Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You went from modest 1990s hit to Christmas’s defining song

It caused a stir when it was first released in 1994, but now, 30 years later, it’s become the pinnacle of the holiday season. What is the secret of its success?

There are three things that are certain in life right now. It’s about taxes, death, and not being able to escape Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You song every December. Whether you’re at the mall, at an office party, listening to the radio, or listening to a holiday streaming playlist, you know the festive season has begun when you hear the first notes of Carey’s classic songs. Masu. Released 30 years ago, “All I Want for Christmas is You” joins “Blue Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” in the pantheon of Christmas standards. It came in with a jolt.

The song was a relatively modest hit when it was first released in 1994; hit number 12 A tally of US Billboard radio songs of all genres. 2nd place in UK (Blocked by East 17’s Stay Another Day) and Japan. That was supposed to be the end of the story. But All I Want for Christmas is You is back, even better and more popular each holiday season. This song is currently number 1 on the charts Over 25 countries Officially crowned, including the United States and Great Britain. best holiday song ever Based on commercial performance by Billboard in 2023. The success and cultural staying power of “All I Want for Christmas is You” is staggering. A question arises here. Why (and how) did Carey’s beloved song become as synonymous with Christmas as Santa Claus himself?

“In the most basic sense, this is a really fun song,” says Dr. Britnay L. Proctor, professor of media studies and popular culture at the New School in New York. “If you think about the canon of Christmas music, a lot of those songs aren’t very fun.” For Dr. Proctor, All I Want for Christmas is You “turns the idea of ​​a Christmas classic on its head.” , an idea that “subtly combines elements of gospel, R&B, and pop,” and a Christmas spirit that “incorporates elements of Christmas in a heartfelt, cheerful way.” Or, as music writer Kate Solomon told the BBC, it’s “the perfect pop song that happens to be a Christmas song.”

Obviously, creating a modern Christmas classic is no mean feat. Artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and The Killers (to name a few) have also tried, but none of their original songs stuck. For Nate Sloan, musicologist and co-host of the Switched On Pop podcast, the challenge of writing a successful Christmas song is that “there are exceptions to the rule that pop artists should innovate and create new sounds. “This is the only time that there is.” Sloan says that even when modern artists like Dua Lipa and Bruno Mars reference older sounds like disco and new jack swing in their music, it “has to sound new and fresh… ” he points out. [whereas] In December, I have the exact opposite urge. [from audiences]Travel back in time to the 1940s and 50s with Bing Crosby and Brenda Lee. ”

All too often modern attempts at original Christmas songs fail by trying to have it both ways, evoking an old school sound but with a modern twist. For example, see Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me.” Meanwhile, “All I Want for Christmas is You” dances nicely between musical eras and genres. carry said She stated that her goal with the song was to do something timeless so it didn’t feel like the 1990s. This is the reason She double-tracked her voice in a modeled way. Phil Spector’s now-dishonored “Wall of Sound” productions, particularly his work with Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes and their version of Sleigh Ride. Pop culture critic Aisha Harris told the BBC that the song was “clearly an homage to Darlene Love’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) with its instrumentals, bells, and The harmonies make it feel both modern and nostalgic.” [produced by Spector]This song sounded like an old classic when it was first released, but since it’s only released once a year, it always sounds fresh.

Another thing that makes “All I Want for Christmas is You” feel like music from another era is the chord progression. “Most of today’s hit pop songs, like Shabuzi’s ‘A Bar Song,’ are four-chord songs,” Sloan says. “But a holiday song, like a Christmas song (Chestnuts Roasting on the Fireplace), has all these complex chromatic chords that are constantly changing.” He says that “All I Want for Christmas is You” has 13 We estimate that it feels like you’re “experiencing this different harmonic landscape” because it contains chords.

Beyond the quality of the song itself, there are other important factors that helped make “All I Want for Christmas Is You” a holiday staple. First and foremost is the artist himself. “Mariah is very knowledgeable. She knows her brand,” Harris says. “She loves Christmas, and the things she absolutely loves also generate her ongoing goodwill, income streams, and resources.” 2020 MemoirCarrie revealed that her “dysfunctional family” ruined her holidays and vowed that when she grows up, she will “make every Christmas perfect.” she went this far Try registering a trademark She was given the nickname “Queen of Christmas” in 2022, but her application was rejected.

The song’s status as a Christmas standard became apparent when young actor Olivia Olson performed it in the climactic scene of the 2003 holiday romantic comedy Love Actually. The film was released at a time when Carrey was at the lowest point in her career. After the blockbuster success of her feature film debut, Glitter, and her highly publicized public lapse, she became the subject of many cruel jokes among late-night hosts. And the cover of a tabloid magazine. Although she was in danger of falling out of the cultural consciousness, “Thanks to the popularity of Love Actually, the song really became mainstream in the context of Christmas songs,” says Dr. Proctor. This symbiotic relationship between people’s love of movies and their love of songs began, “enabling songs to spread further into people’s homes.”

Harris attributes the increasing popularity of All I Want for Christmas to Carey’s astute ability to adapt to changes in the way people consume music, especially streaming. Masu. “Most businesses and public places rely on platforms like Spotify and Apple to get their songs out there,” she says, adding that during the holiday season they “play the same songs over and over again.” Carey makes the news every year that All I Want for Christmas is You, which is why the song is “almost always at the top of every playlist,” meaning you hear it everywhere.

There is another important, often overlooked element in this festive classic that helps explain its engagement with society. That is “Introduction”. At 50 seconds long, Carey’s slow, melismatic vocals create a sense of suspense as well as the feeling of “entering a new space,” as Sloan suggests. When the sleigh bells and drums ring out in a “triplet rhythm” at the end of the intro, it “sounds like galloping horses and sleighs…This is not just the way we enter the world of this song, but , this seasonal world is unlike anything else you’re listening to.” Sonically, the intro to “All I Want for Christmas is You” is festive to many of us. The time is coming. That’s why it makes sense that this song’s intro features prominently in all of Carey’s songs.It’s time!“video.

But most of all, “All I Want for Christmas is You” resonates with many because it’s a song about hope and optimism during a special time of year. The poems are all about everything Carrie doesn’t want. Because she only wants one person. For Solomon, “Christmas is also a time of optimism, and ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ captures that very well. The atmosphere is jubilant, and the atmosphere is full of joy, almost every time you’ve ever had an unrequited love.” This song is about living in a moment of hope and the possibility of getting everything you want. ”

In 2019, Carey finally got her Christmas wish when the song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. But it was etched in the hearts of countless listeners long before that. Carey may not have been able to trademark herself as the Queen of Christmas, but the endless popularity of All I Want For Christmas Is You Means She Will Reign Longer With Each Christmas Season I am doing it.