In May 1990, then-unknown 21-year-old Mariah Carey released her debut single, “Vision of Love.” Within a handful of weeks, the song would hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts, and it would be followed by four additional No. 1 tracks, setting records and making it clear: Mariah Carey and her five-octave vocal range were here, and pop music would never sound the same. Mariah had No. 1 singles every year for the entire 1990s. She would go on to win numerous Grammys, be named Artist of the Decade by Billboard, and receive other accolades. Her career has had peaks and valleys, scandals and rebrandings, but there is no denying: Mariah Carey is one of the most important recording artists of the last 40 years, and one of the most incredible voices in the history of popular music. So join the Great Pop Culture Debate as we hit the highest of the highs as we determine the Best Mariah Carey Song – at least until mid-2025, when we’re recording this. Songs discussed: “Always Be My Baby,” “Shake It Off,” “Love Takes Time,” “My All,” “Emotions,” “When You Believe” (w/Whitney Houston), “Obsessed,” “Hero,” “Fantasy,” “Honey,” “Dreamlover,” “One Sweet Day” (w/Boyz II Men), “Vision of Love,” “Heartbreaker” (w/Jay-Z), “Make It Happen,” “We Belong Together” Join host Eric Rezsnyak, GPCD panelist Kevin Dillon, returning guest Nick Everage, and special guest Steven Salvatore — author and Mariah superfan — as they discuss 16 of Mariah’s most notable tracks. Play along at home by finding the listener bracket here. Make a copy for yourself, fill it out, and see if your picks match up with ours! For the warm-up to this episode, in which we discuss even more Mariah songs we love that didn’t make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today. Looking for more reasons to become a Patreon supporter? Check out our Top 10 Patreon Perks. Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Subscribe to find out what’s new in pop culture each week right in your inbox! Vote in more pop culture polls! Check out our Open Polls. Your votes determine our future debates! Then, vote in our Future Topic Polls to have a say in what episodes we tackle next. Episode Credits Host: Eric Rezsnyak Panelist: Kevin Dillon Special Guests: Nick Everage, Steven Salvatore Producer: Curtis Creekmore Editor: Bob Erlenback Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch #mariahcarey #mariah #popmusic #rnb #hiphop #90smusic #00smusic #2010smusic #2020smusic #bestsongs #music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices