comments, and criticism and mostly for their
support and encouragement in completing this paper as a result of an important work and devotion
both for geography and music, as well as a challenging approach in dealing with music geographies.
Special thanks to my family for unconditional support in this research. Any suggestion on the content of
this paper in order to develop further research on this topic is welcomed and I am so grateful for this.
Fair Use Disclaimer
This paper contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by
the copyright owners. I make such a material available in my effort to advance understanding of music
geographies in relation to legendary music icons through a particular case study. I believe this
constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. This material is distributed without profit, and no financial gain is followed by the author. The
information of this article is for research and educational purposes with students and researchers in
academic field. The paper has no commercial scopes being a geographic non-profit article for teaching,
scholarship and research using positive academic criticism, commenting and reporting findings and
results in the field of music geographies. The article has no defamatory content. The paper aimed to
present, to map and discuss in a manner of positive criticism, through a geographical analysis, the
outstanding contribution to music and global popular music culture of Dion legendary iconic artist.
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Discography
Céline Dion, 1992. Céline Dion. Columbia, Sony Music, Canada.
Céline Dion, 1993. The colour of my love. Columbia, Sony Music, Canada.
Céline Dion, 1996. Falling into you. Columbia, Sony Music, Canada.
Céline Dion, 1997. Let’s talk about love. Columbia, Sony Music, Canada.
Céline Dion, 1998. S’il suffisait d’aimer. Columbia, Sony Music, Canada.
Céline Dion, 2002. A new day has come. Columbia, Sony Music, Canada.
Céline Dion, 2007. Taking chances. Sony Music, Canada.
Céline Dion, 2008. These are special times. Columbia. Sony Music, Canada.
Céline Dion, 2009. Céline. Tournée mondiale Taking Chances, Le Spectacle. Sony Music, Canada.
Céline Dion, 2011. The essential Céline Dion. Sony Music, Canada.
Céline Dion, 2013. Une seule fois. Sony Music Canada.
Videography
Lamoureux, J., & Snyder, J. (2009). Céline. Tournée mondiale Taking Chances, Le Spectacle. Sony Music, Canada.
Lamoureux, J., & Snyder, J. (2010). Céline Dion. Taking Chances World Tour, The Concert. Sony Music, Canada.
Lamoureux, J., & Snyder, J. (2013). Céline. Une seule fois. Live 2013. Sony Music, Canada.
Lamoureux, J., Laporte, S., & Snyder, J. (2008). Céline Dion. Live in Las Vegas. A New Day… Dragone/Productions,
Sony Music, Canada.
Laporte, S., & Snyder, J. (2010). Céline. Through the eyes of the world. Go beyond the music. Sony Music, Canada.
