Imagine writing a song so iconic that you only need to make a brief appearance every year and still earn a fortune. Well, that’s the reality for Mariah Carey who sings the Christmas favorite, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Mariah Carey’s Christmas favorite reigns supreme year after year
Released in 1994, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was the lead single for Mariah’s fourth studio album, Merry Christmas, which was also her first holiday album. The track was co-written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff.
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The iconic song keeps topping the charts every holiday season
When it first dropped, the song reached #6 on Billboard’s Hot Adult Contemporary charts in the US. Since then, it has climbed to the top charts every Christmas season, growing even more popular yearly.
From 2019 to 2023, it hit number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 annually. A true Christmas classic!
The Christmas hit earns her a fortune every year
Mariah pulls in a huge amount from royalties every single year. In 2017, The Economist estimated she makes around $2.5 million annually in royalties just from “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
Some reports suggest her earnings are even higher
According to The New York Post, the figure might be closer to $3 million annually.
The song’s past royalties add even more to her fortune
That’s right — $3 million a year for a song she created decades ago. And that’s on top of the initial royalties Mariah earned when it first launched, reportedly a staggering $60 million.
Fans are in awe of how much Mariah earns from her Christmas hit
Fans on social media are amazed by how much money the song keeps making. One X user wrote, “Imagine every January 1st, you go into the year knowing you are going to make a guaranteed $3m without lifting a finger…that’s so gangster.”
The track is already climbing the charts this December
“All I Want For Christmas Is You” has already reappeared on Billboard’s Top 100, currently sitting at spot number 16 at the time of writing.
Spotify streams show how much people adore this song
According to My Stream Count, Mariah’s festive hit has been played an unbelievable 1,932,308,531 times on Spotify.
The song is making waves early in the season
Even though it’s only early December, the song has already been streamed a crazy amount — 8,211,035 times on December 1 alone. Is Mariah just playing it on repeat at home, or are people diving into the Christmas mood earlier than ever this year?
Either way, Mariah Carey can sit back and relax this winter, knowing her heating bill is the least of her concerns. Her Christmas game is unbeatable!
