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Culture November 26, 2019

Celine Dion scores 1st No. 1 album in 17 years with her new album 'Courage'

PHOTO: Celine Dion is seen on Nov. 14, 2019 in New York City.
Jackson Lee/GC Images/Getty Images, FILE
Celine Dion is seen on Nov. 14, 2019 in New York City.

Celine Dion's "Courage" has carried her to the top of the chart.

"Courage," is the Canadian diva's new album, her first English-language disc since 2013's "Loved Me Back to Life," and has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart selling 113,000 units in its first week.

It is her first No. 1 album in over 17 years. Her last one was 2002's "A New Day Has Come."

Overall, "Courage" is Dion's fifth No. 1 album. She's now scored No. 1 albums in each of the last three decades.

(MORE: Celine Dion empowers, goes makeup free for new single, 'Imperfections')

The star expressed her gratitude on Instagram. "I'm so grateful to the songwriters, the producers, the engineers, and the musicians, who shared their incredible talent with me," she wrote. "And thank you to my amazing fans for your incredible support."

"You’ll never know how much it means to me," she added. "I love you!"

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Only 12 other acts have managed to do this, among them are U2, Bruce Springsteen, Backstreet Boys, Janet Jackson and Barbra Streisand.

(MORE: Celine Dion says she's building a fashion 'playground')

"Courage" has also helped Dion set an unusual record: The longest span between No. 1 albums ever for a woman. It breaks the previous record of 16 years and four months set by Whitney Houston, with 1993's "The Bodyguard" and 2009's "I Look to You."

While 17 years is a long time, two other acts have waited longer. When the Backstreet Boys hit No. 1 earlier this year with their album "DNA," it was their first chart topper in 18 years and two months.

But the guy who waited the longest is Paul McCartney. When his album "Egypt Station" debuted at No. 1 last September, it was his first chart topper in 36 years.