Mariah Carey’s Top Songs and Collaborations

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 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 in 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 a 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.

Mariah is responsible for some of the era's most classic and beloved songs, fusing pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Here are some of her top singles and collaborations:

1. 1. “Vision of Love” (1990): Mariah’s performance of this ballad from her self-titled debut album earned her Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1991. This track also introduced the world to her iconic upper-register talents as a whistle singer, solidifying her vocal power and laying the groundwork for her signature style.
2. 2. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (1994): This song earned Mariah the colloquial title of “Queen of Christmas.” Twenty-five years after its release, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts for the first time. In December 2021, this beloved song reached a billion streams.
3. 3. “Always Be My Baby” (1995): This mid-tempo track off of Daydream became one of Mariah’s most famous and beloved songs of all time. It topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum five times.
4. 4. “Fantasy (Bad Boy Mix)” (1995): The remix of this 1995 hit from her album Daydream features rap verses from Ol’ Dirty Bastard. This eccentric American emcee gained popularity as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. This collaboration is one of many that heralded a trend of blending R&B and hip-hop genres into pop.
5. 5. “Honey (Bad Boy Remix)” (1997): Written and produced by Mariah (along with American hip-hop superstars Sean “Diddy” Combs, Q-Tip, and Stevie J), this 1997 remix—featuring Ma$e and the Lox—of her track from Butterfly once again pushed Mariah into the hip-hop sphere.
6. 6. “Heartbreaker” (1999): Featuring rap verses from Jay-Z, this collaboration between two music titans pushed Mariah’s sound and style even further into the R&B and hip-hop genres. Built around a sampled beat, this track became another one of Mariah’s to top the Billboard Hot 100.
7. 7. “We Belong Together” (2005): Another mid-tempo song showcasing Mariah’s powerhouse vocal talents, this track off of The Emancipation of Mimi topped the Billboard Hot 100 Charts for fourteen consecutive weeks.
8. 8. “Obsessed (Remix)” (2009): Mariah welcomed Atlanta, Georgia, rapper Gucci Mane to take part in the 2009 remix of “Obsessed,” a standout track from the album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, giving the rapper one of his biggest collaborations yet.
9. 9. “Giving Me Life” (2018): This sensual, six-minute slow jam is a collaboration between Mariah, Blood Orange (the stage name of artist and producer Devonté Hynes), and English-American rap forefather Slick Rick. The result sounds both classic and unmistakably modern.

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