The Astounding Quarter-Century Ascent of “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
1,310 weeks after its initial release, Mariah Carey’s modern Christmas classic has ascended to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time. This feat shatters or extends countless chart records and marks yet another “comeback” for a music industry legend who rarely gets the credit she deserves.
The Story Behind “AIWFCIY”’s Historic Journey to #1
When Mariah Carey arrived on the scene in the summer of 1990 with her self-titled debut album, her success was swift and astonishing. Her first five singles went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and she was awarded with the Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for her debut single “Vision of Love.”)
To capitalize on the success, she followed up a year later with a second album, Emotions. Despite going 5x platinum and producing three top five hits (and another #1), the album was considered a bit of a disappointment. As the story goes, her then-husband/manager/record label head Tommy Mottola felt the album’s underperformance was in part due to her leaning too heavily toward urban trends. (In hindsight, Emotions is quite a bold effort with funk, disco, jazz, gospel, and R&B all heavily incorporated across its ten tracks).
