Mariah Carey is Mariah Carey’s self titled studio album, released on June 12, 1990. It was featured as an Album of the Week during Week 137.
The album peaked at #1 during Week 28, with its longest stay at #1 lasting 3 consecutive weeks from Week 44.
The album produced the number-one hit "Vanishing", along with top-five hits "Vision of Love" and "I Don't Wanna Cry".
Album Review
| “
|
I'm pretty sure this debut is the only album where I know the words to pretty much every song — the singles, the deep cuts, everything. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime record, and there’s a reason why so many singers were inspired by it. I have no complaints at all: the vocals are flawless, the instrumentals have that perfect early ’90s sound, and the sequencing works beautifully, starting with Vision of Love and ending with Love Takes Time. This album earns a 95/100 from me, which is technically the highest I’ve ever rated an album. I genuinely believe this is one of the top 10 greatest albums of all time.
|
”
|
| — King Warz (January 2026)
|
Track-by-Track Review
| Track
|
Score (0–10)
|
Comment
|
| Vision of Love |
9.8 |
|
| There's Got to Be a Way |
9 |
|
| I Don't Wanna Cry |
10 |
|
| Someday |
9 |
|
| Vanishing |
10 |
|
| All in Your Mind |
9 |
|
| Alone in Love |
9.8 |
|
| You Need Me |
9.5 |
|
| Sent from Up Above |
9 |
|
| Prisoner |
10 |
|
| Love Takes Time |
8.9 |
|
Album Ranking
| Rank
|
Track
|
Score (0–10)
|
| 1 |
I Don't Wanna Cry |
10
|
| 2 |
Vanishing |
10
|
| 3 |
Prisoner |
10
|
| 4 |
Vision of Love |
9.8
|
| 5 |
Alone in Love |
9.8
|
| 6 |
You Need Me |
9.5
|
| 7 |
There's Got to Be a Way |
9
|
| 8 |
Someday |
9
|
| 9 |
All in Your Mind |
9
|
| 10 |
Sent from Up Above |
9
|
| 11 |
Love Takes Time |
8.9
|
Trait Scores
| Trait
|
Score (0–10)
|
Weight
|
Comment
|
| Replay Value |
10 |
7 |
Endless replay value — every track feels essential.
|
| Relatability |
9 |
5 |
Emotional themes that still connect deeply decades later.
|
| Vocals |
10 |
5 |
One of the greatest vocal debuts in music history.
|
| Production / Instrumentals |
10 |
4 |
Classic early ’90s production that has aged beautifully.
|
| Lyrics / Theme |
10 |
2 |
Strong storytelling and emotional depth throughout.
|
| Cohesion / Sequencing |
10 |
2 |
Perfect pacing from start to finish.
|
Calculation
| Name
|
Formula
|
| Track Rating Average (0–10) |
9.45
|
| Track Score (100-point) |
94.55
|
| Trait Average (0–10) |
9.8
|
| Trait Score (100-point) |
98
|
| Final Album Score (100-point) |
95.41
|
Chart Summary
Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey debuted on the King Warz Albums chart at #2 in Week 1 and has spent 52 total weeks on the chart. It has spent 4 weeks at #1 across 2 separate runs, the longest lasting 3 straight weeks from Week 44 to Week 46, the eighth-most weeks at #1 in chart history, and its longest stretch stands as the sixth-longest consecutive #1 run among albums. It stands as the fourth album ever to top the chart and the first official #1 album of 2023. It became Mariah Carey's third #1 album.
The album earned its highest weekly points total, 416, in Week 45 at #1. Its longest unbroken run on the chart lasted 17 weeks, from Week 36 to Week 52. The album has re-entered the chart 9 times, with gaps of 1 to 53 weeks between appearances; the first re-entry came in Week 10 and the most recent in Week 132. Of its 52 chart weeks, 31 have come inside the top 5, 42 inside the top 10 and 52 inside the top 20. The album has finished as the month's biggest album 3 times, the third-most of any album.
Among the 143 albums that have charted, it ranks #10 all-time. Across its charted weeks alone it has moved 8,257 units from 1,263 plays and 5,731 chart points, its chart presence driven 31% by raw streams and 69% by chart points; its certification also counts streaming from weeks off the chart. At 9x Platinum, it ranks tenth among the most certified albums in chart history.
2021 brought 5 chart weeks, peaking at #2, averaging #7, earning 507 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 1 (212 points), and it finished 2nd on the 2021 year-end chart with 785 units. 2022 brought 17 chart weeks, peaking at #2, averaging #6, earning 1,683 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 7 (189 points), and it finished 4th on the 2022 year-end chart with 2,603 units. In 2023, the album charted 17 times, peaking at #1 (3 weeks on top), averaging #5, earning 2,450 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 45 (416 points), and it finished 2nd on the 2023 year-end chart with 3,540 units. In 2024, the album charted 9 times, peaking at #1, averaging #7, earning 786 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 46 (344 points), and it finished 12th on the 2024 year-end chart with 1,157 units. In 2025, the album charted 1 time, peaking at #7, averaging #7, earning 41 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 68 (41 points). In 2026, the album charted 3 times, peaking at #3, averaging #10, earning 264 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 122 (154 points).
