"My Heart Will Go On" is a song performed by Canadian singer Celine Dion. It was used as the theme for the 1997 film Titanic. James Horner composed the music, and Will Jennings wrote the lyrics. The song was released as a single internationally by Columbia and Epic on November 24, 1997. It also appeared on Dion's album Let's Talk About Love (1997) and the Titanic soundtrack.

Horner created the main musical idea for "My Heart Will Go On" as part of the Titanic soundtrack and suggested turning it into a song. The film's director, James Cameron, initially thought a pop song would not fit the movie, but he agreed after hearing a demo version. Horner and Simon Franglen produced the version used in the film, while Walter Afanasieff produced a new version for the album and single. The music video was directed by Bille Woodruff.

The song reached the top of music charts in more than 25 countries and was the best-selling single of 1998. Worldwide sales are estimated to be over 18 million copies. This makes it the second-best-selling single by a woman in music history and one of the best-selling singles of all time. It received gold or higher certifications in 18 countries, including a diamond certification in France.

"My Heart Will Go On" is considered Celine Dion's most famous song. It was added to the Songs of the Century list by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. The song won several awards, including the Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television. It also received the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 2025, the Library of Congress added the song to the National Recording Registry to preserve it as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Writing and recording

Before the movie Titanic was released, studio leaders were concerned it might not be successful. Sony paid $800,000 for the rights to the Titanic soundtrack album and hoped it would include a theme song. However, the director, James Cameron, believed ending the film with a pop song would not be suitable.

James Horner, the composer of the Titanic score, first created "My Heart Will Go On" as an instrumental piece for the film. To prepare a vocal version for the end credits, he worked with lyricist Will Jennings, who wrote the lyrics from the perspective of an elderly person reflecting on the past. Simon Franglen, who collaborated with Horner on electronic sounds for the score, recommended Céline Dion, with whom he had previously worked on many songs. Dion was initially unwilling to record the song because she had already performed the film songs "Beauty and the Beast" and "Because You Loved Me." However, her husband and producer, René Angélil, persuaded her to record a demo.

Horner waited until Cameron was ready to hear the demo before sharing it. After listening to it several times, Cameron approved it but worried critics might say the film ended too commercially. He also wanted to satisfy the worried studio executives and understood that a successful song could help secure funding for the film.

The music producer Walter Afanasieff was not satisfied with the demo, calling it slow and sad, but agreed to arrange and produce the final version. He changed nearly every part of Horner's demo and was upset that Horner received a co-producer credit. According to music executive Tommy Mottola, Dion recorded her vocal in one take, and the demo was used in the film. Dion later re-recorded the song for her 1997 album Let's Talk About Love.

Composition

The song "My Heart Will Go On" is written in the key of E major. The verses use the chord progression E–B sus 4–A add 9–E–B, while the choruses use C♯m–B–A–B. The song changes to A-flat major at the end. It focuses on the arrangement of instruments. A Tin Whistle is used prominently, along with strings and rhythm guitars. The song includes both acoustic and electronic instruments. Celine Dion’s singing is described by Pandora Radio as "emotional" and "demanding."

The Horner-Franglen demo version of the song is slightly over five minutes long and includes an extended ending with longer vocal parts by Dion. Franglen mixed the final version for the film and soundtrack, adding an orchestra to the final chorus. This version appears on the Titanic soundtrack album and is played during the film’s ending credits.

When the single was released, Walter Afanasieff produced it further by adding strings, electric guitar, and rearranging parts of the song. This version, slightly over four and a half minutes long, is on the 4-track maxi single and Dion’s album Let's Talk About Love. At the song’s peak popularity, some radio stations in the U.S. and U.K. played an edited version with dialogue from the film’s characters Jack and Rose inserted between Dion’s singing.

The Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø was originally planned to record the song for the film in 1997, but Celine Dion’s vocals were chosen because James Horner wanted to support her career. In a 2014 interview, Horner said he had to choose between Dion and Kyrkjebø for the song. He explained that he had worked with Dion since she was young and felt she deserved the opportunity. Kyrkjebø later completed much of the soundtrack for Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture. Dion agreed to sing a demo for the film, even though she was hesitant at first. Years later, Horner asked Kyrkjebø to perform "My Heart Will Go On" during the world premieres of Titanic 3D (2012) and Titanic Live (2015).

Critical reception

The song was generally well received by music critics. AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the song "shines the most brilliantly" and called it a standout track from the Let's Talk About Love album. Another AllMusic reviewer, single editor Heather Phares, who gave the single a 4 out of 5 star rating, wrote that Dion's performances of the song on VH1 Divas, the 1998 Academy Awards (where she wore the Titanic film's "Heart of the Ocean" pendant), and on her 1997 album Let's Talk About Love helped make "My Heart Will Go On" the best example of Dion's romantic style. Larry Flick from Billboard called it a "calm and emotional song," noting that it uses romantic lyrics and a sad melody, which is enhanced by a flute solo that sounds like it is crying. He added that Dion can sing notes so strongly they could break glass, but it is enjoyable to hear her sing softly and show her ability to express deep emotions quietly. He called it a fine single that adds class to radio stations.

Music Week named the song "Single of the Week" and gave it five out of five stars, writing that Dion delivered a strong vocal performance on an Irish-style production. The magazine's Alan Jones said the Irish musical style helped the song build from quiet moments into a powerful and moving ballad, with Dion adapting her voice to match the song's needs, from soft breathing to powerful singing. People Magazine stated that the dramatic style of the song fits well when Dion sings about a survivor missing a lost lover after a ship sank. Yahoo.com described it as an emotional song that perfectly captured Titanic's romantic feelings. Vulture called it a powerful song with one of the most impressive key changes in music history and said its legacy is only surpassed by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." The Washington Post appreciated how the song was not just added at the end of the Titanic film but had a musical theme that appeared throughout the film's love story to create a complete musical story.

The song also received some criticism. In 2007, Rolling Stone ranked it the fourth most annoying song ever. In 2011, the same magazine's readers ranked it the seventh worst song of the 1990s, with the magazine writing that the song and film have not stood the test of time and now may make people feel uncomfortable. The Atlantic said the song's popularity dropped because it was played too often, and over time, many jokes made fun of its lyrics by repeating "My Heart Will Go On" as "on and on and on." Vulture said it has become popular to dislike the song because it represents things people now dislike about Titanic, such as being outdated, cheesy, and overly dramatic. Maxim called it "the second most tragic event ever to result from that ocean liner." Titanic star Kate Winslet said in 2012 that she dislikes the song and that hearing it makes her feel sick.

Accolades

"My Heart Will Go On" received many awards from respected organizations around the world. It won the 1998 Academy Award for Best Original Song. At the 1999 Grammy Awards, it won Record of the Year, marking the first time a Canadian artist won this award, as well as Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television. The song also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1998. It was nominated for Best Song for a Movie at the 1998 MTV Movie Awards but lost to "Men in Black" by Will Smith.

The song won a Japanese Gold Disc Award for Song of the Year and a Billboard Music Award for Soundtrack Single of the Year. It also won the MTV Asia Award for International Song of the Year in 1999.

The song has been named one of the Songs of the Century. It is one of the best-selling singles ever in the United Kingdom and the second single released by Celine Dion to sell over a million copies there. This made Dion one of only two female artists to date to have released two million-selling singles in Britain. In December 2007, the song was placed at number 21 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90's." In April 2010, the UK radio station Magic 105.4 voted the single the "top movie song of all time" based on listener votes. It was ranked at number 14 on AFI's 100 Years…100 Songs, a list celebrating the 100 greatest songs in American film history.

