Mariah Carey’s Influential Albums and Film Career

Mariah Carey is a Grammy-winning recording artist, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has released chart-topping hit after hit for over three decades. Mariah is known for her exceptional five-octave vocal range, which few other professional recording artists possess.

• Early life: Born on March 27, 1970, in Huntington, Long Island, New York, to Patricia Hickey (an Irish opera singer and vocal coach) and Alfred Roy Carey (an aeronautical engineer), Mariah’s mother enrolled her in music lessons at age four, which quickly became an obsession. While still in high school, Mariah started writing and performing her own music, traveling to Manhattan to work with other musicians.
• Record deal: In November of 1988, Mariah met Tommy Mottola—an executive with Sony Music Entertainment, Columbia Records’ parent company. In December of that same year, she signed with Columbia, releasing her self-titled debut a year and a half later. The album was a runaway hit, landing at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts, selling twelve million copies worldwide, producing three chart-topping singles, and earning Grammy Awards in the categories of Best New Artist and Best Pop Female Vocal Performance (for the single “Vision of Love”).
• Career highlights: Since then, Mariah has been unstoppable. She’s been nominated for thirty-four Grammy awards and won five. She was the first-ever artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in four separate decades. She’s had nineteen No. 1 hit singles (the most ever by a solo artist), co-writing all but one. In 2019, she was the recipient of the Billboard Icon Award. The following year, she was nominated to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (an American nonprofit organization that celebrates English-language songwriting).

Mariah’s influence on pop and R&B is undeniable, with her work solidifying a tradition of genre crossover. Here is a list of some of the most influential albums from her catalog:

1. 1. Mariah Carey (1990): Upon the release of Mariah’s self-titled debut album, many critics fixated on its hefty promotion budget and the label’s apparent desire to turn their new artist into a version of American pop stars like Whitney Houston and Madonna. Nevertheless, the album took off, topping the US Billboard 200 album chart for eleven consecutive weeks. With tracks like “I Don’t Wanna Cry” and “Someday,” Mariah quickly became a formidable new presence on the pop scene. At the Grammy Awards ceremony in 1991, she won Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her single “Vision of Love.”
2. 2. MTV Unplugged (1992): After Mariah chose not to do world tours to promote her first two albums—due to stage fright, travel needs, and the challenging nature of her material—rumors arose that her impressive vocal skills were studio manufactured or that her popularity was the result of a massive marketing push. In response, she decided to appear on MTV Unplugged, a popular series in which music artists play acoustic versions of their songs. The resulting album became Mariah’s third consecutive Top 10 record in the US (peaking at No. 3 on the US Billboard 200), eventually certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
3. 3. Music Box (1993): Full of goosebump-inducing ballads including “Without You,” “Dreamlover,” and “Hero,” Mariah’s third studio album became her highest-charting to date at that time, nabbing a diamond certification—marking ten million copies sold—by the RIAA.
4. 4. Merry Christmas (1994): The lead single from this iconic record, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” became one of the bestselling singles of all time, charting every yuletide season since its original release. While many modern-day holiday albums fail to leave a lasting impression, Mariah’s Merry Christmas provided exciting, singular pop tracks that became seasonal favorites.
5. 5. Daydream (1995): For her fifth studio album, Mariah commanded more control over the musical direction, shifting from the pop-ballad sound her label wanted toward something fresher and more innovative, which aligned further with the music she actually listened to. Powered by the singles “Fantasy, “Always Be My Baby,” and “One Sweet Day” (a collaboration with Boyz II Men), Daydream became a global success, topping the charts in nine countries and reaching the Top 5 in almost every major music market. It was certified diamond by the RIAA.
6. 6. Rainbow (1999): Featuring chart-topping hits such as the bouncy, endlessly catchy “Heartbreaker” (with Jay-Z)—which spawned a later remix with Da Brat and Missy Elliott—Rainbow solidified Mariah’s successful transition into the adult contemporary market. The album birthed two No. 1 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and went triple platinum.
7. 7. The Emancipation of Mimi (2005): In 2001, Mariah parted ways with Columbia Records. A period of personal and professional turbulence followed. Still, out of that fire, she emerged with The Emancipation of Mimi, a celebratory comeback record featuring the hit singles “We Belong Together” and “Shake It Off.”
8. 8. Caution (2018): Mariah’s fifteenth album once again showcased her innovative approach to R&B, pop, and hip-hop. At this point, genre crossover had become the standard for many pop and R&B artists, but Mariah still shattered expectations. Featuring a range of producers that spanned genres and generations—from American dubstep purveyor Skrillex to English-American multihyphenate Blood Orange—Caution debuted at No. 5 on the US Billboard 200.

In addition to performing in countless music videos and lending her musical expertise as a judge on American Idol, Mariah showcased her on-screen talents in the following films:

1. 1. Glitter (2001): In this 2001 romantic drama, Mariah played the lead role of Billie Frank—an up-and-coming songstress breaking into the music industry—whose romance with a radio DJ becomes increasingly tumultuous as her star rises.
2. 2. Precious (2009): This film marked Mariah’s first endeavor working with filmmaker Lee Daniels. In a story following an underprivileged teenage mother (the titular Precious) living in Harlem, New York, Mariah plays Mrs. Weiss, Precious’s social worker.
3. 3. The Butler (2013): Mariah worked with Lee Daniels again on this historical drama following Cecil Gaines, a butler working at the White House over three decades during the late twentieth century. Mariah plays Hattie Pearl, Cecil’s mother, who works on the cotton plantation where he grew up.

Mariah has lent her voice and work to many charitable causes throughout her career. In addition to supporting foundations like Make-a-Wish, Live 8, the Human Rights Campaign, and many more, she founded Camp Mariah in collaboration with the Fresh Air Fund. The camp is an arts enrichment program giving marginalized and underserved kids the resources to explore their creative dreams and aspirations.

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