Mariah Carey, an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor, was born on March 27, 1969. She is acclaimed for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style, improvisational prowess, distinctive usage of the whistle register, and songwriting. Guinness World Records refers to her as the “Songbird Supreme.” She has also been referred to as the “Queen of Christmas” due to the lasting success of her holiday songs, particularly the 1994 song “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” With the release of her debut album Mariah Carey, Carey became well-known. From “Vision of Love” through “Emotions,” she was the first artist to have all five of their first singles hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
She is acknowledged for inspiring numerous generations of pop and R&B singers and for fusing hip-hop and mainstream music through her crossover collaborations. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Carey has sold more than 220 million records worldwide, making her one of the most successful musicians of all time. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked her as the fifth-best vocalist of all time, and she came in second on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music. She currently holds the record for the most solo female artists, female songwriters, and female producers to have Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits. With 74 million certified album units, Carey ranks 10th overall and is the highest-certified female artist in the country. She was listed on Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential musicians and entertainers in history in 2008. Based on her performance on both the album and single charts in 2019 according to Billboard, she is the “top-charting female solo artist.” Carey has eight Guinness World Records, 10 American Music Awards, 19 World Music Awards, and 15 Billboard Music Awards to her credit.
