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For 30 years Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You has been the soundtrack to Christmas.

Released as part of the singer’s fourth studio album, Merry Christmas – her first festive-themed collection of songs – the track had modest beginnings, peaking at number two in the UK singles chart and number 12 in the US.

But over time, the song seems to have taken on a life of its own.

This year alone, it has topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts for the sixth year in a row, surpassed two billion streams on Spotify, and has reached 16x Platinum – selling more than 16 million units, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

From the opening chimes of the xylophone to the propulsive beat kicking in at the 50-second mark, what is it about All I Want For Christmas Is You that has kept it a beloved holiday staple for the last three decades?

‘Do something timeless’

Claiming it was the first Christmas song she ever wrote, Carey revealed in a 2019 Amazon documentary that she started writing the hit on a keyboard in her home while the 1946 film It’s A Wonderful Life played in the background.

In a 2023 interview with Good Morning America, Carey said her “goal” was to “do something timeless that didn’t feel like the ’90s,” drawing inspiration from Phil Spector’s 1965 album A Christmas Gift For You.

Walter Afanasieff, the song’s co-writer and co-producer, recalls the creative process slightly differently.

He told Deadline in 2022 that he and Carey wrote the song together in the summer of 1994 at a home the singer was renting.

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Mariah Carey - 01 Dec 1994
New York Ny Photograph of Mariah Carey in December 1994

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Carey in December 1994. Pic: Pace/Mediapunch/Shutterstock


“I started playing a boogie-woogie, kind of a rock. Mariah chimed in and started singing ‘I don’t want a lot for Christmas,'” he explained.

Afanasieff credited Carey for the lyrics and melodies while he was responsible for “all of the music and the chords”.

Remarkably, the entire song was completed in just 15 minutes.

Mariah Carey performs during the Mariah Carey's Christmas Time tour on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP)
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Carey performing during her 2024 Christmas Time tour. Pic: Paul R Giunta/Invision/AP

Nate Sloan, music journalist and co-host of the Switched On Pop podcast, believes the track’s success “resides in its sense of timelessness”.

“Though recorded in the 1990s, it has a sound that would be at home in multiple eras of American popular music,” he told Sky News.

“Few songs since the 1960s have been able to penetrate the annual ‘Christmas canon.’ Carey’s opus, with its throwback sound, is a perfect candidate for lasting appeal.”

But it would take more than 20 years for the song to hit number one in the US (2019) and UK (2020), breaking multiple chart records in the process.

What do the numbers say?

All I Want For Christmas Is You has achieved remarkable success. It is ranked as Billboard’s number one holiday song of all time, has spent 16 weeks at the top of the Hot 100 chart – the most for any holiday song – and 62 of its 70 weeks on the Holiday 100 chart were at number one.

In the UK, Carey’s hit reached number one twice – in 2020 and 2022 – but has never officially been the coveted Christmas number one, which goes to the song with the highest sales or streams in the week of 25th December.

In 1994, East 17’s Stay Another Day claimed the title, and in 2020, LadBaby’s charity single Don’t Stop Me Eatin’ beat it despite Carey’s song climbing the charts faster than ever that year.

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Azzedine Fall, director of music at streaming app Deezer, suggested that stiff competition in the 1990s delayed Carey’s chart success.

“In the 90s, Carey’s hits like Hero and Emotions were more dominant, making All I Want For Christmas Is You less central. Over time, however, it became her signature song,” he told Sky News.

“It is much easier to find the song now than it was back then. The development of technology has meant the song has become more exposed.”

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Data given to Sky News by enterprise software company, Sprinklr, reveals that mentions of the song peak in the last month of the year with more than 1.3 million global mentions in December for the past four years – topping at 675,824 mentions in 2021.

While it loses out to Wham’s Last Christmas in terms of mentions in the media from 2020-2024, Sprinklr data excludes how songs perform on streaming platforms.

On Spotify, Carey reigns supreme with two billion streams compared to Wham’s 1.7 billion.

It also performs better on Apple Music and Amazon Music, according to Songstats, and has been used in 17.6 million videos on TikTok, as opposed to 443,000 for Last Christmas.

What makes it so popular?

“The song just sounds like the holidays,” Gary Trust, managing director of charts and data operations at Billboard, told Sky News.

“It mixes classic Motown with newer production that still feels fresh. It’s a blend of familiar yet updated – that’s always a good recipe for a hit.”

