MC anniversary countdown
Yesterday, March 27 2009, Mariah celebrated her anniversary, and MariahCarey.com celebrated it with her. This year, we have decided to note this day with a celebration of Mariah's music career. Over the last few weeks, we have asked fans to submit their top 10 favorite Mariah songs of all-time. During a special day-long event, we counted down the ultimate fan-favorite MC songs, according to your votes.
Hundreds of lists were submitted, and over 150 Mariah songs received votes. Each song from every list counted towards the final ranking (with the #1 song counting the most) which will be posted here from #20 to #1. Points given to live versions and remixes were assigned to the original version of the song. In such cases, the charting version will be the one with the most votes. "Emotions" was the first single from Mariah's Emotions album and was her 5th consecutive #1 hit. An upbeat, disco-influenced dance number, the song was composed with the C&C Music Factory duo (Clivilles and Cole). The video was shot in blue, orange and pink filtered lenses around a party scene with Mariah laughing and joking with friends. "Emotions" is especially loved by fans for the repeated use of Mariah's unique signature high notes in it. At #19 on our countdown is Charmbracelet's lead single "Through The Rain". The song centers around a soft melody, uplifting lyrics, and commanding vocals from Mariah. The video, inspired by her parents interracial marriage during a time of turmoil and in memory of her father, was shot around New York City and features The Sopranos' Jamie-Lynn Sigler. "One Sweet Day", Mariah's timeless duet with Boyz II Men is at #18 on the countdown. The second single from Daydream holds the record for most weeks spent at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (16). Fans have expressed their gratitude towards Mariah for writing this touching song in memory of loved ones who passed. The video for the song documents the recording process of the song and clips of the group joking in the studio. The single featured several acapella remixes that captured the rawness of the song's lyrics and sincere message. This album-cut from the Butterfly album may be unknown to casual listeners, but Mariah's hardcore fans have always shown Mariah their love for it. "Close My Eyes" is one of Mariah's most personal songs whose heartfelt lyrics tell Mariah's life story and hardships she's gone through as a child. The beautiful melody and Mariah's poignant delivery carry the song to its final, almost visual climax. Mariah performed the song on the Rosie O'Donell show in 1997 and sang it at a couple of tour stops per fans' requests. "Touch My Body" is the first song from E=MC2 on the top 20 countdown. Last year, the song achieved an historic feat as it became Mariah's 18th #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, making Mariah the solo artist with the most #1 singles on the chart. "Touch My Body" was released as the first single from E=MC2, blew up on the radio faster than anyone expected and broke the record for most digital downloads in its opening week. Thanks to its light attitude, breezy vocals, fun lyrics and unforgettable music video, the song which coined the contagious line "I best not catch this flick on YouTube" is ubiquitously loved by fans. "Vanishing", the second album-cut on the top 20, is at #15. Taken from the debut album, "Vanishing" is the first song Mariah had ever produced on her own. The beauty of this song is in its simplicity having Mariah sing with nothing but the piano in the background, allowing fans to concentrate on the haunting vocals and melancholic feeling of the song. "Make It Happen" is the second song from Emotions on the countdown's top 20. This motivating song that Mariah wrote from her own personal struggles, is about believing in yourself, the power of prayer, and never giving up on your dreams. "Make It Happen" is known for being a true crowd-pleaser; Mariah's powerful vocals on top of the great beat given to the song by the C&C Music Factory duo David Cole and Robert Clivilles, gives the song a vibe of an upbeat gospel classic. In her 1995 concert at the Madison Square Garden in NYC, Mariah introduced the song with a message to the fans: "This is for all of you out there tonight, reaching for a dream - don't ever give up! Never ever listen to anyone, when they try to discourage you, because they do that, believe me!" "My All" is one of Mariah's biggest international hits to date. This sultry ballad, known for its soulful vocals and guitar-driven instrumental was first released as the second single from the Butterfly album. This entry benefits from two remixes for the song: the David Morales dance remix which Mariah loves going into when performing the song live, and the "My All / Stay Awhile" version, sampling Loose Ends' "Stay a Little While" in a Jermaine Dupri production. The music video was one of the last ones to be directed by legendary photographer Herb Ritts. "Honey" was the first single from Mariah's groundbreaking Butterfly album, debuting at a record-breaking #1 on Billboard, her third song to achieve this feat. The song's bouncy hip hop beat over The Treacherous Three's "Body Rock", and coy lyrics made the song an instant hit among fans and the industry alike, and marked Mariah's further transition to more hip-hop influenced music. The song's James Bond video concept was Mariah's idea and is still one of her most memorable music videos. Mariah plays the elusive "Agent M" trying to escape rogue thugs (played by Eddie Griffin and Goodfellas star Frank Sivero) on a tropical Puerto Rican beach, narrowly dodging them on jet skis and a helicopter. The song's remix featuring Mase & The Lox proved to be just as popular as the original, and featured a new version of the video. "Fly Like A Bird" missed the top ten by only a few points. This spiritual album track from The Emancipation of Mimi is easy to be swept into, especially when Mariah's resounding vocals are interlaced with a gospel choir and live instruments - such has been done during the live performances in the 2006 Grammy Awards and "The Adventures of Mimi" world tour. The first song in the top 10 is the 18 years-old "Can't Let Go". A long lasting "classic" Mariah tune, this is