Periodically throughout my childhood, my mother would randomly turn to me and say, “Write a hit song and you’ll be rich for life.” Oh, how I wish I had listened. Perhaps no singular case proves the wisdom of my mother’s words better than that of Mariah Carey and her annual chart-topper, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The song, which was released on her Merry Christmas album in 1994, dominates the airwaves from November 1 through Christmas, what many refer to as Mimi Season. According to People Mag, which cites reporting from Forbes, Ms. Carey made $60 million when the song first came out in 1994, and has made an estimated $2.5 million per year in royalties since. So, $2.5M x 30 years + $60M = I really wish I’d heeded my mother’s advice. Here’s more on all the money-making and record-breaking Mimi is earning off of the tune where she croons about not wanting any material gifts:
On Dec. 13, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” became the first holiday song to reach 2 billion streams on Spotify.
“This is beyond incredible,” Carey said in a statement to PEOPLE. “I’m so grateful to all Spotify listeners around the world who’ve made the song part of their holiday tradition year after year.”
…When the song was first released in 1994, Carey made $60 million. Now, according to Forbes, Carey earns around $2.5 million in annual royalties based on calculations from The Economist. The outlet reported that The New York Post estimated the number to be even higher, at $3 million.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” was part of Carey’s fourth album, Merry Christmas, and was instantly a global success, topping the charts in 26 countries. Three decades after its release, it continues to climb back up the Billboard Hot 100 ladder and Spotify’s streaming numbers as soon as the holiday season comes around.
The tune has consistently been among the most-streamed holiday songs, per Forbes, and became the first holiday single to ever receive the coveted RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) Diamond Award in 2021.
To earn the prize, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” had to reach 10 million sales and streams.
Two years later, the song was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
“I’m honored beyond belief!” Carey wrote of the achievement on X. “I definitely did not even imagine this would happen when writing and recording this song!”
According to Spotify, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has grown 120% globally on the platform since 2019, becoming the most streamed holiday song of all time both globally and in the U.S.
While Carey has yet to beat Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas,” the highest-selling single of all time with 50 million copies sold worldwide, the Christmas tune is well on its way.
At least on Spotify, Carey’s classic has been the No. 1 song globally on Christmas Day every year since 2016. In 2024, its streams have continually increased throughout the season, growing 860% globally and 1,100% in the U.S. since Nov. 1.
On Dec. 17, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” notched its 20th week at the top spot on Billboard’s streaming songs chart, tying it with Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” for most weeks at No. 1. At that point, it had also spent 16 weeks in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 list.
As much as all these streams and royalties add up to, it still doesn’t account for everything! Mariah Carey also collects touring income this time of year from her seasonal Christmas Time Tour (you know, the one where people kept getting into fights but then ended on a high note with Mimi signing RiRi’s boob?), where “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is front and center. Not to mention merch deals Mimi lines up, like the Xmas goods she did for Amazon this year, partly to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Merry Christmas, the album that brought us the song that changed the holiday season forever. I don’t think a feat like this, writing and performing a song that becomes synonymous with an annual holiday, can ever be replicated. I mean, Mariah Carey’s initials are literally the same as Merry Christmas (a fact which took me way too long into adulthood to put together). So Miss Mimi becoming the Queen of Christmas feels somehow ordained, fated, destined to be. Or, dare I say it, KISMET!
Happy Holidays, whichever music you listen to, and may we all become millionaires like Mimi. That’s all I want.
Mariah Carey is shown in Aspen yesterday, December 22, in a gold dress. She’s also shown on Saturday, December 21 in a red dress and a LV poncho. Credit: The Daily Stardust/ LA Gossip TV / Backgrid. Other photos via Instagram/Mariah Carey