Mariah Carey Made Her Name Singing Love Songs Mariah Carey is a woman who needs little introduction. After all, she is one of the most successful music artists ever, as shown by how she has sold more than 220 million records. Remarkably, Mariah Carey made her name singing love songs and continues to sing love songs. Some would argue that this suggests a certain staleness on her part. However, the fact of the matter is that Mariah Carey remains one of the most celebrated figures in the music industry, meaning she retains the power to mesmerize her listeners. If anything, her consistent choice of subjects makes her more rather than less impressive.
Top 10 Mariah Carey Love Songs
# 10 – All I Want For Christmas Is You
Once upon a time, music artists didn’t release Christmas albums unless their careers were carefully on the way out. Then, Mariah Carey released Merry Christmas in 1994, which went on to sell 15 million copies and counting. It isn’t quite accurate to say that she reversed the trend on her own. Still, there can be no doubt about the fact that she was one of the pioneers who carved out a path forward for others to follow. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is by far the single best-known song on the album. It isn’t just one of the best-selling holiday singles of all time; it is one of the best-selling singles of all time. Period.
# 9 – Beautiful
Some songs have clever lyrics. In contrast, others are much more straightforward. This song is an excellent example of the latter. Moreover, it stands out by featuring Miguel. The song was released on the album entitled Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse. That was Mariah Carey’s fourteenth album which was released in 2014. The song peaked at number fifteen on the US Billboard Hot 100.
# 8 – Emotions
A lot of music artists stumble on their second albums. After all, they are still relatively new to their calling, meaning they can’t count on a wealth of experience to see them through any complications. On top of that, music artists are well-aware that second albums are challenging, meaning they are operating under enormous pressure. Mariah Carey became successful as soon as she released her self-titled debut album. Then, she proceeded to cement it by releasing a spectacular second album. Much of Mariah Carey’s momentum came from the lead single “Emotions,” which more than managed to live up to its name.
# 7 – My All
“My All” is a power ballad from the late 1990s. It is interesting in that it opens with Latin percussion, which was a consequence of Mariah Carey’s taking inspiration from a trip to Puerto Rico. The song was released on Mariah Carey’s sensational Butterfly album. Released in 1997, the album spawned five hit singles including this great Mariah Carey love song called “My All.”
# 6 – Vision of Love
In 1990, Carey released her self-titled debut album. “Vision of Love” was the lead single on it. Unsurprisingly, it is quite different from her later work. Some of that is the sheer distance in time between it and Mariah Carey’s later releases. However, “Vision of Love” is also notable because its success played a large role in enabling Mariah Carey to take creative control over her music starting with her second album.
# 5 – Without You
Originally, “Without You” was a Badfinger song. There is an unhappy story there. Still, “Without You” lives on because a cover by Harry Nilsson proved so popular that it has inspired more than 180 other covers. Out of those, Mariah Carey’s cover is either the most famous or one of the most famous, which is no small achievement considering the sheer number of its competitors. Anyone who listens to the song will realize that its status is no coincidence because she was very successful at making the song her own.
# 4 – Always Be My Baby
“Always Be My Baby” is yet another single from the 1990s. It isn’t 100 percent positive. After all, it is about a relationship that has concluded. Specifically, Mariah Carey sings that even though the relationship is over, some of their shared sentiments will remain forever. There is a sort of sweetness to that, even if it is mixed in with a slight taste of bitterness. Of course, the contrast between those two emotions serves to enhance both, thus making the overall song that much more impactful.
# 3 – Dreamlover
It is no exaggeration to say that Mariah Carey moved from success to success in the 1990s. That isn’t to say that every single one of her releases was a huge success that smashed its way to the top of the charts. Still, every single one of her albums from the decade was generally liked. To name another example, Mariah Carey’s third album Music Box took a chance by moving towards a more pop and R&B-influenced sound. A move that paid off in spades because the album became her single best-selling release, as shown by how it reached the number one position in 15 countries. That couldn’t have happened without “Dreamlover,” which led its charge onto the music charts.
# 2 – Fantasy
Speaking of which, “Dreamlover” started something of a trend ofMariah Carey using samples for her lead singles. She didn’t do so for her fourth album, which makes sense because that was her Christmas album. However, Mariah Carey did do so for her fifth album Daydream, thus resulting in the song “Fantasy.” Even now, it remains one of her most famous songs, not least because it remains one of her best songs. Some consider “Fantasy” the perfected Mariah Carey song. Certainly, it managed several difficult feats. The song was lighthearted without being shallow. Simultaneously, it was catchy without being grating. Thanks to these things, “Fantasy” retains its magic even in modern times.
# 1 – We Belong Together
“We Belong Together” was another peak in Mariah Carey’s career. As mentioned earlier, she went from success to success in the 1990s. Unfortunately, that didn’t remain true in the early 2000s. As a result, some people speculated that Mariah Carey was doomed to fade away like so many superstars before her. That changed when she released The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005, which opened with “It’s Like That” and then moved on to “We Belong Together.” The latter is one of the iconic songs of not just its year but its entire era. Moreover, it stood out by being a more mournful sort of song, expressing a sentiment of longing for a former love who isn’t lost but is nonetheless beyond reach.
Top 10 Mariah Carey Love Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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