Top 10 Mariah Carey Singles

18 #1 singles, countless other hits under her belt, and a career spanning almost 20 years, this woman has an impressive career under her belt. Here are my favorite (and what I personally think of iconic Mariah Carey classics) Top 10 singles!

 

10.) “Hero”

From the album Music Box

It’s a classic Mariah ballad from back in the day. 90’s power ballad, inspirational, and man oh man those vocals!

 

9.) “Touch My Body”

From the album E=MC²

Happy to hear this song and knowing that Mariah can still have a little fun every once in a while. Unfortunately it was the only standout song from an ok follow up to Mimi.

 

8.) “I’ll Be There” (featuring Trey Lorenz)

From the album MTV Unplugged: Mariah Carey (Live)

Jackson 5 cover plus classic Mariah equals this classic gem.

 

7.) “Always Be My Baby”

From the album Fantasy

Working with hit producer Jermaine Dupri, she began to spread out into more R&B songs, and this certainly was the beautiful beginning with a bittersweet anthem to a lost love.

 

6.) “Honey”

From the album Butterfly

And then she burst out of her shell entirely with this album and this song was her declaration of independence! And thus begins the short dresses and insane high heels.

 

5.) “One Sweet Day” (featuring Boyz II Men)

From the album Daydream

A classic hit from the hey day of the 90’s (and of Boyz II Men’s career).

 

4.) “My All”

From the album Butterfly

Another classic Mariah ballad, but a lot more sensual than fans were used to hearing. It’s more and more beautiful each time I hear it.

 

3.) “We Belong Together”

From the album The Emancipation of Mimi

Then Mariah came back after the Glitter fiasco 2 albums later with this insane power hit back in 2005. It’s safe to say the best ballads of her career were not just in the past anymore. She was capable of going bigger!

 

2.) “Fantasy”

From the album Daydream

While the remix is fun and great, nothing compares to this pitch perfect debut single from her hit album Daydream. The roller coaster ride, the classic jean shorts, and the voice that doesn’t quit, this song is everything and more.

 

1.) “All I Want For Christmas Is You”

From the album Merry Christmas

We can all thank Mariah Carey for gracing us with one of the best, most memorable Christmas songs of all time. It never gets old…

Top 10 Mariah Carey Collaborations

Mariah Carey has certainly been around the block when it comes to collaborations with singers, groups, and rappers. So here’s my top 10 favorite (and her best) collaborations! 

10.) “When Christmas Comes” (featuring John Legend)

From the album Merry Christmas II You

This little gem was on her less-than-stellar Christmas album sequel as a solo number, but a year later she released it as a single but this time with John Legend there to duet with her, making it even sweeter than the original. 

9.) “Thank God I Found You” (featuring Joe & 98 Degrees)

From the album Rainbow

What better song encompasses the time it was released (1999) than this which features the one hit wonder R&B star Joe and one of many popular boy bands at the time, 98 Degrees?! 

8.) “Say Somethin’” (featuring Snoop Dogg)

From the album The Emancipation of Mimi

Funky, cool, and groovy, Snoop, Mimi, & Pharrell jam quite well together. 

 

7.) “Breakdown” (featuring Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone)

From the album Butterfly

Honest, heartfelt, and a great groove from beginning to end, it’s a stand in her long collection of her rapping collabos. 

 

6.) “Heartbreaker (Remix)” (featuring Da Brat & Missy Elliott)

From the album Rainbow

A lot of people may not give this version enough credit, but it’s just as good (if not better) than the original version with Jay-Z. Not to mention it’s got a LOT of girl power here. 

 

5.) “When You Believe” (featuring Whitney Houston)

From the soundtrack to the film The Prince of Egypt

Mariah. Whitney. ‘Nuff said.

4.) “I’ll Be There” (featuring Trey Lorenz)

From the album MTV Unplugged: Mariah Carey (Live)

Back in the day when Mariah had to prove to the haters that she COULD sound just as good live as she did on the recordings of her hit songs, this was the song that proved them ALL wrong. 

 

3.) “Fantasy” (featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard)

From the album The Remixes

You may not realize it, but Mariah Carey really was the first solo female artist to introduce us to the rap-sung collaborations that have become so popular over the years. This would be the collaboration that started it all. 

 

2.) “#Beautiful” (featuring Miguel)

From the album Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse

It may not have been a #1 single or done as well as other singles that came before it, but collaborating with Miguel last year helped her stay current and HER AGE while never compromising her beautiful voice. 

 

1.) “One Sweet Day” (featuring Boyz II Men)

From the album Daydream

A bittersweet tune that always makes me shed a tear, her collaboration with Boyz II Men back in the day made this one of the most successful singles in her career, even to this day! And those overalls!

The Top 10 Underground Mariah Carey Songs EVERYONE Should Know About

With the massive amount of songs and singles that Mariah Carey has under her belt in her career, there are certain songs that may have gone under the radar, singles that maybe didn’t get the attention that they deserved, or honestly just music that no one knows actually exists. Here is my personal Top 10 list of the best

 

10.) “Didn’t Mean To Turn You On”

From the album Glitter

The infamous album from the infamously bad movie…but people don’t give this soundtrack enough credit. Sure, it may have gone overboard with its 80’s concept, but this little throwback gem is a knockout and precious gem that definitely went unknown due to the bomb of the film. Regardless, please enjoy!

 

9.) “Christmas Time is in the Air Again”

From the album Merry Christmas II You

She’s best known for her Christmas staple “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, but when she came out with her Christmas sequel in 2010, there was a newly written song that brought back the classic styling of Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole. Co-written by Hairspray lyricist  Marc Shaiman, this beautiful Christmas tune makes us all feel a little merry inside.