Cultural impact

The song "My Heart Will Go On" is closely linked to the movie Titanic and is remembered every time it is played. USA Today said the song will always be connected to Titanic. The Washington Post explained that the combination of music and images in the movie made both the song and the film more meaningful than either could be alone.

The Los Angeles Times said the song helped make 1998 a special year for popular ballads. The Atlantic noted that the song became a big part of pop culture not because it was played at events like proms or funerals, but because it was heard often on the radio and through car speakers. Anne T. Donahue from TrackRecord called the song "The Greatest Movie Ballad Of All Time," saying it changed how movie ballads were made and had an immediate effect. MTV listed the song as the sixth most popular song of the 1990s.

In New Zealand, "My Heart Will Go On" and Dion's version of "The Power of Love" are favorite songs among siren kings, a youth group from South Auckland. This group competes by using modified vehicles with loudspeakers. The song is often played at full volume during these competitions because Dion's clear voice works well with the sound systems.

In the late 2010s, people on YouTube began using the song's famous key change as the soundtrack for dramatic moments in sports, like a winning goal. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a pianist in Barcelona named Alberto Gestoso played the song for his neighbors who were in quarantine. In 2021, the DJ at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C., played the song for the crowd.

The 2017 Broadway musical Come From Away included parts of the song and used it as a repeating theme in the show. The 2021 movie Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar featured a remix of the song. Bruno Mars performed the song during his first show in Las Vegas after a long break. Ariana Grande sang the song with James Corden on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

In 2023, the indie-pop band MUNA performed a quieter version of the song for a radio program called Like A Version, which became one of the top performances of that year. In 2024, Donald Trump used the song at his political rallies. Celine Dion said she did not support its use and was surprised by the choice. Variety magazine said the song reminds people of the tragedy of the Titanic and the film's scene where Leonardo DiCaprio's character sinks to the ocean floor.

Music video

The music video for "My Heart Will Go On" was directed by Bille Woodruff. It shows Celine Dion singing at the front of a ship, with scenes from the movie Titanic mixed in between. The video was filmed in Los Angeles using a green screen. Artists from Titanic added the background scenes. During filming, Celine performed a special effect by singing a faster version of the song. In January 2018, a special version of the music video was shared on YouTube. This version included new footage of Celine, such as her walking to the front of the ship and a scene placing her inside the movie.

On March 23, 2023, a new music video was released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Celine's performance of the song at the 70th Academy Awards. This video includes new footage from the original video shoot and was restored from 35mm film to 4K resolution.

Live performances

MTV described Dion's performance as "true perfection" and said she sounded flawless. "My Heart Will Go On" was performed by Dion during her Let's Talk About Love World Tour (1998–1999), her Las Vegas residency show A New Day… (2003–2007), her Taking Chances World Tour (2008–2009), and her second Las Vegas residency show Celine (2011–2019). The song was also performed during her show "Une seule fois" at Sur les plaines d'Abraham in Quebec City on July 27, 2013, during her Tournée Européenne 2013, her Summer Tour 2016, Live 2017, and Live 2018 tours, and most recently during her Courage World Tour. Dion performed the song at her BST Hyde Park concert in London on July 5, 2019. She also performed the song for the 20th anniversary of Titanic at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards.

Commercial performance

"My Heart Will Go On" is one of the most popular songs in history. It has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide and was the best-selling single of 1998. As of March 2023, the song has reached 5 billion people through radio and has been streamed over 728 million times in the United States. Streaming numbers increased after the Titan submersible implosion, which reminded people about the movie Titanic. Some sources say the song was streamed 500,000 more times, but this is not confirmed by all.

In the United States, only 658,000 copies were made available. However, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with 360,000 sales and stayed there for two weeks. It also spent ten weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay and was number one for two weeks on the Hot 100 Singles Sales. The song had the largest radio audience ever, with 117 million listeners in February 1998. It was later certified gold in the United States. Billboard reported that the digital version of the song sold 1,133,000 units, bringing total U.S. sales to 1,791,000 copies. In 2011, Celine Dion sold 956,000 digital tracks in the U.S., with "My Heart Will Go On" being her most downloaded song (163,000 downloads). As of November 2019, the song had 588.2 million on-demand streams in the U.S., making it her most streamed song in the country.

