Mariah Carey continues to unwrap fresh wins with her classic holiday song, "All I Want For Christmas Is You." This year marks the 30th anniversary of the beloved anthem, which has officially been recognized as the most-streamed holiday song of all time. With over 2 billion streams on Spotify, Carey's festive hit has solidified its place at the pinnacle of holiday music.
Released back in 1994 as part of her first holiday album, Merry Christmas, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" has undergone remarkable transformations over the years, both commercially and culturally. Walter Afanasieff, who co-wrote the track with Carey, had his doubts during its creation. "At the time, I thought it was overly simple, and I really didn’t like it," he confessed during an interview with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Despite Carey's iconic nature, Afanasieff wasn't convinced of the song's potential. “My first reaction was, ‘That sounded like someone doing voice scales,’” he told Billboard, years after it became the undeniable holiday classic. He had expected the song to be "no big deal" instead of the holiday anthem it has grown to become.
During the early '90s, holiday albums weren't the mainstream phenomena they are today, and few artists released original Christmas songs. Afanasieff reminisced, "Back then, you didn’t have a lot of artists with Christmas albums; it wasn’t a known science at all back then." The pair thought they would release the song as just part of the album without any expectation of grandeur. "We were going to release it as kind of an everyday, ‘hey, you know, we’re putting out a Christmas album. No big deal,’” he noted.
But to their astonishment, the track became emblematic of the Christmas season. Afanasieff elaborated, "It’s kind of something you never would have thought, and you can’t really explain why, and we feel lucky, because it was the last major song to enter the Christmas canon, and then the door slammed shut.” The song not only took off, becoming the top-selling digital Christmas title, but it also set streaming records.
Carey's performances of "All I Want For Christmas Is You" have kept her fans engaged through various events. Notably, the holiday queen is gearing up to open the NFL Christmas Day Game with her classic. This performance is emblematic of how significant the song remains, continuing to resonate with audiences each season.
Over the decades, the single has achieved immense commercial success. According to Nielsen Music, it is the best-selling Christmas song in the U.S., with over 16 million copies sold as of December 2024. Billboard recently confirmed Carey's record-extending 20th year of having No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, dominating the contemporary music scene. Notably, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" has consistently topped the Billboard Hot 100 every year since 2019.
Throughout its history, the song has also encountered its share of legal entanglements. Carey's legal team recently dealt with a lawsuit filed by Vince Vance, who alleges copyright infringement over his 1989 title of the same name. Initially filed as far back as 2022, the lawsuit was refiled after a brief drop, claiming her song infringes on Vance’s prior work. Vance's lawyers declared, "Her hubris knowing no bounds, even her co-credited songwriter doesn't believe the story she has spun; this is simply a case of actionable infringement."
Carey and her legal representatives responded, seeking the lawsuit's dismissal. A judge indicated she was "inclined" to grant this request but hasn't made the decision official yet.
Despite the lawsuit, Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" remains intertwined with the holiday season, still regarded as the quintessential modern Christmas anthem. Its impact on music and culture, marked by record-breaking achievements, signifies its longstanding popularity and the joy it brings to listeners every winter.
With the song celebrating its 30th anniversary, who knows what new heights Carey’s classic will reach? One thing’s for sure: it will continue to be sung and cherished for generations to come.
