Mariah Carey is known as one of the most celebrated artists all time. Her career has spanned over three decades as a best-selling musician, boasting 220 million records sold worldwide. Known for her powerful voice, with a five-octave vocal range, Carey has solidified herself as the vocalist of a generation, being dubbed “Songbird Supreme.” Her influence extends outside music, being known as a pop-culture diva, fashion icon, and philanthropist. However, in the modern day, the name “Mariah Carey” is synonymous with the winter season. Her image is tied directly to Christmas itself, with her infamous track, All I Want for Christmas, being considered a holiday anthem. This is a look throughout Mariah Carey’s influence from her humble beginnings to chart-topping singles to being crowned the “Queen of Christmas.”
Life Before Fame
Mariah Carey was born March 27,1969 in Huntington, New York. Her musical talent must have run through her genes, with her father being a vocal coach and her mother being a former opera singer. She began vocal training with her mother from a young age after her parents divorced. Once she got older, she moved to New York City where she worked multiple part time jobs to pay rent and pursued 500 hours of beauty school. However, it wasn’t until 1988, when Carey gave her demo tape to the head of Columbia Records, Tommy Mottola, that her career began to take off. He infamously asked the driver to turn the car around after listening to her demo after meeting Carey at a party. From there, he spent two weeks trying to hunt her down. Carey then signed to Colombia and released her debut studio album Mariah Carey, with large support from Mottola, receiving a million-dollar marketing campaign. Popular songs from the album include “Vision of Love,” “Someday,” and “Love Takes Time.”
The Christmas Album
Mariah Carey’s reign as the “Queen of Christmas” first began with the release of her iconic album, Merry Christmas in 1994. Upon its release, it reached immense commercial success and remains one of the best selling Christmas albums of all time with over 15 million copies sold in global sales. The lead single, “All I Want for Christmas is You,” has become an infectious holiday classic for households across the globe. So much so that in October 2017, it had become the best-selling single in history with 16 million copies sold worldwide. Due to this popularity, Carey’s name has been synonymous with the winter season, solidifying her status as a holiday icon. In 2019, she released the first of the “It’s Time” annual video tradition, a promotional video signaling the transition of Halloween into the holiday season. This video tradition has continued until the present day, with a 2025 video releasing November 1st in collaboration with Sephora. She has expanded her reach over the holiday season through multiple Christmas album releases including, Merry Christmas II You, TV programs like Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special streaming on Apple +, the children’s book All I Want for Christmas is You, and a 2025 Vegas holiday concert residency at Dolby Live.
Her Reign
Since then, Carey has released 16 studio albums, with her most recent release, Here for All this past September. She is a five-time Grammy Award-winning artist with popular records such as Obsessed, Heartbreaker, Always Be my Baby, and My All. Her albums, Music Box and Daydream have reached international success, with a multitude of number-one albums such as Butterfly and Emancipation of Mimi. She also holds a number of impressive records, such as the most Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles by a female solo artist, female songwriter, and female producer. Many don’t realize that alongside being a vocal powerhouse, she is an incredibly talented songwriter and producer. She was inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame in 2022, where she is praised as “the all-time most successful female songwriter in chart history.” Carey has been writing her music since her debut single, Vision of Love, with credits for popular tracks such as Fantasy, Honey, We Belong Together, and the infamous All I Want for Christmas is You.
Carey is also known for her philanthropic endeavors, including “Camp Mariah,” a camp for underserved youth. Inspired by her negative childhood experiences, she developed a three-week program for inner city youth. Campers receive year-round career support resulting in higher college and high school graduation rates. She has been awarded the Ally Award at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2016 for supporting LGBTQ+ equality throughout her career. GLADD president and CEO Sarah Ellis commends Carey, stating “She is a longtime ally and friend to the LGBT community who has worked tirelessly to move acceptance and inclusion forward”.
Fun Fact!
Mariah Carey worked on the alternative rock album Someone’s Ugly Daughter by Chick. She contributed to the writing, production, art direction and vocals for the album, however Columbia refused to release it under her name. Instead, Clarissa Dane, a friend of Mariah, layered her vocals over the album and it was released in 1995.
Through the past three decades, Mariah Carey has broken barriers, ranging from pop princess to songwriter extraordinaire to Christmas icon. Her influence is undeniable, with popular artists such as Kehlani and Ariana Grande citing her as major inspirations for their work. It is undeniable that Mariah Carey has cemented her legacy as a generational artist, especially into this winter season. So, the next time you will (inevitably) listen to All I Want for Christmas is You, remember that there is so much more to Mariah Carey than just the Christmas season.