Mariah Carey's 30 greatest singles – ranked!
30. Save the Day (2020)
Written and recorded in 2011, but – in Carey’s own words – “left in a holding pattern for a special reason”, this eventually came out this summer, by which time its lyrics, not least the line “we’re all in this together”, sounded weirdly appropriate. Lauryn Hill’s guest appearance turned out to be in sampled form, but never mind: the real power is in Carey’s heartfelt vocal.
29. I’ll Be There (1992)
Carey’s appearance on MTV Unplugged was a big deal: she had previously avoided live performances, which led to questions about how well her voice might hold up on stage. The live version of I’ll Be There – a highlight of the MTV performance that became a US No 1 – answered them with considerable aplomb.
28. I Still Believe (1999)
There is a neat circularity about
Carey’s cover of the ballad I Still Believe: it was originally recorded in 1987 by Brenda K Starr, for whom a pre-fame Carey sang backing and who pressed
Carey’s demo tape on CBS executive Tommy Mottola, helping to secure her a record deal. Perhaps understandably, she sings the hell out of it.
27. Touch My Body (2008)
It is a shame that the E=MC2 album’s opening track, the Danja-produced, T-Pain-featuring Migrate, was never released as a single, but the record’s big hit was charming nonetheless. A more lubricious slow jam than Carey would have countenanced a decade before, it was also witty: “If there’s a camera up in here then I’d best not catch this flick on YouTube.”
26. You Don’t Know What to Do (2014)
There’s something of the spirit of Donna Summer’s Last Dance about the final single taken from the amazingly