Top 5: Best Mariah Carey Albums

Mariah Carey defines what it means to be an icon. Her voice is one of the most recognizable in the music industry and her sound has been emulated many times over by aspiring R&B singers. She’s broken countless records and continues to be an enduring symbol of greatness in popular culture.

With her latest album Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse set for release later this month, I’ve decided to count down Mariah Carey’s top five greatest albums. These are her most cohesive and groundbreaking works to date, featuring some of her most iconic songs and biggest vocals.

05. Emotions (1991)

As the follow-up to her multi-platinum debut album, Emotions is a beautiful showcase of Mariah Carey’s incomparable voice. With influences of gospel and soul, this record saw Carey showing a wide range of emotion across this ten-track set. From the celebratory “Make It Happen” to the vengeful “You’re So Cold,” Carey belts it out like no one else can.

Recommended Listening: “Emotions,” “And You Don’t Remember,” “Can’t Let Go,” “Make It Happen,” “You’re So Cold”

04. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009)

Perhaps one of her more underrated albums, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel has everything it needs to be a great Mariah Carey record. It has big ballads with soaring vocals and playful uptempo tracks that are trademarks in Carey’s career. Memoirs was a return to form for the songstress and remains one of her most consistent works to date.

Recommended Listening: “Obsessed,” “H.A.T.E.U.,” “Up Out My Face,” “Angels Cry,” “I Want to Know What Love Is”

03. The Emancipation of Mimi (2005)

Often cited as one of the greatest comebacks in music history, The Emancipation of Mimi topped the US Billboard 200 chart and scored Mariah Carey three Grammy Awards. This contemporary R&B album features some of the strongest work Carey has done in her career and it single-handedly showed critics that she is one singer who is not to be underestimated.

Recommended Listening: “It’s Like That,” “We Belong Together,” “Shake It Off,” “I Wish You Knew,” “Fly Like a Bird”

02. Daydream (1995)

In this diamond certified release, Mariah Carey slays it on each and every track. Daydream is a gorgeous collection of songs that finds the right balance between big ballads and uptempo dance tracks. It’s a cohesive work that showcased Carey’s increasing interest in R&B and hip-hop, granting the singer a string of #1 hits. Daydream is also notable for being the cause of one of the biggest controversies in Grammy history when it failed to win any of the six awards it had been nominated for.

Recommended Listening: “Fantasy,” “One Sweet Day,” “Open Arms,” “Always Be My Baby,” “When I Saw You”

01. Butterfly (1997)

Considered Mariah Carey’s magnum opus, Butterfly is the critically-acclaimed album that saw Carey take full control over her career and sound. It pushed the songstress even further into the realm of R&B and hip-hop, transforming her into one of the greatest contemporary R&B singers of the 20^th century. It is a near flawless album that changed the trajectory of Carey’s career and set the bar for all big voiced singers that followed.

Recommended Listening: “Honey,” “Butterfly,” “My All,” “Whenever You Call,” “Outside”

Top 5: Mariah Carey Songs to Listen to After a Break-Up

As one of the most successful artists of all time, Mariah Carey has built an empire for herself as a peerless vocalist and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads, Mariah has documented love in all forms over the course of her illustrious career and has crafted some of the most heartrending break-up anthems within the past twenty years. She's helped a generation of music lovers through the trials and tribulations of love with her songs. For anyone looking for a musical remedy to heartbreak, here are the top five Mariah Carey songs to listen to after a break-up.

“Love Takes Time”

An old school ballad with a simple message, “Love Takes Time” speaks of the post-break-up pain with incredible honesty and relatability. It features Mariah at the top of her game and is one of her most evocative ballads to date.

“Can’t Let Go”

It’s inevitable that at some point we find ourselves unable to move on after a break-up and “Can’t Let Go” summarizes this occurrence perfectly. Mariah is wounded and vulnerable on the ballad while the lyrics are resonant in their frankness.

“Butterfly”

Even though it sucks to be dumped, sometimes it’s just as hard to let someone go. “Butterfly” is one of Mariah’s most personal records to date with its heartfelt lyrics of allowing a loved one to depart. The sweeping ballad can be favourably compared to the iconic break-up anthem “I Will Always Love You.”

“We Belong Together”

A return to form for Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together” is one of her most stirring ballads with its flawless vocals and devastatingly honest lyrics. The track is made all the more affecting due to the impassioned note Mariah holds during the song's conclusion.

“Someday”

Though she may be known for her weepy ballads, Mariah Carey can stand her ground and dish out sass like any good diva. On her classic track “Someday,” Mariah puts an ex in his place. The track proves nothing is better than the satisfaction of knowing who the ‘winner’ is in the game of love.