Where did this addictive tune come from? 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'

Mariah Carey is most notably known for her incredible vocal range and her adored Christmas hit, 'All I Want for Christmas is You,' but in recent news, her interest in trademarking herself as the 'Queen of Christmas,' has gotten the singer some not so flattering attention.

While Mariah wasn't initially too keen on recording a Christmas album, she has definitely changed her mind about attaching herself to the season, attempting to trademark herself as the 'Queen of Christmas' and 'Princess Christmas.'

The BBC reports that Carey's business, Lotion LLC, applied to the US Patent and Trademark Office in 2021 to trademark the monikers, which would have given her legal rights to block other artists from using the names in music and merchandising.

Carey's application was denied when she never responded after another singer, Elizabeth Chan, attempted to block her from obtaining the registration. Chan stated to Variety: "That's just not the right thing to do. Christmas is for everyone. It's meant to be shared; it's not meant to be owned."

While Mariah Carey may not be able to legally claim herself as the 'Queen of Christmas,' she still has one of the most recognizable and popular Christmas songs on the planet. Let's take a look at how she created this song, with whom, and how it has become as popular as it has...come on, you know you're at least humming it right now!

The song, 'All I Want for Christmas is You,' is the lead single from Mariah Carey's fourth studio album, 'Merry Christmas' (1994). It was written and produced by both Mariah Carey and the renowned producer/ composer Walter Afanasieff.

As cheerful as it sounds, there's a sad story behind this song. In a documentary released by Amazon Music in 2019, Mariah Carey recounts how she came from a dysfunctional family in which Christmas was never ideal due to a lack of money. As a result, Carey grew up with the dream of having a perfect Christmas (with lots of gifts and happiness) at some point in her life.

"I have a great emotional connection with Christmas," she said. "It was never because of the gifts but more for the optimistic feeling that comes with it. I felt the need to express myself and make a song that would make me feel happy."

By the time she made the Christmas album, Mariah Carey was already a star. Her previous three albums had been released by Columbia Records, whose boss, Tommy Mottola, had become her husband.

The first album, 'Mariah Carey' (1990), achieved a sales record in the United States. With the second, 'Emotions' (1991), the success was somewhat less, although the title track topped the Billboard Hot 100. With 'Music Box' (1993), Mariah Carey sold 28 million copies and became world famous.

She was at the height of her success when Mottola suggested that Carey made a Christmas album. At first, she refused, the Columbia boss recalls in his memoire, 'Hitmaker.' She said she did not want to betray her roots in RnB and hip-hop. In the end, however, Carey agreed, on the condition that she could include songs she had written herself.

Mariah Carey explains in the documentary that, at first, she didn't think a Christmas album was the right thing to do at that point in her career. Finally, however, she agreed to record it, and the world loved it.

Reportedly, the lyrics of the album were inspired by the love Mariah Carey felt for her husband, Tommy Mottola. 'All I Want for Christmas is You' was about the fact she'd rather have Mottola by her side than any gift. To avoid the song from becoming corny, Walter Afanasieff gave it a festive air.

Mariah Carey, Tommy Mottola and Walter Afanassief began preparing the first songs for 'Merry Christmas' in the summer of 1994. To make the experience more real and immersive, the artist decorated the house where she lived during the recording in complete Christmas style.

The composition of 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' only took Carey and Afanasieff 15 minutes. They were surely the best spent 15 minutes of their lives. Their composition was inspired by the song 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' by Darlene Love.

The song became a legend. Many versions have been made of it by artists such as Dave Rodgers (1996), Shania Twain (1998), Olivia Olson (2003), My Chemical Romance (2004), The Cheetah Girls (2005), Miley Cyrus (2007), Alexandra Burke (2009), Michael Bublé (2011) and Ariana Grande (2012), but there are more!

In 2011, Mariah Carey performed a new duet version with Justin Bieber for his album 'Under the Mistletoe'.

The song has broken several records in the Guinness Book. It is one of the most successful and popular songs of the Christmas season, the track performed by a woman that has been played most on Spotify in the course of 24 hours, and the song that lasted the most weeks in the Top 10 of the UK Singles list.

The first time Mariah Carey performed the song in public was at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (New York) in December 1994. Since then, she's not stopped performing it on countless stages whenever Christmas is near.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, each December Mariah Carey receives between $600,000 and $1 million in royalties from the song. Up to 2019, she's already earned more than $60 million with this song alone, The Economist reports.

The calculation has not taken into account the performances and tours Mariah Carey organizes around Christmas. They undoubtedly add a good sum to that amount.

'All I Want for Christmas is You' is a phenomenon that won't stop playing on radios, streaming devices and public places every times Christmas is approaching. It is the best-selling Christmas song by a female artist and a key piece in the history of pop music.

There is a universe of merchandising around this hit song and Mariah Carey's iconic look in the video. From breakfast cups to clothing or foods with Mariah Carey's image on the label, it's all for sale.

Mariah Carey has always proudly proclaimed herself a 'diva,' perhaps that should be her moniker for the season, the 'Christmas Diva.' Not so bad for writing a hit holiday classic that will undoubtedly continue to top the charts and break the bank, both things many of us would want for Christmas.