Mariah Carey All I Want for Christmas could be the best song ever

Christmas may be over, but Mariah Carey’s Christmas tune is the gift that keeps on giving — and it just might be the best song ever.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” was released in 1994, but finally reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2017 after streaming tracks factored into the chart’s success. It hit no. 1 spot in 2019, and every year since, the festive jam reappears as the holidays approach, spending several weeks in the top position. This week the track reached its 17th week at no. 1 and edges close to the 19-week record set by both Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Carey’s hit could break the record this year, and next year it will definitely break it.

And it’s just that: What other song is going to come back to life every year and dominate the charts? While the lifespan of most big pop hits can last a year — Carey and Christmas songs in general strike a different chord thanks to the holiday season. So, by sheer numbers, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” becomes the best performing song in Billboard history. And every year, Carey knows how to capitalize on it during the Christmas season, from her holiday tour to TV deals to merchandising. Call it her karma for releasing an epic Christmas jam.

Carey also deserves this honor. Musicians have been creating original Christmas carols for years, but they rarely become classics or standards the way “All I Want” has. She’s one of the greatest songwriters of all time (and yes, I’m so ready to debate you if you challenge it), and she made something that puts us all in the right mood the day after Halloween. And if you feel like you’ve heard the song too much, it disappears in January, giving you enough time to miss it when it reappears 11 months later.

Carey’s song also earns this distinction because she is the queen of the charts. Let’s just go through her statistics: She has 19 no. 1, making her second only to The Beatles’ 20-song record, and we all know she’ll surpass that. Overall, her music has spent 96 weeks at no. 1 on the Hot 100, and the gap between her and no. 2 is big at 36 weeks. And while there are modern songs that reach the top of the charts every week, a good number of them rarely stay there. Some hit the charts simply because of the artists’ hype, and these “hits” dip soon after. Others get nervous about marketing schemes like bundling. They are technically no. 1 hits, but not in the same way that Carey’s songs have LIVED on the charts. There is a big difference. Her numbers don’t lie.

So here’s Carey and “All I Want for Christmas Is You” making history and becoming the best performing song of all time. Santa may be fiction, but Carey and this Christmas Day are the real deal.