My greatest wish for Christmas is to create a popular song like Mariah Carey and secure a lifetime of comfort.
Envision crafting a tune so successful and legendary that all it requires is for you to emerge from your retreat for a single month each year to make an appearance. Along with that, you would earn an exorbitant amount of money, allowing you to indulge in whatever pleases you with your newfound wealth.
Mariah Carey, often hailed as the Queen of Christmas, doesn’t have to daydream about this scenario, as she accrues an astounding sum from royalties annually.
‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ debuted in 1994 as the lead track from Carey’s fourth studio and inaugural holiday album, Merry Christmas.
The song was both co-written and co-produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, while Columbia Records was responsible for its release.
Upon its release, the song initially secured the sixth position on Billboard’s Hot Adult Contemporary charts in the United States. Nevertheless, since 1994, it has consistently reappeared on top charts during each holiday season, increasing in popularity over the years. It has reached the number one spot on Billboard’s The Hot 100 from 2019 to 2023, becoming a quintessential Christmas anthem.
This success has been financially rewarding for Carey, who reportedly earns a substantial amount annually from the song.
According to a 2017 report by The Economist, Carey garners approximately $2.5 million annually in royalties from ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.
The New York Post, as cited by Forbes, suggests the figure might be closer to $3 million.
Indeed, $3 million every year for a song penned two decades ago is quite impressive.
This is in addition to the royalties Carey collected upon the song’s initial release, reportedly totaling $60 million.
It seems 2024 is shaping up to be another lucrative holiday season for Carey.
Not only has ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ returned to The Billboard Top 100 Charts, currently holding the 16th position, but it has also garnered significant plays.
My Stream Count reveals that Carey’s holiday hit has been played an astonishing ‘1,932,308,531 times on Spotify’, and for this year?
Despite it being only December 3, Carey’s festive track has already been played numerous times, with 8,211,035 streams on December 1 alone.
Is it just Carey repeatedly playing it at home, or has everyone embraced the holiday spirit earlier than usual this year? Either way, Carey certainly won’t be fretting over whether to switch on the heating this Christmas.