The moment Thanksgiving ends, Mariah Carey’s cash register starts ringing. Her 1994 holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas is You” has become the song of the season, a money machine that pulls an estimated $2.7 to $3.3 million every year – and that number just keeps growing.
Released on Oct. 29, 1994, as the lead single from her Christmas album Merry Christmas, Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” only reached the number 12 spot on Billboard’s all-genre Radio Songs chart.
Though it didn’t make the biggest splash when it was released, it has since climbed the charts. In the year 2000, it appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time, reached the top ten for the first time in 2017, and finally got the number one spot in 2019. Her song has stayed at number one every year since; check the charts at the end of 2025 and there’s a good chance it’ll be up there.
“For all I can remember, I can remember it being played. I would challenge people to think of a time when it wasn’t being played,” said Junior Preston G.
Mariah Carey has some Guinness World Record titles from her impressive feat, including the highest-charting holiday song on the Billboard Hot 100 by a solo artist and, most weeks in the UK singles Top 10 chart for a Christmas song. The song also has the third-longest run at number one on the Billboard US Hot 100, at a staggering 17 weeks. On Spotify, the song has achieved a mind-blowing 2 billion streams, with that number growing every holiday season.
Despite the over 30 years since its release, NBC estimates Carey still makes around $2.7-3.3 million annually. This number has grown each year with ringtones, song downloads, and streaming services. In total, it’s estimated that the song has made her over $103 million.
There’s no denying the hold that Mariah Carey has over the holiday season. From the way it’s going, it seems the 30-year-old song is only going to get more popular, breaking more records and cementing itself in musical history.
For more information:
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” exceeds 2 billion streams on Spotify
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” breaks chart-topping record
Mariah Carey’s inescapable ‘All I Want for Christmas’ adds new record to nice list
