How Much Does Mariah Carey Make from ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Each Year? (Hint: It's in the Millions!)
Since releasing her Yuletide hit in 1994, the Queen of Christmas has made millions of dollars.
Mariah Carey had no idea that her 1994 single, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” would solidify her place as the Queen of Christmas for the ensuing three decades.
According to Forbes, Carey received $60 million in royalties from the hit’s initial release. Since then, its value has only increased, bringing millions more to the singer’s fortune annually. Its popularity has influenced pop culture through films like Love Actually and led to innumerable covers by well-known performers like Michael Bublé and Ariana Grande.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” was the first holiday song to receive two billion Spotify plays on December 13.
“This is simply amazing,” Carey told PEOPLE in a statement. “I’m incredibly appreciative of all Spotify users worldwide who have included the song in their annual holiday rituals.”
As Carey stated to PEOPLE in December 2021, “Christmastime really is my favorite part of the year,” the achievement is appropriate.
What is the pop star’s annual income from “All I Want for Christmas Is You”? Here’s everything you need to know about the song that accounts for a significant amount of her wealth.
How much does Mariah Carey make from “All I Want for Christmas Is You” each year?
Carey made $60 million when the song was first released in 1994. Based on estimates from The Economist, Forbes now claims that Carey receives about $2.5 million in royalties annually. According to the outlet, The New York Post put the figure at $3 million, which is even higher.
The song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” from Carey’s fourth album, Merry Christmas, shot to the top of the charts in 26 different countries right away. As soon as the holidays arrive, it continues to rise back up the Billboard Hot 100 ladder and Spotify’s streaming rankings, thirty years after it was first released.
According to Forbes, the song has continuously been one of the most-streamed holiday songs. In 2021, it was the first holiday single to win the prestigious RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) Diamond Award.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” needed to sell 10 million copies and receive 10 million streams in order to win the prize.
The song was added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress two years later.
“I am incredibly honored!” On X, Carey wrote about the accomplishment. “When I was writing and recording this song, I definitely did not even think this would happen!”
Is “All I Want for Christmas Is You” the most popular Christmas song of all time?
Since 2019, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has grown 120% worldwide on Spotify, making it the most streamed holiday song ever in the U.S. and worldwide.
The Christmas song is on its way, even though Carey hasn’t yet surpassed Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas,” the best-selling single of all time with 50 million copies sold worldwide.
Since 2016, Carey’s timeless song has topped the global charts on Christmas Day, at least on Spotify. Its streams have grown steadily throughout the 2024 season, increasing by 1,100% in the U.S. and 860% globally since November 1.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” tied Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” for the most weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s streaming songs chart on December 17 after recording its 20th week at the top. It had also been at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 list for 16 weeks at that point.
How many times has “All I Want for Christmas Is You” been covered?
Numerous well-known musicians have covered the classic more than a dozen times. As part of Justin Bieber’s 2011 Christmas album Under the Mistletoe, Carey even rerecorded the song herself.
While other artists like Barry Manilow, Fifth Harmony, Ingrid Michaelson, and even Dolly Parton with Jimmy Fallon have covered it, Bublé released his own version on his Christmas album that same year.
Olivia Olson, who played Joanna in the popular film Love Actually, sang the song in 2003. After performing the song herself, the tween received record deals.
