If anything about Mariah Carey害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淎ll I Want for Christmas is You害羞草研究所� annoys you, best to avoid shopping malls now. Or the radio. Maybe music altogether, for that matter.

Her 1994 carol dominates holiday music like nothing else.

The Christmas colossus has reached No. 1 on Billboard害羞草研究所檚 Hot 100 chart the past four years in a row 害羞草研究所� measuring the most popular songs each week by airplay, sales and streaming, not just the holiday-themed 害羞草研究所� and it害羞草研究所檚 reasonable to assume 2023 will be no different. One expert predicts it will soon exceed $100 million in earnings. Even its ringtone has sold millions.

害羞草研究所淭hat song is just embedded in history now,害羞草研究所� says , the 16-time Grammy-winning composer and producer. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 embedded in Christmas. When you think of Christmas right now, you think of that song.害羞草研究所�

Yet the story behind 害羞草研究所淎ll I Want for Christmas is You害羞草研究所� is not all holly and mistletoe.

The song害羞草研究所檚 co-authors, Carey and Walter Afanasieff, are in a mystifying feud. The authors of a different song with the same title have sued seeking $20 million in damages. While Carey calls herself the Queen of Christmas, her bid to trademark that title failed.

Every year on Nov. 1, the song害羞草研究所檚 hibernation ends when Carey posts on social media that 害羞草研究所渋t害羞草研究所檚 time害羞草研究所� to play it again. This year害羞草研究所檚 message depicted her being freed from a block of ice to make the declaration.

In both music and lyrics, the song was perfectly engineered for success, says , musicologist and professor at the Berklee College of Music. And it came from an artist who was at the top of her game at the time.

害羞草研究所淎ll I Want for Christmas is You害羞草研究所� works as a love and holiday song. Carey sets it up: She doesn害羞草研究所檛 care about all the holiday trappings, she has one thing 害羞草研究所� one person 害羞草研究所� on her mind. She sprinkles in specific holiday references, from Santa Claus to mistletoe.

The instruments and brisk arrangement recall Phil Spector害羞草研究所檚 1965 album, 害羞草研究所淎 Christmas Gift for You,害羞草研究所� itself a holiday classic. To top it off, part of the melody slyly references 害羞草研究所淲hite Christmas,害羞草研究所� Bennett says.

害羞草研究所淭hat was my goal, to do something timeless,害羞草研究所� Carey explained in a recent 害羞草研究所淕ood Morning America害羞草研究所� interview.

Billboard has produced lists of top seasonal hits since 2010, and 害羞草研究所淎ll I Want for Christmas is You害羞草研究所� has been No. 1 for 57 of the 62 weeks it has run, said Gary Trust, chart director. Will Page, Spotify害羞草研究所檚 former chief economist and author of the book 害羞草研究所淧ivot,害羞草研究所� estimates the song will exceed $100 million in earnings this holiday season.

害羞草研究所淏y most objective measures,害羞草研究所� Bennett says, 害羞草研究所渋t害羞草研究所檚 the most successful Christmas song of all time.害羞草研究所�

As Afanasieff has told it, much of the work on 害羞草研究所淎ll I Want for Christmas is You害羞草研究所� was done by him and Carey working in a rented house in the summer of 1994. The team had a history, working on Carey害羞草研究所檚 albums 害羞草研究所淓motions害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淢usic Box.害羞草研究所�

He started with a boogie-woogie piano, tossing out melodic ideas that Carey would respond to with lyrics, he said on , 害羞草研究所淗ot Takes & Deep Dives with Jess Rothschild害羞草研究所� (Afanasieff did not return messages from The Associated Press). Later, Carey completed the lyrics herself and Afanasieff recorded all the instruments, he said.

Then things became complicated. Carey was married at the time to Tommy Mottola, head of Sony Music. They broke up in 1997 and her relationship with Afanasieff, who kept working for Mottola, became a casualty of that fractured marriage. Afanasieff said they害羞草研究所檝e spoken once in more than 20 years, and it his contributions have been written out of Carey害羞草研究所檚 telling of the song害羞草研究所檚 creation.

On 害羞草研究所淕ood Morning America害羞草研究所� last month, she said, 害羞草研究所淚 was working on it by myself so I was writing on this little Casio keyboard, writing down words and thinking about, 害羞草研究所橶hat do I think about Christmas? What do I love? What do I want? What do I dream of?害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淎nd that害羞草研究所檚 what started it.害羞草研究所�

Afanasieff sounds almost bewildered by the turn of events. He that every holiday season he has to defend himself against people who don害羞草研究所檛 believe he co-wrote the song.

害羞草研究所淢ariah has been very wonderful, positive and a force of nature,害羞草研究所� he told Variety. 害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 the one that made the song a hit and she害羞草研究所檚 awesome. But she definitely does not share credit where credit is due.害羞草研究所�

Last month, songwriters Andy Stone and Troy Powers in federal court in California, seeking $20 million in copyright infringement and citing their own 1989 country song, 害羞草研究所淎ll I Want for Christmas is You.害羞草研究所�

Their song has a similar theme, with a narrator desiring a love interest before Christmas comforts. The writers cite an 害羞草研究所渙verwhelming likelihood害羞草研究所� the Carey and Afanasieff had heard their song.

The two songs have no musical similarities, Berklee害羞草研究所檚 Bennett says, and the theme is hardly unique. He pointed out Bing Crosby害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檙e All I Want for Christmas,害羞草研究所� Carla Thomas害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淎ll I Want for Christmas is You害羞草研究所� and Buck Owens害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淎ll I Want for Christmas, Dear, is You.害羞草研究所�

Says the musicologist: 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 nonsense.害羞草研究所�

In his podcast appearance, Afanasieff noted how Foster once told him that 害羞草研究所淎ll I Want for Christmas is You害羞草研究所� was the last song to enter the Christmas canon and 害羞草研究所渢hat vault is sealed.害羞草研究所�

Foster told AP he exaggerated a little, but not a lot. Writing a new holiday song is brutally hard, since you害羞草研究所檙e competing with not just current hits but hundreds of years of songs and memories. The old classics never go away.

害羞草研究所淚 just stay away from them, because they scare me,害羞草研究所� Foster says. 害羞草研究所淟yrically, it害羞草研究所檚 sort of all been done before 害羞草研究所� better than I can ever do.害羞草研究所�

While he appreciates Foster害羞草研究所檚 compliment, Afanasieff told Rothschild that he hoped others don害羞草研究所檛 take it to heart.

害羞草研究所淚 urge songwriters every year,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 time to write the next 害羞草研究所楢ll I Want for Christmas is You.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

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David Bauder writes about media, music and entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow him at

David Bauder, The Associated Press