Notable Achievements
- The album topped the chart, earning Number One Hit Album status.
- The album is Mariah Carey's third #1 album on the King Warz Charts.
- It is the fourth album ever to top the chart, and the first official #1 album of 2023.
- Its 4 weeks at #1 are the eighth-most in chart history.
- Its 3-week run at #1 stands as the sixth-longest consecutive #1 run in album chart history.
- The album ranks #10 all-time on the King Warz Charts albums ranking.
- The album is certified 9x Platinum on the King Warz Charts, the tenth-most certified album in chart history.
- The album has topped the month-end chart 3 times, the third-most of any album.
Certifications
| Certification |
Achieved |
Units required |
Time to reach
|
| Gold |
December 3, 2021 (Week 4) |
500 |
402 days
|
| Platinum |
January 16, 2022 (Week 7) |
1,000 |
446 days
|
| 2× Platinum |
June 9, 2022 (Week 17) |
2,000 |
590 days
|
| 3× Platinum |
December 9, 2022 (Week 26) |
3,000 |
773 days
|
| 4× Platinum |
February 9, 2023 (Week 30) |
4,000 |
835 days
|
| 5× Platinum |
May 26, 2023 (Week 39) |
5,000 |
941 days
|
| 6× Platinum |
August 13, 2023 (Week 44) |
6,000 |
1,020 days
|
| 7× Platinum |
January 26, 2024 (Week 47) |
7,000 |
1,186 days
|
| 8× Platinum |
December 6, 2024 (Week 65) |
8,000 |
1,501 days
|
| 9× Platinum |
January 30, 2026 (Week 125) |
9,000 |
1,921 days
|
Listening Milestones
- First streamed on October 27, 2020 (Week 1).
- Biggest listening day: August 9, 2023 (40 plays).
- Reached 500 plays on November 28, 2022 (Week 25).
- Reached 1,000 plays on August 20, 2023 (Week 45).
- 1,691 total plays across 578 different days.
Chart Performance
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Chart History
Year End Chart Appearances
The album has appeared on 4 year-end charts.
| Year |
Position |
Weeks |
Units |
Plays |
Peak |
Peak Weeks
|
| 2024 |
12 |
9 |
1,157 |
176 |
1 |
—
|
| 2023 |
2 |
17 |
3,540 |
545 |
1 |
3
|
| 2022 |
4 |
17 |
2,603 |
422 |
2 |
6
|
| 2021 |
2 |
5 |
785 |
139 |
2 |
—
|
Month End Chart Appearances
The album has appeared on 26 month-end charts.
| Month |
Year |
Position |
Weeks |
Units |
Plays |
Peak |
Peak Weeks
|
| January |
2026 |
18 |
1 |
344 |
75 |
3 |
—
|
| September |
2024 |
19 |
1 |
142 |
26 |
7 |
—
|
| August |
2024 |
13 |
1 |
42 |
9 |
14 |
—
|
| July |
2024 |
5 |
1 |
62 |
1 |
5 |
—
|
| May |
2024 |
4 |
2 |
157 |
14 |
4 |
—
|
| April |
2024 |
6 |
1 |
73 |
13 |
6 |
—
|
| March |
2024 |
3 |
1 |
119 |
14 |
3 |
—
|
| January |
2024 |
1 |
1 |
346 |
1 |
1 |
—
|
| September |
2023 |
1 |
1 |
430 |
7 |
1 |
—
|
| August |
2023 |
1 |
2 |
1,226 |
219 |
1 |
2
|
| July |
2023 |
2 |
2 |
368 |
49 |
2 |
—
|
| June |
2023 |
3 |
2 |
233 |
45 |
4 |
—
|
| May |
2023 |
3 |
2 |
367 |
58 |
2 |
—
|
| April |
2023 |
11 |
2 |
186 |
23 |
3 |
—
|
| March |
2023 |
2 |
2 |
323 |
34 |
2 |
—
|
| February |
2023 |
2 |
2 |
265 |
31 |
2 |
—
|
| January |
2023 |
2 |
2 |
564 |
82 |
1 |
—
|
| December |
2022 |
2 |
3 |
583 |
69 |
2 |
2
|
| November |
2022 |
4 |
1 |
216 |
49 |
5 |
—
|
| October |
2022 |
5 |
1 |
138 |
18 |
5 |
—
|
| July |
2022 |
8 |
1 |
97 |
10 |
7 |
—
|
| March |
2022 |
14 |
2 |
217 |
43 |
9 |
—
|
| January |
2022 |
2 |
2 |
435 |
55 |
2 |
2
|
| December |
2021 |
2 |
3 |
364 |
58 |
4 |
—
|
| November |
2021 |
9 |
1 |
83 |
18 |
15 |
—
|
| October |
2021 |
2 |
1 |
242 |
15 |
2 |
—
|