Mr Trust said the concept of the song, being one about longing and love, also makes it relatable.

“Add in its propulsive beat – every line just seems to roll into the next – and it’s easy to see how the song has become so prominent in pop culture every holiday season,” he said.

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MARIAH CAREY LAUNCHING HER CHRISTMAS ALBUM IN NEW YORK, AMERICA - 1994
Mariah Carey

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Carey launching her Merry Christmas album in 1994. Pic: Startraks/Shutterstock


Comparing the song’s appeal to classics from the 1960s like Bing Crosby’s Winter Wonderland and Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, Jane Butler, senior lecturer of popular music at Oxford Brookes University, noted that Carey’s song follows a similar recipe.

“Strong female vocals against slightly orchestral piano backgrounds seems to be quite a good formula,” she said.

She added that the song itself is a “really interesting mixture of making you wait”.

“In the introduction, you know something exciting is going to happen, which is what waiting for Christmas feels like. Then, when the song gets going, it’s like ‘this is very exciting’.”

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The 2010 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade, Florida, America - 03 Dec 2010
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Carey in 2010 performing at Disney Christmas parade. Pic: Startraks/Shutterstock


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MARIAH CAREY'S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, Mariah Carey, (aired Dec. 4, 2020). photo: ©Apple TV+ / Courtesy Everett Collection

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And again in 2020 for her Magical Christmas Special for Apple TV+. Pic: Apple TV/Everett/Shutterstock

Music journalist Mr Sloan emphasised that the track’s “retro nostalgia” is a driving force behind its enduring success.

“An angelic choir supporting Mariah, jingling sleigh bells, and an old-school song form – combined with Carey’s stunning, effortless vocal technique – make it an instant classic,” he said.

Could it still be popular in the 2050s?

Fast-forward another 30 years – could All I Want For Christmas Is You be crowned Christmas number one in 2054?

Our experts think it is entirely possible.

Mr Fall said that Carey is so deeply associated with Christmas that the song will outlast her.

“Even way after her death, she will be remembered as the singer of a Christmas anthem,” he said.

“In another 20 to 30 years, maybe even 50, again and again it will all be about Mariah Carey and Christmas.”

Carey’s savvy marketing strategies have also helped keep the song relevant.

By performing and re-releasing updated versions of the song – including this year’s 30th-anniversary edition – licensing its use in films like the 2003 romcom Love Actually, and even launching her own line of Christmas decorations, Carey has ensured the track’s lasting legacy.

A 2016 Carpool Karaoke performance of the song for James Corden’s Late Late Show, with a host of celebrity faces including Carey, Adele, Lady Gaga and Elton John, meant it was the perfect clip for people to share on social media.

The video has been watched 55 million times at the time of writing.

“This is what Christmas music is,” Ms Butler added. “Lots of audiences have been exposed to it in exciting settings.

“I think Carey is an extremely astute businesswoman, and she has managed to use that to her advantage.”

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Tom Cruise leads moment of silence in tribute to ‘dear friend’ Val Kilmer

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Tom Cruise leads moment of silence in tribute to 'dear friend' Val Kilmer

Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.

Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.

Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.

Tom Cruise, star of the upcoming film "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," leads a moment of silence for late actor Val Kilmer during the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at Caesars Palace on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP

Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
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Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP

His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.

Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.

“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.

“I wish you well on the next journey.”

The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.

Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.

Tom Cruise takes part in the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at Caesars Palace on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP

Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.

He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.

Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.

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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.

In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.

The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.

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Bruce Springsteen: The Boss to release seven ‘lost’ albums

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Bruce Springsteen: The Boss to release seven 'lost' albums

Bruce Springsteen is to release seven albums of mostly unheard material this summer.

The US singer said the songs, written and re-recorded between 1983 and 2018, were being made public after he began completing “everything I had in my vault” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a short video posted on Instagram, Springsteen said the albums were “records that were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released”.

The 83-song collection is being released in a box set called Tracks II: The Lost Albums and goes on sale on 27 June.

Some 74 of the tracks have never been heard before.

Springsteen first teased the release on Wednesday morning with a short social media video accompanied by text which said: “What was lost has been found”.

Tracks II is the follow-up to the star’s first Tracks volume, a four-CD collection of 66 unreleased songs, released in 1998.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 26, 2025: Bruce Springsteen took the stage at Carnegie Hall for People Have the Power: A Celebration of Patti Smith, an electrifying tribute to the legendary artist. The event, presented by Michael Dorf, honored Smiths profound impact on music, poetry, and activism, bringing together an all-star lineup to perform her most iconic songs. (Photo: Giada Papini Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire). Photo by: Giada Papini Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
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Bruce Springsteen at New York’s Carnegie Hall at a tribute to Patti Smith last month. Pic: PA

The New Jersey-born rocker, nicknamed The Boss, last released a studio album in 2022.

Only the Strong Survive was a collection of covers, including songs by Motown and soul artists, such as the Four Tops, The Temptations, The Supremes, Frankie Wilson and Jimmy Ruffin.

The late soul legend Sam Moore, who died in January and was a frequent Springsteen collaborator, sang on two of the tracks.

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Springsteen is coming to the UK in May to launch a two-month tour of Europe with his E Street Band.

The shows will include performances at the Co-op Live in Manchester and Liverpool’s Anfield stadium.

The singer-songwriter has sold more than 140 million records since his debut on the music scene in 1973, according to his website.

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Stalker who believed Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas was his aunt avoids jail

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Stalker who believed Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas was his aunt avoids jail

A man who stalked Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas for six years has avoided jail.

Kyle Shaw, 37, got a 20-month suspended sentence and a lifetime restraining order on contacting Ballas, her mother, niece, and former partner.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that he thought Ballas was his aunt and “began a persistent campaign of contact”.

“He believed, and it’s evident from what he was told by his mother, that her late brother was his father,” said prosecutor Nicola Daley.

The court heard there was no evidence he was wrong, and “limited evidence” he was correct.

Ms Daley said Shaw’s messages had accused Ballas of being to blame for the death of her brother, who took his own life in 2003 aged 44.

He also set up social media accounts in his name.

Shaw had pleaded guilty to stalking the former dancer between August 2017 and November 2023 at a hearing in February.

Incidents included following Ballas’s 86-year-old mother, Audrey Rich, while she was shopping and telling her she was his grandmother.

The court heard in messages to Mrs Rich, Shaw had asked: “Where’s my dad?”

Ballas was so worried for her mother’s safety that she moved her from Merseyside to London.

Shaw outside court on the day of his sentencing. Pic: PA
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Kyle Shaw outside court on the day of his sentencing. Pic: PA

In October 2020, Ballas called police after Shaw messaged her and said: “Do you want me to kill myself, Shirley?”

Posts on X included one alongside an image of her home address that warned: “You ruined my life, I’ll ruin yours and everyone’s around you.”

Another referenced a book signing and said: “I can’t wait to meet you for the first time Aunty Shirley. Hopefully I can get an autograph.”

The court was told Ballas’s niece Mary Assall, former partner Daniel Taylor and colleagues from Strictly Come Dancing and ITV’s Loose Women were also sent messages.

‘I know where you live’

On one occasion in late 2023, Shaw called Mr Taylor and told him he knew where the couple lived and described Ballas’s movements.

The court heard the 64-year-old TV star become wary of socialising and stopped using public transport.

Prosecutor Ms Daley said: “She described having sleepless nights worrying about herself and her family’s safety and being particularly distressed when suggestions were made to her that she and her mother were responsible for her brother taking his own life.”

Man accused of stalking Shirley Ballas
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Ballas has been head judge on Strictly Come Dancing since 2017. Pic: PA

Shaw cried and wiped away tears as he was sentenced on Tuesday.

The judge said the stalking stemmed from his mother telling him Ballas’s brother, David Rich, was his biological father.

“I’m satisfied that your motive for this offending was a desire to seek contact with people you genuinely believed were your family,” he said.

“Whether in fact there’s any truth in that belief is difficult, if not impossible, to determine.”

Kyle Shaw leaves Liverpool Crown Court, where he is charged with stalking Strictly judge Shirley Ballas.
Pic: PA
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Shaw pictured at court in February. Pic: PA

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Defence lawyer John Weate said Shaw had been told the story by his mother “in his mid to late teens” and had suffered “complex mental health issues” since he was a child.

He added: “He now accepts that Miss Ballas and her family don’t wish to have any contact with him and, importantly, he volunteered the information that he has no intention of contacting them again.”

Shaw, of Whetstone Lane in Birkenhead, also admitted possessing cannabis and was ordered to undertake a rehab programme.

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