DAILY DIRT: The 1990s’ top 10 is a solemn reminder about a forgotten megatalent

Singer Celine Dion, once one of music’s shining talents, is no longer able to perform. For several years, Dion has been suffering from a rare, incurable neurological disorder. “She is in a lot of pain,” says one of her representatives … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 976 of The Daily Dirt.

1. We’ve reached the 1990s in our decade-by-decade look at the top musical artists.

Far Out magazine’s list of the leading acts of the ’90s — based on sales of albums/CDs — certainly opened my eyes. Three things immediately stuck out to me when examining this presentation of the most popular 1990s artists:

A. I had forgotten how big of a star Celine Dion was at that time.

B. How much bigger of a megastar would Whitney Houston have gone on to become if her life had not spiraled downward?

C. And the impact Shania Twain had both the pop and country genres in this decade.

1990s

• 1. Céline Dion – 160 million albums/CDs sold: The 56-year-old Dion’s disorder is “a rare, progressive syndrome that affects the nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord,” according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Forbes magazine says Dion, who has 14 brothers and sisters, has a net worth of $800 million. 2. Mariah Carey – 144 million: It’s hard to believe she is now 55 years old.
• 3. Garth Brooks – 108 million: Brooks, who attended Oklahoma State on a track scholarship, worked as a bouncer during his college days.
• 4. Whitney Houston – 88 million: Her debut album (“Whitney Houston”) is currently listed as one of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” by Rolling Stone magazine and is on The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame’s “Definitive 200” list. She is also the only artist to have seven consecutive No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
• 5. Nirvana – 80 million: Nirvana’s first official release was a cover of “Love Buzz” by the Dutch rock band Shocking Blue.
• 6. Michael Jackson – 78 million: By the 1990s, Jackson had developed a reputation as an “eccentric recluse”. Sounds pretty much spot on.
• 7. Metallica – 75 million: Arguably the most successful AND influential heavy metal band ever.
• 8. Backstreet Boys – 74 million: Surprisingly, the Boys, who came to be in 1993, have never had a No. 1 song.
• 9. Madonna – 66 million: Madonna was once considered for the lead role in “The Bodyguard” over Whitney Houston.
• 10. Shania Twain – 65 million: She was born Eilleen Regina Edwards.

2. Did you know (Part 36)

• That NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson AVERAGED a triple double during the 1961-62 season for the Cincinnati Royals: 30.8 points, 11.4 assists and 12.5 rebounds per game. That had never been before, until Russell Westbrook came along.
• That one of the extras in the “Beatles’ Hard Day’s Night” movie was a young Phil Collins.
• That Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson were childhood friends.
• That Jimi Hendrix was once a member of Joey Dee and the Starliters, who had the 1961 hit “Peppermint Twist”.
• That Jerry Springer was a 1968 campaign adviser to Robert Kennedy.

3. Here’s our weekly MLB rankings.

This time around we’re picking the five most disappointing teams so far this season:

1. New York Mets: Where do you even begin to try and break down this disaster? If nothing else, the Mets have proven money can’t automatically buy happiness.

2. Arizona Diamondbacks: Don’t forget, these guys were in the World Series last season. Don’t look for a repeat.

3. Houston Astros: Sure, they’ve had injury problems with their pitching staff, but who hasn’t?

4. St. Louis Cardinals: I keep waiting for one of those 10-game win streaks, but I’m beginning to accept that one is simply not coming. If, somehow, the El Birdos can catch fire in the second half of the season, the division title still remains a possibility because the National League Central is the weakest of this summer’s six divisions.

5. Toronto Blue Jays: When does the housecleaning begin?

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Cheer up, Cardinals fans. Things could always be worse. You could be Mets fans.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. If those empty seats at Busch don’t send a message, then nothing will.