The song reached new heights on Billboard and bears the signature of Sao Paulo native Walter Afanasieff, who helped turn it into a Christmas classic
The song breaks new records
Mariah Carey’s holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” broke two new Billboard records this week. The song topped the Hot 100 for the 17th time, becoming the highest-charting song of the artist’s career. The single surpassed the singer’s previous record, set in 1995 with “One Sweet Day”, a duet with Boyz II Men, which remained at the top for 16 weeks.
Additionally, the hit has already topped the Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks this holiday season, cementing itself as one of the strongest oldies to return to the top in the chart’s history – second only to “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey.
Brazilian composer behind the success
A curious detail about this success is that the co-author of the song is Brazilian. The son of Russian immigrants, producer and composer Walter Afanasieff was born in Sao Paulo in 1958 and moved as a child to San Francisco, United States, where he began his musical career as a jazz keyboardist.
Afanasieff worked with Mariah Carey on several hits, including “Hero” and “One Sweet Day,” but “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” released in 1994, became his most popular work. According to the composer, the secret of the song lies in its simple structure and engaging melody, which is reminiscent of Christmas classics.
Financial and cultural impact
Since its release, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has generated millions of dollars annually for Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff. The song is estimated to have earned more than $100 million in royalties over the decades.
Trajectory of a timeless classic
For all its current impact, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” wasn’t an overnight phenomenon. In the year of its release, in 1994, the song only reached the 12th position among the most played on radio in the United States. The big boost came years later, when the song was included in the soundtrack of the film “Love Happens” (2003), gaining prominence in an evocative scene that introduced it to a worldwide audience.
From then on the hit began to climb positions in the charts and established itself as a constant gift at Christmas. In the 2010s, with the advancement of digital platforms, the hit became ubiquitous on holiday playlists and gained new releases and promotional material, strengthening its popularity among several generations. In 2019, it reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time, repeating the feat in all subsequent holiday seasons through 2024.
The song also became the first Christmas song to reach 2 billion plays on Spotify.
Source: Terra

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.