Share and Follow
When someone talks about Christmas music today, Mariah Carey is surely going to be mentioned. The legendary singer-songwriter has earned 19 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the most for any solo artist.
One of them being “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” a song that has become a modern day Christmas classic.
However, the song wasn’t an instant classic when first released in 1994. Recently, Carey made headlines when it was revealed her team attempted to trademark the phrase “Queen of Christmas.” While many attribute that title to Carey today, she wasn’t always thought of that way.
Here’s how Mariah Carey became the undisputed Queen of Christmas.
The Idea For A Christmas Album Came From Tommy Mottola
Mariah Carey’s first album was released in 1990. Her self-titled debut racked up four songs that reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
This made Carey the first artist to accomplish this since the Jackson 5’s first four singles did the same thing. Her second album “Emotions” was also a big hit, with the title track becoming Carey’s fifth Billboard number one single.
Her 1992 MTV Unplugged performance was done to shut down rumors of her voice being a studio creation. It had the desired effect and the special was made into a home video. It was also released as a live album and her rendition of the Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” went to number one on the Billboard chart.
Carey’s album “Music Box” became her bestseller and featured the hit “Hero.” At the time, Carey was on top of the world professionally and she just married Tommy Mottola, the CEO of her record company. During the Christmas season of 1993, Mottola suggested her next project be a Christmas album.
Carey was unsure about the idea at first, believing she was too young, and it was too early in her career for such a project. At the time, Christmas albums weren’t taken seriously. They were seen as a cash grab or an album done simply to finish off a record contract.
Despite her doubts, Carey agreed to embark on the project, believing it would be a fun experience.
Mariah Carey’s Love For Christmas Stems From Her Difficult Childhood
In her 2020 memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” Carey talks about her childhood traumas.
Among them were her siblings’ mistreatment of her over the years. Carey also discussed how much effort her mother put in to make Christmas a special time of year for her.
Carey has often said that she inherited her festive spirit of Christmas from her mother.
Read Related Also: Savannah Guthrie Claps Back At Today Fans Over Segment With Ashton Kutcher
However, as Carey described in her book, her siblings would usually come over during the holiday and ruin the fun. Instead of allowing these experiences to ruin her image of Christmas, Carey held onto hope that one day she would have better holidays when she grew up.
Carey has often talked about being “eternally 12” and staying in touch with her childhood self.
When deciding to do songs for her upcoming Christmas album, Carey decided she would write some new songs as well. Her goal wasn’t to write a song that felt dated, but had a classic feel to it. She also wanted to convey her inner child’s spirit and love for the holiday.
Carey has said that this was the primary inspiration behind the song that would become “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ Becomes A Modern Christmas Classic
When “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was released in 1994, it wasn’t poorly received. Reviews of the song were positive and Carey’s fans loved it. However, it wasn’t the smash hit we know it to be today.
The song began to gain more attention in the late 2000s when it became the most popular Christmas ringtone. In 2010, when pregnant with her twins, Carey made her second Christmas album, “Merry Christmas II You.”
She included a re-recorded version of the song and later added her vocals to a duet version with Justin Bieber in 2011.
Over the next several years, the song was being discussed more and more as being a modern Christmas classic. Many pointed to its classic sound and timeless production. A lot of people were still shocked to learn it was a Mariah Carey original and not a cover.
The song had been climbing the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the late 2010s thanks to streaming and rule changes. It eventually reached the top spot in 2019, 25 years after it was first released. The song has topped the chart in every holiday season since. It extended Carey’s own record for having the most number one songs as a solo artist on the chart.
Carey is currently promoting her new children’s book “The Christmas Princess” and her upcoming Christmas concerts. The New York City shows will be filmed as part of an upcoming CBS special.
It looks like Carey still has the Christmas spirit and won’t be letting the Queen of Christmas title go any time soon!
