25 beloved holiday albums to rediscover this winter

Merry Christmas – Mariah Carey

Okay, we know we can’t tease you any longer. Let’s discuss the Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey. Mariah released her fourth studio album Merry Christmas in 1994, and if only she knew the impact it would have!

The holiday album featured a mix of holiday standards as well as originals co-written by Mariah, including “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, which she released as the lead single. The song became a phenomenon. It was an instant hit and was praised by fans and critics alike. Mariah’s vocals were like heaven and jingle bells and jolly piano riffs made the song scream “Christmas!!!!” It became an instant classic, which has gone on to become a Christmas standard in its own right, covered by artists like Justin Bieber, Idina Menzel, and Kelly Clarkson. Like clockwork, it re-enters the Billboard Holiday Charts every year for over 20 years now.

But the album had more than just “All I Want For Christmas”. A voice like Mariah’s is made for gospel hymns, so it’s no surprise that Mariah covered songs like “O Holy Night”, “Joy To The World”, and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. Merry Christmas has been certified quintuple Platinum by RIAA and has sold an impressive 15 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling Christmas album of all time.

If you had any doubts about Mariah being the actual Queen of Christmas after discovering all that, just keep reading. She might make another appearance on this list to get extra festive one more time!