Heartbreaking tales of these fleeting stars
Fresh from the success of her 1993 best-selling third album 'Music Box,' Mariah was set to sprinkle gold dust on any project that she took on, and was casting around for album ideas.
In 2010, Mariah Carey released a new version of the track, called 'Extra Festive,' for her second holiday album 'Merry Christmas II You.' The following year, she recorded a duet version with Justin Bieber.
The pair's duet appeared on Bieber's album 'Under the Mistletoe,' which topped the Billboard album charts on its release. Mariah's own success was clearly a game changer for holiday albums!
The song was recorded in August 1994, a long way from the chilly days of Christmas! Carey filled her studio with Christmas decorations, lights, and trees, to enter into the festive spirit.
With sales of over 16 million copies (and counting), the classic track is the best-selling Christmas record by a female artist, and one of the best-selling physical singles of all time.
Carey composed the track with songwriting partner Walter Afanasieff, with the pair reportedly penning the classic in just 15 minutes. He later told Songwriter Universe: "Back in the early ‘90s, it wasn’t as common for a newer artist to record a Christmas album. They would usually wait until much later in their career to do so."
Wanting to create a timeless track, Carey and Afanasieff took influence from '60s girl bands such as The Ronettes, aiming to replicate the lush "Wall of Sound" technique of Ronettes producer Phil Spector (pictured).
Carey sets the bar high for other seasonal singers. Her holiday hit has also earned Guinness World Records for "most streamed track on Spotify in 24 hours (female)," and "most weeks in the UK singles Top 10 chart for a Christmas single."
At the time, Christmas albums were not popular among younger artists, and releasing a big Christmas song seemed a questionable choice for a glamorous star at the top of her game.
For 'Fall in Love at Christmas,' the star was joined by gospel singing superstar Kirk Franklin, who has previously released his own Christmas albums of new and classic songs.
Ariana Grande, who has covered Carey's hit live on stage, was among the stars who joined in the Apple TV+ spectacular.
It's unlikely to have worried the singer. Her hit has paved the way for her festive-themed touring performances, one-off shows, and TV specials. In 2020, an Apple TV+ special, 'Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special,' saw her joined on stage by a whole host of other stars.
Although the singer's exact earnings from the record are kept private, she's thought to earn big bucks from streaming as well as sales—it's Spotify's most-streamed Christmas song of all time. And shows such as the Apple TV+ special can't hurt her bank balance, either.
In November 2019, the singer received the Guinness World Record for "highest-charting holiday song on the Billboard US Hot 100 by a solo artist" live on stage in Nevada during a performance of her touring All I Want for Christmas is You show. Her children Monroe and Moroccan joined her on stage for the magical moment.
Carey's Christmas hit has been covered numerous times. Big names who have belted out their own versions of the track include Shania Twain, Michael Bublé, Cee Lo Green, and Miley Cyrus.
It took a long time for Mariah's Christmas hit to reach the top of the charts. It was originally ineligible for the Billboard Hot 100 as it wasn't released commercially as a single. The rules had changed by the 2000s, allowing for downloads and streams.
In November 2021, Carey dropped a new Christmas record, 27 years after she released the biggest holiday hit of all time.
Writing a brand new holiday hit was an even more unlikely decision. Competing with classics such as 'Jingle Bells' and 'Santa Claus is Comin' to Town' seemed a tough task. But the singer was keen to include a new track on the 'Merry Christmas' album.
The track also features vocals from R&B star Khalid. The mellow tune is a major change in direction from the catchy 'All I Want for Christmas is You.'
In 2021, the beloved track officially returned to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, logging its sixth week total and becoming the first song to have led in three distinct runs on the ranking, including previously in the 2019 and 2020 holiday seasons, Billboard reports. Carey also extends her record for the most cumulative weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, with an impressive 85.
Despite its enduring success, the song is clearly not to everybody's taste. In a 2019 survey conducted by mobile phone company Huawei, the UK public voted it the most annoying holiday song of all time.
Climbing higher up the charts each year, the track finally topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December 2019. Across the pond in the UK, the song finally reached the top spot in December 2020—26 years after its release.
Mariah Carey loves Christmas. She's always loved Christmas. And as the reigning queen of the holiday season, she's come a long way from her "tragically dysfunctional" family holidays, in which her well-meaning mother would often wrap up fruit as gifts because it was all she could afford.
Mariah's modest childhood Christmases are firmly in the past. According to Business Insider, 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' had netted around US$60 million for the singer by 2018.
Carey certainly seems to have hit upon the winning formula for creating Christmas magic. Her hit gains in popularity year after year, and has been covered countless times.
Together with her then-husband, Sony Music Entertainment boss Tommy Mottola (pictured with Mariah in 1995), Carey hit on the idea of releasing a Christmas album. It was the perfect opportunity to capture her undiminished love for all things festive.
While it's pretty much impossible for any song to compare to the success of her original hit, for a girl who grew up longing for happy holidays, Mariah Carey is already living a Christmas dream come true.
Sources: (Smooth Radio) (Parade) (Official Charts) (Songwriter Universe)
See also: Top holiday movies to watch this season
She's certainly achieved her dream—her smash hit is one of very few modern songs to be added to the canon of classic holiday songs, with its popularity undimmed nearly 30 years after its release.
In an 11-minute Amazon mini-documentary from 2019, the star revealed how she would eagerly await the festive season as a child, but her family would "ruin it every year." But her mother's enthusiasm for the holidays rubbed off on the young Mariah, and she vowed to make her own Christmases "perfect."
There's no questioning Carey's unofficial role as Queen of Christmas. Ever since her catchy holiday song first chimed out in 1994, she's been the smiling face of the festive season. But the hit was actually written in only 15 minutes!
Mariah Carey’s holiday classic ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ has topped the Billboard Hot 100—making this its 15th total week at no.1.
The Christmas anthem was released in 1994, and it’s proving more popular than ever. It first reached the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017, and then topped the charts in 2019. It is estimated that Carey earned US$60 million in royalties during the song’s initial release, and makes roughly $3 million more each year in annual royalties.
So, 30 years on, Mariah Carey is still the reigning Christmas queen—but how did she get there? Click through this gallery to discover the story behind the holiday hit.
Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ tops the Billboard Hot 100
The hit tops the Billboard charts for its 15th total week at no.1
MUSIC Holidays
Mariah Carey’s holiday classic ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ has topped the Billboard Hot 100—making this its 15th total week at no.1.
The Christmas anthem was released in 1994, and it’s proving more popular than ever. It first reached the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017, and then topped the charts in 2019. It is estimated that Carey earned US$60 million in royalties during the song’s initial release, and makes roughly $3 million more each year in annual royalties.
So, 30 years on, Mariah Carey is still the reigning Christmas queen—but how did she get there? Click through this gallery to discover the story behind the holiday hit.