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

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

"My Heart Will Go On" reached the top of music charts in over 25 countries and was the best-selling single of 1998. It sold more than 18 million copies worldwide. This makes it the second-best-selling single by a female artist in music history and one of the best-selling singles ever. The song received gold or higher certifications in 18 countries, including diamond status 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 won 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 a culturally, historically, or artistically significant recording.

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 helped Horner with electronic sounds and synthesizers, suggested Céline Dion, with whom he had previously collaborated on many songs. Dion was initially unwilling to record the song, as she had already performed "Beauty and the Beast" and "Because You Loved Me" for the film. However, her husband and producer, René Angélil, persuaded her to record a demo.

Horner waited until Cameron was ready to listen before sharing the demo. After hearing it several times, Cameron approved it but worried critics might accuse him of making the film too commercial at the end. He also wanted to satisfy the worried studio leaders, knowing a popular song could help ensure the film’s completion.

Music producer Walter Afanasieff was not satisfied with the demo, calling it unclear and dull, 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, and the choruses use C♯m–B–A–B. The song changes to A-flat major at the end. It focuses on instrumental arrangements, with the Tin Whistle playing an important role. Strings and rhythm guitars also add melody. The song uses both acoustic and electronic instruments. Pandora Radio described Celine Dion's singing as "emotional" and "demanding."

The Horner-Franglen demo version of the song is slightly over five minutes long and includes a longer ending with extended 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 plays during the film’s ending credits.

When the song was released to radio, 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. During the song’s popularity, some radio stations in the US and UK played an edited version with dialogue from Jack and Rose, the film’s main characters, inserted between Dion’s singing.

In 1997, the Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø was scheduled to record the song for the film, but Dion’s vocals were chosen because James Horner wanted to support her career. In a 2014 interview, Horner explained that he had known Dion since she was 18 and had written three film songs for her before she became famous. He felt he owed her a chance to sing on Titanic. Instead, Kyrkjebø 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. Later, Horner chose Kyrkjebø to perform "My Heart Will Go On" at the world premieres of Titanic 3D (2012) and Titanic Live (2015).

Critical reception

The song was generally praised by music critics. AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine said the song "shines the most brilliantly" and called it a standout track from the Let's Talk About Love album. AllMusic reviewer Heather Phares, who gave the single 4 out of 5 stars, 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" a perfect example of Dion's romantic style. Larry Flick from Billboard described it as a "calm and elegant song," noting its romantic lyrics and sad, thoughtful melody, which includes a flute solo that adds emotion. He praised Dion's ability to sing with great power and also to express deep feelings softly. He called the song a strong single that brings a sense of elegance to radio stations.

Music Week named the song "Single of the Week" and gave it 5 out of 5 stars, saying Dion's voice was outstanding on an Irish-style production. The magazine's Alan Jones wrote that the Celtic music style helped the song grow from quiet moments into a powerful ballad, with Dion adapting her voice to match the song's needs. People Magazine said the song fits well with the idea of a survivor remembering a lost lover after a shipwreck. Yahoo.com called it an emotional ballad that perfectly captured Titanic's romantic longing. Vulture called it a powerful song with one of the most famous key changes in music history and said its legacy is only surpassed by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." The Washington Post noted that the song was not just added at the end of the Titanic film but was used throughout the movie's love story to create a musical story.

The song also faced some criticism. In 2007, Rolling Stone ranked it the fourth most annoying song ever. In 2011, Rolling Stone readers ranked it the seventh worst song of the 1990s, with the magazine saying the song and movie have aged poorly and now make people cringe. The Atlantic said the song's popularity dropped because it was played too much, and jokes often mocked its lyrics by repeating "My Heart Will Go On" as "on and on and on." Vulture said people now dislike the song because it represents things about Titanic that moviegoers no longer enjoy, such as being outdated, cheesy, and overly dramatic. Maxim called it "the second most tragic event ever to result from that fabled ocean liner." Titanic star Kate Winslet said in 2012 that she dislikes the song and that hearing it makes her feel sick.

