Album Anniversaries: Mariah Carey’s 'Merry Christmas' is 25 Years of Pure Christmas Magic

Lights are strung across homes and the jingle bells are ringing, which can only mean one thing: it’s time for the Queen of Christmas to arrive. Mariah Carey’s legendary album Merry Christmas has carried on a holiday legacy for 25 years and more to come, especially with its hit song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

In Album Anniversaries, writers honor their favorite aging albums and their subsequent legacies, revealing which projects have stood the test of time.

Written by Maride Espada

Since its debut in 1994, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has remained a beloved song throughout the years. Now, many hot cocoas and “Home Alone” viewings later, Carey’s Christmas album continues to top the charts as soon as Halloween season ends and Christmas spirit begins. According to TIME Magazine, “it's the first holiday song in 60 years to break the top 5 (peaking at #3 two decades after its release)." When Carey was initially approached about releasing a Christmas album, she felt that it was too early in her musical career to do so — but she decided to go for it anyway (a choice that we are all thankful for).

When writing songs for the album, Carey took into consideration her past experiences with the holiday. In an interview with USA Today, she stated that she never had much money growing up, so she never got the opportunity to experience Christmas with the multitude of gifts that other kids might have had. So she wrote Christmas songs without a connection to materialistic aspects, instead with the feeling of love that Christmas is truly about. According to Andrew Mall, assistant professor of music at Northeastern University, “Anyone can inhabit those lyrics — the lover is not named, the lover is not gendered, so anyone can put themselves in that position as needing someone to love at the holidays. It’s a secular love song and not a religious Christmas carol.” Carey, however, also creates her own take on classic Christmas favorites. With her vocals, the bells ringing in the background, and a pop beat that makes us all want to get up and dance, she adds her own spin to plenty of classic slow Christmas songs such as her renditions of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and “Joy to the World.”

However, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is not the only hit song from the album. Carey’s pop cover of Darlene Love’s 1963 rock original has become yet another holiday favorite for the season. However, Mariah also created a trend among pop music icons to create their own Christmas albums. Before her album was released, making a Christmas album wasn’t as mainstream for ‘90s pop artists — it was mostly reserved for classic jazz singers and motown artists of the ‘50s and ‘60s (and The Beach Boys). After seeing Carey’s album become a hit, many other artists got on board in making the holidays a little brighter. There have been many hit albums since Carey’s Merry Christmas, such as Justin Bieber’s Under The Mistletoe, which includes a duet with Mariah Carey of “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Ariana Grande has released various Christmas EPs a few years after Carey’s album came out, *NSYNC released their own holiday album in 1998 titled Home for Christmas, and of course we all know the Christmas classic for all holiday-filled homes: Christmas by Michael Buble. All of these artists were inspired by the way in which Mariah Carey’s Christmas jingles rocked a nation.

Celebrating the love for her album’s 25th anniversary, Carey has set out to do an “All I Want for Christmas Is You” tour this year. According to People Magazine, the tour will run coast-to-coast starting on Nov. 22 and wrap up on Dec. 15 with a performance at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Carey released a new deluxe 25th Anniversary edition of the album on Nov. 1, just in time for this Christmas season. The deluxe version will include a live version of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” performed at the cathedral of St. John the Divine, a duet with John Legend, and an a cappella version of The Sugar Plum Fairy introlude. Now, as we hang ornaments on our tree, we can hear a revived version of those infectious first jingles of her most beloved Christmas single.

Along with the tour and the album, the Queen of Christmas has decided to release even more for her fans to enjoy the 25th anniversary — merchandise. That’s right: Carey has officially released vinyl records, cassette tapes, stockings, beanies, sweatshirts, and hoodies in her online official store for all of her fans to enjoy.

Carey, in a way, is credited with creating the sound of the holiday season with her classic musical take on Christmas music. Now that “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is rising in the Billboard Hot 100 again, it’s safe to say Christmas season has officially begun. So grab your hot cocoa, wrap your presents, and put on a comfy sweater, because the Queen of Christmas has begun her yearly visit.

ANALYSISAfterglow ATXNovember 25, 2019