8 Reasons Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas Is the Only Christmas Album You Should Ever Listen To

Updated 11 years ago, November 18, 2013

1. Merry Christmas has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and is the bestselling Christmas album of all time. ALL time. Obviously, it’s kind of a big deal.

2. Mariah Carey was in her prime during the recording of the album in 1994. Although Mariah has had tons of success since then, albeit ignoring that random meltdown on TRL and her weird Glitter phase, this Christmas album really showcases her amazing talent and five octave range.

3. Critics originally weren’t thrilled over Mariah’s dance rendition of “Joy to the World” but so what? It’s the only version of the song I’ve ever cared to listen to. This performance of her at St. John the Divine in NYC is incredible and her hair is so perfectly ‘90s I can’t get enough.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSVxqTDwpEY&w=584&h=390]

4. “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” co-written by Mariah is by far the best modern Christmas song of our time. Shania Twain, John Mayer, and countless other musicians have covered the song but the plebes need to be silenced. There is only one true legend who can sing this song and that is Mariah herself.

5. Her rendition of “O Holy Night.” So. Many. Goosebumps. After around 2:48 of this performance all other singers might as well give up.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEJmP8T07JU&w=584&h=390]

6. Although MC penned “All I Want For Christmas Is You” she also wrote other great original Christmas tunes for the album – “Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)” and “Jesus Oh What A Wonderful Child.” “Miss You Most” is the kind of Christmas song best listened to when you’re eating your feelings in copious amounts of peppermint bark and missing someone you can’t be with over the holiday season. “Jesus Oh What A Wonderful Child” is for when you’re in the mood to get your Lord on in a truly festive manner.

7. The remixes! So, let’s forget about the time she came down with Bieber fever a few years ago when she did a version of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” with J-Biebs. She has some other great versions of the song including the So So Def Remix and this remix of “Joy to the World” literally gives me life every holiday season.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bubE7WKpPNI&w=584&h=390]

8. The official music videos of Mariah’s Christmas singles should be reason enough alone to enjoy this album. I say ‘official’ because people on YouTube do weird things. The singer took a more personal approach with the two videos she made for her holiday album and had them shot in the style of a home video. Look at this beautiful creature dancing in the snow. She’s like a magical Christmas unicorn.