the highest countdown entry from the Emotions album. "Can't Let Go" captures Mariah's ability to tell a story through a wide variety of emotions and an incredible range of vocals. Mariah goes from restraint to aching in a passionate delivery of this beautiful melodic song. "Can't Let Go" was performed as an encore in "a spur of the moment" on Mariah's unplugged concert and was recently included as a snippet during "The Adventures of Mimi" world tour. "The Roof", taken from the Butterfly album is the #9 song on the countdown. Co-produced by Mariah and the Trackmasters, this song cleverly samples Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones" and features the group in the "infamous" remix. With a catchy beat, a sexy setting and Mariah's soft and inviting vocals on top of the dominant piano instrumental, "The Roof" is an edgy, influential track that solidified Mariah's position as a trend-setting artist in the Urban music industry. "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" was the third single from the 1999 Rainbow album. This uplifting song, co-written by Mariah and Diane Warren, has always been close to Mariah's heart due to the personal nature of its lyrics. It was Mariah's determined delivery, strong vocals, and words of inspiration that made the song an anthem among fans as well with its chorus of "They can try but they can't take that away from me." The music video was especially loved by fans, since it included clips sent in by fans around the country talking about how the song inspired them as well as clips of personalities that inspired Mariah like The Williams Sister and her nephew Shawn. "Breakdown" (featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) is another fan-favorite on the Butterfly album. Not only loved for its raw lyrics and unique singing style, it is considered one of Mariah's most groundbreaking and influential songs of her career. Her ability to mimic and complement the rapping style of Bone Thugs through her well-crafted vocal arrangement, fast singing style, and incredible layers of music and voice is still considered one of the early forerunners to today's modern R&B/hip hop music styles. "Butterfly", the title track off Mariah's seventh album is the third top 10 track on the countdown from the Butterfly album. The song is loved by fans for its personal lyrics and symbolic meaning. The chorus starts with the bittersweet lines "Spread your wings and prepare to fly / For you have become a butterfly" which Mariah wrote based on her own journey. "Butterfly" now represents Mariah's freedom and emancipation and is performed as the closing outro at many of her concerts. "Fantasy Remix (featuring O.D.B.)" is the only song on the countdown to receive more votes than its original version. Originally released in 1995 as the first single from Daydream, the song broke a record on the American charts as it debuted straight at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Mariah the first ever female artist to achieve that feat. The famous music video, the first one to be directed by Mariah, was shot at the famous Rye Playland amusement park, and features clips of Mariah enjoying the park's historic wooden roller coasters. The remix, produced by Puff Daddy, surprised many when it featured the unconventional guest star - rapper O.D.B. The remix became a huge success and yielded one of the most famous pop music phrases of the 90's: "Me and Mariah, go back like babies with pacifiers." "Hero" is considered by many fans to be one of Mariah's most inspirational and self-empowering songs. Released as a single in 1994, "Hero" became the second single from the Music Box album and went on to become Mariah's anthem song, performed at events like Live 8, the NBA All-Stars tribute to Michael Jordan, U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration party and America: Tribute to Heroes (following 9/11). Over the years, "Hero" was performed by many artists, including a Mariah duet with Luciano Pavarotti and a cover version by Aretha Franklin. Fans have always had a special connection to the song's lyrics which were written by Mariah. Likewise, Mariah has always said she prefers the live renditions of "Hero" where she can connect with the audience to the studio version. "Always Be My Baby" is the second song from Daydream on the top 10. Released as the third single from the album in 1996, this sweet sounding R&B tune was the first of many collaborations between Mariah and Jermaine Dupri. When sung live, the fans and Mariah keep the tradition of singing the addictive hook together and sharing the "Shoo doo doo's" throughout the song. The music video for "Always Be My Baby", directed by Mariah, was shot in Camp Mariah and follows the story of a young love. The song's high position is owed in part to points received by its remixes: The Mr. Dupri remix featuring Da Brat & Xscape and a dance remix by David Morales. The former sampled the '80s song "Tell Me If You Still Care" by the S.O.S. Band and got its own music video! "Vision Of Love" was Mariah's first ever single from her self-titled debut album; Released in 1990, "Vision Of Love" introduced Mariah to the world and launched one of the biggest careers in music history. The long intro leading up to the memorable lines "Treated me kind / Sweet destiny..." is ironically similar to the introduction of Mariah: it was worth the wait. By the time Mariah reached the famous chorus ("I had a vision of love / and it was all that you've given to me"), there was no doubt in anyone's mind: she is here to stay. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and to this day remains one of Mariah's signature songs. "Vision Of Love" was first performed in May 1990 on the Arsenio Hall show and on every Mariah tour since then. "We Belong Together" is the definitive #1 of this countdown. The song appeared on more than half of the fans' lists and doubled the #1 votes any other song received. This universal smash hit from The Emancipation of Mimi broke every airplay record in the book during the summer of 2005, topped eight different Billboard charts including an unprecedented 16-weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, and won awards at the Grammys, Soul Train, Vibe and World Music Awards. (Mariah Carey.com)
|