Accolades

The song "My Heart Will Go On" received many awards from important organizations around the world. It won the 1998 Academy Award for Best Original Song. At the 1999 Grammy Awards, it won several awards, including Record of the Year, which was the first time a Canadian artist won this category. It also won Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television. The song received 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 also won a Japanese Gold Disc Award for Song of the Year and a Billboard Music Award for Soundtrack Single of the Year. It received an award at the MTV Asia Awards 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 in the United Kingdom. It was the second single released by Celine Dion to sell over a million copies in Britain, making her one of only two female artists to have released two million-selling singles in the country. In December 2007, the song was ranked number 21 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90's." In April 2010, the UK radio station Magic 105.4 named the single the "top movie song of all time" based on listener votes. It was ranked 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" became a key part of the movie Titanic's history. Every time people listen to it, they remember the movie and the excitement around it. USA Today said the song will always be connected to the movie Titanic. The Washington Post explained that the song and movie together became more special than either could be alone.

The Los Angeles Times said "My Heart Will Go On" helped make 1998 a great year for popular ballads. The Atlantic noted that the song became famous not because it was played at events like proms or funerals, but because it was heard often on the radio, in cars, and through speakers. Anne T. Donahue from TrackRecord called it "The Greatest Movie Ballad Of All Time," saying it changed how movie ballads were made and had an immediate effect. MTV listed "My Heart Will Go On" 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 popular among siren kings, a group of young people from South Auckland who compete by modifying their cars to have loudspeakers. The song is often played at these competitions because Dion's clear voice works well with the speakers. The song is played loudly from cars during early morning contests to see who can make the loudest sound.

In the late 2010s, people on YouTube began using the song's special musical change as the background for important moments in sports, like a winning shot. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a pianist in Barcelona named Alberto Gestoso played "My Heart Will Go On" for neighbors who were staying home. In 2021, a DJ at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C., played the song for the crowd.

The 2017 Broadway musical Come From Away used parts of the song and repeated it throughout the show. The movie Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) included a new version 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 sang a quieter version of the song for a radio show called Like A Version, which became one of the top performances that year. In 2024, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump used "My Heart Will Go On" during his rallies. Celine Dion said she did not support this use and was surprised by the choice. Variety said the song makes people think about the Titanic's sad story 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 mixed in between. The video was filmed in Los Angeles using a green screen. Artists from the movie Titanic added the background scenes. During filming, Celine performed a special part of the video by singing a fast 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 that had never been seen before. The footage was restored from original 35mm film to 4K quality.

Live performances

MTV described Dion's performance of "My Heart Will Go On" at the 70th Academy Awards in 1998 as "true perfection … she sounds flawless." Dion performed the song during her Let's Talk About Love World Tour (1998–1999), her Las Vegas show A New Day… (2003–2007), her Taking Chances World Tour (2008–2009), and her second Las Vegas show Celine (2011–2019). She also performed the song 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, Live 2018, and most recently 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 sold more than 18 million copies worldwide and was the best-selling single of 1998. As of March 2023, the song was heard by 5 billion people on the radio and had over 728 million official streams in the United States. After the Titan submersible implosion in 2023, which reminded people of the Titanic, the number of streams increased. TMZ reported that the song was streamed 500,000 more times, but other sources disagree with this number.

In the United States, only 658,000 copies of the song were released. Despite this, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with 360,000 copies sold and stayed there for two weeks. It also spent ten weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and was number one for two weeks on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. The song broke a record for 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 sales in the U.S. to 1,791,000 copies. In 2011 alone, 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, for which Dion received a Billboard Latin Music Award.

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

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

Internationally, the song was very successful. It spent many weeks at the top of charts in various countries, including 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 appeared on the All the Way… A Decade of Song & Video DVD and on the Titanic (Three-Disc Special Collector's Edition) DVD, which was released on October 25, 2005. Along with Dion's Let's Talk About Love album and the Titanic soundtrack, "My Heart Will Go On" is also found on several other albums, including 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.

The song later appeared on the Back to Titanic second soundtrack album but is not 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 line "There is some love that will not go away" is not sung by Dion in any available version of the song, but it is still listed on Dion's official website.

Track listing

European CD single with remix versions

French CD single with two main tracks on one side

US CD and cassette single formats

Australian/Brazilian/European/UK CD maxi-single

Australian CD maxi-single with remix versions

Brazilian CD maxi-single with remix versions

European CD and 12-inch maxi-single with remix versions

Japanese CD maxi-single with remix versions

UK CD maxi-single featuring the track "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 / think