 

8.) “Underneath the Stars”

From the album Daydream

With hit after hit after hit from this 1994  breakthrough album, it’s easy to ignore this unknown single among songs like “Fantasy” or “One Sweet Day”. It’s a throwback R&B track that reminds us all of the sweet love songs from back in the day. Her voice is perfection and the music is precious.

 

7.) “It’s a Wrap”

From the album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

This wasn’t ever released as a single form her 2009 album, but this was a classic Mariah tune that was sassy, sophisticated, and sexy all at once. With her math lyrics and reference to Maury, this song was a standout. Very excited that the unreleased Mary J. Blige diet version is released this week on her new album!

 

6.) “Mine Again”

From the album The Emancipation of Mimi

When Mariah bounced back from that Glitter fiasco, this album was what put her back on top. It was a retro R&B collection that flowed from beginning to end. This is one of the standouts from her ballad collection complete with whistle register, booming vocals, and a key change that never fails.

 

5.) “Heartbreaker (Remix)” featuring Da Brat & Missy Elliott

From the album Rainbow

Sure, the original single was good enough, but in my opinion this remix made it even better. Girl power with help from Missy & Da Brat, a sample from a classic Snoop & Nate Dogg’s “It Ain’t No Fun”, this was a bangin’ song!

 

 

4.) “H.A.T.E.U.”

From the album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

Her Memoirs album didn’t get the attention and respect it deserved. After suffering from 2 poorly chosen singles, it’s not hard to see why this 3^rd single didn’t catch on. Tricky Stewart & The-Dream put their magic touch on this slow jam breakup anthem that lets us hear a deeper, more vulnerable side of Mimi that we’re not used to.

 

3.) “Clown”

From the album Charmbracelet

Forget that other Eminem diss track “Obsessed”. This first part of their feud is poetic, sneaky, and beautiful all at once.

 

2.) “Say Somethin’” featuring Snoop Dogg

From the album The Emancipation of Mimi

One of the last singles to be released from her comeback album, this song featured production from The Neptunes back in their hey-day as well as reuniting Snoop Dogg & Mariah after their “Crybaby” duet years before. It’s a cool, funky song that gets things bumpin’ in a good way of course.

 

1.) “Breakdown” featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

From the album Butterfly

One of the most underestimated and understated singles in Mariah Carey’s career, this heartbreaking song from her Butterfly album is a knockout on so many different levels. From her smart-whipped songwriting, her tone and build in her voice, it’s a Mariah Carey staple that everyone should know about.

Second Chance Saturday: Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

 Mariah Carey has certainly changed over the years. From her early days of big hair and power ballads, to the R&B princess, to the stiletto-wearing sex-kitten, to Glitter breakdown, to comeback, to diva, every album offers a little something different. Her last album (excluding Merry Christmas II) failed to produce hit singles like it should have, but that’s why I created Second Chance Saturday, so other people who may not know this album even existed can now give it the attention it deserves!

After her back-to-back comeback with The Emancipation of Mimi and E=MC², she came back swinging with the hater-calling-out “Obsessed”. She’s always had some weird tiff with Eminem. Whether they’ve actually gotten together romantically in the past or not, it certainly makes for some interesting music battles. This time around, Mariah Carey went so far as to dress up like him in the music video. I mean, I don’t remember Eminem ever having a goatee, but whatever helped! The song was catchy, auto-tuned, and memorable.

The next single (which I admit is actually the only forgettable song on the album) was her cover of “I Want To Know What Love Is”. That’s all…

But then we finally get somewhere with her third single “H.A.T.E.U.”. From the signature Tricky Stewart sound, to the slow rhythm, and the whisper vocals, everything was so sweet and beautiful. It’s a shame that it didn’t get the success it deserved.

And after the first three singles failed to make it big, they started plans for a re-release with guests on every song. The first single was “Up Out My Face” with the emerging star that was Nicki Minaj! It was cute, upbeat, and lots of fun, but once again it failed to make a lasting impression.

So they went ahead with another single in “Angels Cry” featuring Ne-Yo. It was classic-styled Mariah Carey song, in the same field as “We Belong Together” and “I Stay in Love”. But sadly, it didn’t have the same power. Beautiful, poignant, and rich!

With the singles aside, the album from start to finish is impeccable (well, minus the last song which is “I Want To Know What Love Is”). Everything flows together so wonderfully and is literally music to my ears!

In a nutshell: we have the haunting “Betcha Gon’ Know (The Prologue)”, the sweet and tasty “Candy Bling”, the ruff-rider gem “Ribbon”, the lovely memories in “Inseparable”, the strong-willed independence in “Standing O”, the drunk diva fierceness in “It’s a Wrap”, the bumping rider “More Than Just Friends”, the slow grind seduction in “The Impossible”, the part 2 seduction with “The Impossible (The Reprise)”, the heavenly “Angel (The Prelude)”, and the bittersweet closer “Languishing (The Prelude)”.

After a two-album winning streak, this one failed to live up to its predecessors. But it was impeccable and beautiful in every way possible, which is why it is so heartbreaking that it wasn’t a huge success like it should be. I remember when it was released that it came up in 3^rd place behind Paramore and Barbra Streisand. I love listening to new music and going back to it later and reminiscing about the time I first listened to it. I love when music can take you back to a time and place. This album for me is one of the standouts in my memory that takes me back to my first semester outside of high school. I was working, going to school, and getting to spend time with my family and friends. I was also listening to this album around the same time that I “came out” to my family and friends in November 2009. So needless to say, there is some great significance to this album. I’m still pulling for that remix album that was never released (guests were supposed to include Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, R. Kelly, Ludacris, Jodeci, and Kanye West among others). Here’s to hoping for another big comeback for the one and only Mariah!