Pop star Mariah Carey’s jolly, love-it-or-hate-it tune “All I Want for Christmas is You” is the first-ever holiday song to go from Platinum-selling to Diamond, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
“This December, ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ became the first and only holiday single to take home the RIAA’s coveted Diamond Award (in recognition of ten million sales and streaming units in the United States),” the RIAA said in a statement Friday.
“The continued love for my song never ceases to amaze me and fill my heart with a multitude of emotions,” Carey said. “It blows my mind that ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ has endured different eras of the music industry.”
“The RIAA DIAMOND award?! Wowww! I’m so fortunate to have the greatest fans on Earth, my Lambily, who continue to support my legacy. I love you,” the singer added.
The song, which was released in October 1994 as the first single from Carey’s “Merry Christmas” album, went on to become one of the best-selling singles — of any genre — of all time, and the best-selling holiday ringtone in the U.S. for several years running.
Billboard recently named Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” as the #1 record on their Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs list.
The song first made it to the Top 10 of the Hot 100 in December 2017 and, in December 2019 — 25 years after its original release — became the second holiday single ever to hit #1 on the Hot 100, breaking the record for longest span from release date to #1, notes RIAA.
“All I Want for Christmas is You” hit #1 again in 2020, giving it a five-week total in the top slot, a new milestone for a holiday recording.
The hit Christmas song is also reportedly Carey’s biggest international success, topping the charts in 26 countries including Australia, Canada, France, and Germany.
In 2020, the song topped the charts for the first time in the United Kingdom, where it spent a record 69 weeks in the UK Top 40 before reaching #1.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.