As the holiday season approaches, Mariah Carey once again “dominates” the global music scene with her iconic Christmas song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Over the decades, this song has become one of the most beloved Christmas tracks of all time, and every year during the festive season, it consistently tops the global music charts.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You”: The Greatest Christmas Song of All Time
Not just a song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become a cultural phenomenon over the years. It is heard everywhere, from shopping malls, cafes, to restaurants, where Mariah Carey’s voice fills the air. The song has not only become a holiday staple but also brings in huge profits for Carey through her Christmas tours. It’s rare in the music industry for one song to generate enough income to allow an artist to live off it for a lifetime.
Although the exact revenue from “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is difficult to pinpoint, the song’s earnings can be calculated through various methods such as album sales, downloads, streaming revenue, and live performance earnings. According to The Economist, the song has earned $60 million in royalties from its release in 1994 up to 2017, which amounts to about $2.6 million (approximately 65 billion VND) per year. Even though there are no exact figures for recent years, the song continues to top the charts every holiday season, indicating that Mariah Carey still earns a substantial amount from it each Christmas.
Co-written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” became the first holiday single to earn Diamond certification for 10 million copies sold and streamed. The MV for the song has also racked up nearly 750 million views on YouTube.
In an interview with Billboard in November 2017, Mariah Carey shared: “The crazy thing about it is, every year it tends to get more popular. I’m very thankful that people seem to still be attached to it. It makes me happy when people tell me that it’s a part of their lives.”
Mariah Carey’s Impressive Career
Mariah Carey was born on March 27, 1969 in New York, USA, into an upper-middle-class family with Irish roots. From an early age, she witnessed her parents’ troubled marriage, which eventually led to their divorce. This led her to find solace in music, often secretly listening to the radio late at night. Carey began writing poems and adding melodies to them, becoming a songwriter while still in high school.
In 1990, Mariah Carey released her self-titled debut album, which instantly made waves globally. The album was certified platinum, and its singles, such as “Vision of Love,” “Someday,” “I Don’t Wanna Cry,” and “Love Takes Time”, all hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
She continued her success with albums like Emotions (1991), Music Box (1993), and Merry Christmas (1994). Her album Daydream (1995) made history with the song “One Sweet Day” staying at number one for 16 weeks, the longest-running number-one single in U.S. chart history.
Over her career, Mariah Carey has shifted from a blend of R&B and ballads to incorporate hip-hop influences, especially noticeable in her album Butterfly (1997). She is renowned for her whistle register and her ability to perform a 5-octave vocal range, which sets her apart from other artists.
Throughout her three-decade career, Mariah Carey has sold over 230 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She has also won numerous Grammy Awards
and is celebrated as a contemporary diva, breaking boundaries in the pop genre. With over 230 million records sold, Mariah Carey is a global music icon and continues to be a cultural force, with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” ensuring that her legacy as the Queen of Christmas lives on every year.
