[1][2] It was released as a single internationally by Columbia and Epic on November 24, 1997, and included on Dion's album Let's Talk About Love (1997) and the Titanic soundtrack.

[5][6] It was included in the list of Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the National Endowment for the Arts.

[7] Wanting to prepare a vocal version for the end credits, he enlisted the lyricist Will Jennings, who wrote the lyrics "from the point of view of a person of a great age looking back so many years".

Cameron also wanted to appease the anxious studio executives and "saw that a hit song from his movie could only be a positive factor in guaranteeing its completion".

[7] According to the music executive Tommy Mottola, Dion recorded her vocal in one take, and that demo is what was released in the film.

Dion re-recorded the song for her album Let's Talk About Love after the film's release, with a few note changes at the end.

[14] The Horner-Franglen "demo" version of the ballad runs a little over five minutes and has an extended ending with longer, segmented vocalizations by Dion.

[15] When the single was to be released to radio, it was produced further by Walter Afanasieff who added string and electric guitar, as well as rearranged portions of the song.

This version, which runs a little over four and a half minutes, appears on both the 4-track maxi single and Dion's album Let's Talk About Love.

[9][10][17][18] In a December 2014 interview, Horner said: "When I had completed the Titanic [film], I had to decide for Celine Dion or Sissel['s] [vocals].

AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the song "shines the most brilliantly" and marked it as a standout track from the Let's Talk About Love album.

[22] Another AllMusic reviewer, single editor Heather Phares, who rated the single 4 out of 5 stars, wrote, "Indeed, her performances of it on VH1 Divas, the 1998 Academy Awards (wearing the film's 'Heart of the Ocean' pendant, no less), and on her 1997 album Let's Talk About Love have cemented 'My Heart Will Go On' as the quintessence of Dion's sweeping, romantic style".

[23] Larry Flick from Billboard called it a "stately ballad", noting that the song "woos with romantic lyrics and a melancholy melody that is fleshed out with a weeping flute solo."

He added, "There's no denying that Dion can hit notes that shatter glass—and she does so here—but it's a pleasure to hear her build slowly and remind listeners of her ability to pack volumes of emotion in a whisper.

[25] The magazine's Alan Jones felt the Celtic stylings "help the record build from quiet beginnings into a most powerful, stirring ballad, with Dion's voice adapting to whatever is required, from gentle breathiness to full throttle.

"[26] People Magazine stated that "the dramatics are fitting when she sings "My Heart Will Go On" as a survivor mourning the lover she lost when the big ship went down.

[55] The Washington Post has argued that it is the marriage of music and image that make both the song and film greater than the sum of their parts.

[29] The Los Angeles Times stated that "My Heart Will Go On helped make 1998 an amazing year for big pop ballads.

[58] In New Zealand, "My Heart Will Go On", along with Dion's rendition of "The Power of Love", are favorites of siren kings, a Pasifika youth subculture originating in South Auckland who stage modified vehicle public address system loudspeaker competitions.

The song is a staple of the competitions, due to the purity and clarity of Dion's voice suiting the audio range for public address systems.

[59][60] The song is played at full volume through speakers attached to cars in the small hours of the morning, in a contest by siren kings to produce the loudest sound.

[61][62] In the late 2010s, a pop culture trend emerged on platforms such as YouTube in which the song's iconic key change would be edited in as the soundtrack to a dramatic moment from a sporting match, such as a winning shot.

[67] Bruno Mars opened his first show since early 2020 at MGM, in continuation of his Las Vegas residency and did a rendition of the song.

Variety said that the song "evokes the tragedy of the Titanic and, in the film, Leonardo DiCaprio’s dying character sinking to the bottom of the sea".

[70] The accompanying music video for "My Heart Will Go On" was directed by Bille Woodruff and shows Dion singing at the bow of the ship while scenes from the film are inter-cut in between.

On set, Celine provided one special effect, it required her to sing a high speed version of the signature song.

[79] As of March 2023, "My Heart Will Go On" has drawn 5 billion in cumulative airplay audience and over 728 million official streams in the United States.

[93] In Germany, "My Heart Will Go On" was certified 4× platinum for selling over two million copies,[94] and was ranked as one of the most popular singles ever released there.

It 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.