Merry Christmas cover art

  Studio Album · No. 4

Merry Christmas

1994 Columbia Records 11 tracks 39 min

Produced by Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey

Columbia Records ChristmasR&BPop
27%
Authorship
Co-Performer

Mariah Carey wrote 3 of 11 documented tracks

Authorship Breakdown 3 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Mariah Carey carries a lyricist or composer credit.

27%
3 trackswritten by Mariah Carey 8 tracksoutside writers
Mariah Carey's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist27%
Composer27%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
9
Lyricists
2
Producers
1
No.1 Single
18 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1994
Released
Data Insight

Merry Christmas mixes original songs with traditional holiday standards, and Mariah Carey co-wrote the three originals with Walter Afanasieff, including 'All I Want for Christmas Is You.' The remaining tracks are her interpretations of established carols such as 'Silent Night' and 'Joy to the World,' which she did not write. Her authorship is concentrated in the originals, one of which became the most successful Christmas song of the modern era.

Merry Christmas is Mariah Carey's first holiday album, released in October 1994. It includes the perennial smash 'All I Want for Christmas Is You,' co-written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, which became the best-selling Christmas single of all time. The album mixes original holiday compositions by Carey with traditional Christmas standards.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Jeff BarryEllie GreenwichPhil Spector Jeff BarryEllie GreenwichPhil Spector Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
2
Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)
Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
3
All I Want for Christmas Is You #1
Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
4
O Holy Night
Placide Cappeau Adolphe Adam Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
5
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Traditional Traditional Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
6
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Traditional Traditional Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
7
Silent Night
Traditional Traditional Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
8
Deck the Halls
Traditional Traditional Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
9
Joy to the World
Traditional Traditional Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
10
Jesus Born on This Day
Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
11
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
Mel TorméRobert Wells Mel TorméRobert Wells Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 10 contributors

More from Mariah Carey

Frequently Asked Questions Merry Christmas

When did Mariah Carey release Merry Christmas?
Mariah Carey released Merry Christmas on October 28, 1994 through Columbia Records. It became the best-selling Christmas album by a female artist.
Did Mariah Carey write the songs on Merry Christmas?
Mariah Carey co-wrote three original songs on Merry Christmas with Walter Afanasieff, including 'All I Want for Christmas Is You.' The rest of the album consists of traditional Christmas standards that she interpreted rather than wrote.
Who wrote All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey?
'All I Want for Christmas Is You' was written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff. It is an original composition, not a cover, and has topped the Billboard Hot 100 in multiple years.
Is All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey an original song?
Yes, 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' is an original song written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff for Merry Christmas. It is one of the few modern holiday standards rather than a cover of an older carol.
How many copies did Merry Christmas by Mariah Carey sell?
Merry Christmas has sold around 18 million copies worldwide and is certified Diamond by the RIAA in the United States. It remains the best-selling Christmas album by a female artist.

Sources