Cultural impact of Mariah Carey

For the public perception of Carey, see Public image of Mariah Carey.

Widely considered one of the greatest singers in the history of popular music, Mariah Carey has affected popular culture and the music industry in various ways. Her rise to success as a multiracial American helped break barriers in the music industry and in popular culture; media scrutiny and her public responses facilitated emerging public conversations about multiracialism and representation.

Carey is credited with revolutionizing the usage of distinguished vocal stylings such as melisma and the whistle register. She is also credited for and was among the first artists to merge hip-hop with pop through her collaborations and remixes, notably with "Fantasy" featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard. Her career, noted for its longevity, has influenced and inspired artists on American Idol and worldwide. Her music has been recorded, performed, and sampled by various acts. She has received several honors and tributes including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Billboard's Icon Award, and the Grammy Global Impact Award.

Carey has been commercially successful and well-received by music critics. In the United States, she has broken several Billboard records, including most number-one singles by a solo artist (19), and has spent a record 100 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. She has also broken records internationally, and is the best-selling Western artist in Japan. Dubbed the "Queen of Christmas" and a holiday icon, Carey has broken several physical and streaming records with her Christmas music, particularly with the song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" which has been called one of the greatest holiday songs of all time, and her 1994 album Merry Christmas which is one of the best-selling Christmas album of all time.

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