The song also reached number one on several other U.S. charts, including Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, Top 40 Mainstream, Hot Latin Pop Airplay, and Hot Latin Tracks. It was the first English-language song to top the Hot Latin Tracks chart, earning Dion a Billboard Latin Music Award for this achievement.

In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number one with first-week sales of 234,000 copies. By February 2022, it had sold over 2,100,000 units, making it Dion's second million-selling single in Britain and the country's second-best-selling single of 1998. This made her the first solo female artist to have multiple million-selling singles in Britain.

In Germany, the song was certified 4× platinum for selling over 2 million copies and was ranked as one of the most popular singles ever. It sold over 1.2 million copies in France, where it was certified Diamond. The song was also certified 3× platinum in Belgium, 2× platinum in Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, platinum in Greece, and gold in Austria. In Japan, the song was released twice. The regular edition sold 205,300 copies and was certified 2× platinum. The remixed edition sold 111,920 copies and was certified gold, as maxi-singles are treated as albums.

Internationally, the song was very successful, spending many weeks at the top of charts in various countries. It spent 17 weeks on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles, 15 weeks in Switzerland, 13 weeks in France and Germany, 11 weeks in the Netherlands and Sweden, 10 weeks in Wallonia, Denmark, Italy, and Norway, seven weeks in Flanders, six weeks in Ireland and Canada, four weeks in Australia and Austria, two weeks in Spain and the United Kingdom, and one week in Finland.

Album appearances

The music video was included on the All the Way… A Decade of Song & Video DVD and on the Titanic (Three-Disc Special Collector's Edition) DVD version released on October 25, 2005. Alongside Dion's Let's Talk About Love album and the Titanic soundtrack, "My Heart Will Go On" appears on other albums such as VH1 Divas Live, Au cœur du stade, All the Way… A Decade of Song, A New Day… Live in Las Vegas, Complete Best, My Love: Essential Collection, Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert, and Céline… une seule fois / Live 2013. The song was also included on the DVDs for Au cœur du stade, All the Way… A Decade of Song & Video, Live in Las Vegas: A New Day…, and Celine: Through the Eyes of the World.

Later, the song was added to the Back to Titanic second soundtrack album but is not found on the 20th anniversary edition. In France, "My Heart Will Go On" was released as a double A-side single with "The Reason." In the Let's Talk About Love album booklet, the lyrics include an extra line between the second chorus and the final verse. The words "There is some love that will not go away" are not sung by Dion in any available version of the song, though they are still listed on Dion's official website.

Track listing

European CD single (revised version)

French CD single (two main songs)

US CD and cassette single

Australian/Brazilian/European/UK CD extended single

Australian CD extended single (revised versions)

Brazilian CD extended single (revised versions)

European CD and 12-inch extended single (revised versions)

Japanese CD extended single (revised versions)

UK CD extended single ("Heart")

Personnel

• Celine Dion – vocals
• Walter Afanasieff – arrangements, keyboards, drum programmer, Hammond B-3 Organ, synth bass, producer
• Skyler Jett, Leslie Ellis, Jeanie Tracy, Konesha Owens, and Claytoven Richardson – background vocals
• William Ross – composer
• Tony Hinnigan – pennywhistle
• Paul Peabody – Irish fiddle
• Dan Shea – keyboards, drum and computer programmer, sound designer
• Dann Huff – guitar
• David Gleeson, Humberto Gatica – recording engineering
• Chris Brooke, Ethan Schofer, Glen Marchese, Greg Thompson, Tony Gonzalez, and Tyson Leeper – assistant engineer
• Emile Charlap – contractor
• James Horner – music, producer
• Will Jennings – lyrics
• Simon Franglen – producer