On this day in 1996, Céline Dion released the David Foster-produced ‘Because You Loved Me’, penned by Diane Warren about her father. The song served as the theme from ‘Up Close & Personal’, a film starring Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer, and appeared on Céline’s multi-Platinum #1 album ‘Falling Into You’, which remains one of the best-selling albums in history.
The song became one of Céline’s biggest hits of her illustrious career, topping the charts in Australia, Canada and the US, and peaking within the Top 10 around the world, reportedly selling over 5 million copies worldwide in just the first 6 months. Until the ‘Falling Into You’ album was released in March 1996, the single release was the only way to purchase the song, as it was not included on the ‘Up Close & Personal’ movie soundtrack.
‘Because You Loved Me’ was Céline’s second song to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, following ‘The Power of Love’, and was the song which managed to replace Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s ‘One Sweet Day’ after it had reigned supreme for sixteen record-breaking weeks. It went on to spend six weeks on top, and also spent nineteen weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, which at the time set a record for the longest running #1 in the history of that chart.
The song was nominated for Best Original Song at both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes, and was nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Award, four Billboard Music Awards and four Grammy Awards, winning ‘Best Song Written for Visual Media’. It also won the ASCAP Film and Television Music Award for ‘Most Performed Song’ from a Motion Picture, and ASCAP Pop Awards for ‘Most Performed Song’ in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
The official music video directed by Kevin Bray features clips taken from the ‘Up Close & Personal’ film, and is sadly not available on Céline’s official YouTube channel, however there is a live performance on her channel from the 1998 television special ‘These Are Special Times’, which aired on CBS. Other memorable live performances of the track include at the 1996 World Music Awards and the 1997 Academy Awards, and Céline has continued performing the song on tour throughout her career.
The song has been covered by a number of artists including Clay Aiken, Johnny Mathis, Michael Ball, and more.
Live in 1998:
Live in Sydney, 2018: