Best Mariah Carey Albums
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Butterfly
Everything in this album proves that it deserves to be in the number one spot on every Mariah Carey album chart. From the very vivid and deep lyricism down to the unspoken emotions of her true self, and also don't forget her very wonderful vocals.
I think this is really her best because it reflects who she really is, and she's now free and honest about her music. This took me to another Mariah that's far better than most of her albums. It's like she's letting us take a peek at what she really feels inside.
Honestly, it boils down to this and "Daydream." But I love "Butterfly" a little more for several reasons. She grew up from "Daydream" and the previous albums. It's like she said, "Cut the crap, I'm singing for real. Forget the princess-y singing, I'm doing me," and thus "Butterfly" marked a new starting point in her career.
Only true Mariah fans would know what I am talking about. "Daydream" is an awesome album too, but when you compare it to this album, "Butterfly" wins because it is simply more realistic in a sense.
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Daydream
This is such a beautiful, dreamy album. "Fantasy" is my favorite song because it gives me the vibe I need to make my dreams come true. It makes me think about intimacy and passion, like Aladdin and Jasmine's love relationship.
"One Sweet Day" is also perfect for Aladdin and Jasmine because I imagine them singing this song with the same exact voices from the original song in my mind, with the Genie doing a couple of speaking parts! This song is also so satisfying to me! Otherwise, the songs on this album are really good!
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Mariah Carey
This and Butterfly are easily her best albums. Both have beautiful ballads and danceable tracks which are not reductive hip-hop songs.
Top picks: Vision of Love, Vanishing, Love Takes Time, and There's Got To Be A Way!
The Emancipation of Mimi is overrated, and Charmbracelet and Emotions are underrated.
A very impressive debut. This album was just the starting point of her career, and she kept getting better as the '90s progressed.
This is just a small effort compared to what she would later achieve and become.
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Music Box
To me, this album is better than the rest and is my personal favorite by Mariah Carey. In my opinion, the theme is beautiful compared to albums like "Butterfly" and "Daydream," especially in terms of Mariah's music and looks. This is what I consider a perfect pop album by a female artist.
My favorite song is "Without You." Even though it is a cover, the song is perfect. It has a vibrant and enjoyable vibe, gives us emotions, and the vocals, especially at the end, are heartwarming. I believe it should easily have become a #1 hit since the vocals are very satisfying to some music fans. I also love the album package, especially the front cover of the cropped version of a photo shoot. If you see the entire version of that photo, she looks so beautiful, especially her curly hair full of cinnamon and elegance.
"Hero" is a great song too. Its theme is about being yourself for a reason. The songs are all perfect, in my opinion, especially the pop ones, and I'm glad this became a generation of pop music. I am also surprised that this became Mariah Carey's best-seller worldwide! Way to go, Mariah, for keeping up with the songs and vocals!
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Emotions
I love Mariah so much, but this is the only studio album where there are no songs that I would classify as bad or just okay. The singles are classics, the uptempos are underrated, as in "So Blessed," but the final two tracks take the cake.
"Till the End of Time" is in my top 10 favorite Mariah songs, and "The Wind" stands out as completely unique in Mariah's catalog and is chilling. This took the formula of her debut and made it so much better. "Butterfly" is very close and has more standouts, but "Emotions" is more consistent.
This album is so much better than her debut. Her debut was impressive and great. This album proved that she was holding back on her first. She just let go and let God have His vocal moments through her.
Can't Let Go is the best song on this album, and she has a great gospel hit, Make It Happen. To Be Around You is the most underrated song on this album and could have easily been a number one.
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The Emancipation of Mimi
For those who listen to the details, like me, this is the most elaborated album recorded by Mariah Carey. Honestly, it's a fantastic body of work!
On one hand, you've got the breathtaking songs "Mine Again," "I Wish You Knew," "Circles," and "Fly Like a Bird," which no one else in the world could sing the way she did. On the other hand, you've got tracks like "One and Only," "So Lonely," "We Belong Together," "Makin' It Last All Night," and "Joyride" that are true mood setters and are just brilliantly crafted up to their very last second!
A must for everyone who enjoys good music with stunning vocals!
When Mariah shuts up all her haters and doubters without needing to throw insults or shade, but with pure talent, she releases The Emancipation of Mimi. This album is not only the album of the decade, but will go on to become the album of the century.
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Rainbow
This album is an underrated masterpiece. The songs had some good musicality and interesting stuff on it, which are satisfying to listen to.
Too bad this album was kind of incomplete because Mariah was trying to leave the Sony/Columbia label to escape from one of her marriages that was already divorced at the time. It probably would've fought "Butterfly" as the best one though, if it had been completed without any problems.
"Heartbreaker" is such an amazing song. So are the others, but my favorite song out of all of them is "Thank God I Found You." I found this song so fun and nostalgic to listen to, and it's perfect. There is even an Aladdin and Jasmine AMV of that song that still hasn't been deleted. It was uploaded back in 2006. That's what makes it even more nostalgic. If you want to see it, let me know!
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Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse
Believe it or not, this album is what made me become a huge Mariah fan. It is the best one she made since 2005. The only song I don't like is "You Don't Know What to Do" featuring Wale. Mariah just continues to prove that she can stay relevant and true to her sound.
I played this album for some kids of this generation, some not even knowing who she was, and they agreed that she has a really good voice (understatement) and the music is really good. Even grown folks like the album.
An underrated gem, to be honest! This gives a good example of what good music is compared to today's music.
It's a good thing Mariah Carey still makes good music! This album is also pretty interesting as well.
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Caution
I believe this album is like a follow-up to E=MC2 (but with no fillers). It's fun and sounds really current, with the exception of With You and Portrait.
This album will capture the younger generation.
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Charmbracelet
This is one of the best, if not her best, albums. Between 1997-2002 (with the exception of Glitter), Mariah wrote the most personal songs of her career. There is not one bad song on this album, and I continue to be uplifted by My Saving Grace and Through the Rain, which are, in my opinion, her best and most inspirational songs. They are my two most favorite songs in her entire career.
Sorry, We Belong Together, Touch My Body, Don't Forget About Us, and Obsessed may be the biggest songs of the latter half of her career, but to those who have not heard Charmbracelet, you're missing out BIG TIME.
This is truly such an underrated masterpiece. For me, this album is definitely her best (yes, Butterfly and Daydream stans, y'all read me right), and it's one of her most personal.
My favorite songs here are Irresistible, Yours, Sunflower for Alfred Roy, and You Got Me.
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The Collection
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Japan Best
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E=MC2
Not my favorite from her because many songs are a little superficial. However, I think this is a very fun album because she finally got to a place where she did not have to prove herself vocally for everyone to know that she is one of the greatest artists ever.
Tracks 7-11 should have been scrapped, and she should have used some of the leftovers from the last album and this album to replace them. "Once in a Lifetime," "Sprung," "4real4real," and "Secret Love" would have made this album a force to be reckoned with. The album is worth listening to, but the best song is "For the Record," with her longest whistle note to date.
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Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
Great album, but too many slow songs. The songs are all great, don't get me wrong, but a little more upbeat would have been great.
Nevertheless, this is her most soulful album of the 2000s. Almost every song is guaranteed to get you hooked. There is not a bad song on this record.
The most soulful album she's made in the 2000s. There are too many slow songs and not enough upbeat ones. However, there is no bad track on this album. Any song is guaranteed to get you hooked.
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Merry Christmas
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Glitter
A criminally underrated album. Incredibly diverse songs, very high production quality, and god-level songwriting. Her vocal work here is just beyond perfect.
Standout songs: Reflections, Lead the Way, Never Too Far, Twister, Want You, Didn't Mean to Turn You On, Don't Stop, and Loverboy.
This album has some of Mariah Carey's best vocals. Listen to Lead the Way. Loverboy, Want You, and Didn't Mean to Turn You On are the sorts of music that inspired Mariah.
An absolutely brilliant album.
Mariah never sang so powerfully and fully as she did here. Vocally, this beats out all of her previous eras.
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Merry Christmas II You
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MTV Unplugged
I wouldn't consider this an album, but more of a CD with live performances (if there is a difference). There is no new material except for the Jackson 5 smash hit cover. She proves that she can sing live just as well as she can in the studio, and that her voice is not a trick of the studio but the real McCoy.
What is better than a Mariah '90s album? An album of songs Mariah performed live!
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#1 to Infinity
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The Ballads
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The Essential Mariah Carey
I remember listening to this album on an Etihad airplane. This album made me fall in love with Mariah Carey!
Very nice album! We Belong Together is a very good song.
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The Art of Letting Go
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#1's
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The Remixes
I don't consider this to be a real album, but it's a great asset for those who collect Mariah's albums. I'm not too crazy about the house remix CD, but the hip-hop/R&B remixes are where it's at. Mariah knows how to make remixes. Everyone else needs to take notes. To make a true remix, you have to:
1. Re-sing the song but add something new or different to it. Don't completely copy the original.
2. Don't be afraid to incorporate songs/lyrics from another source. If you want to have legendary remixes, musical allusions are always nice. Just be as original as possible.
3. Make it better than the original. That should always be your goal when redoing your work. Do better, not mediocre.
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Angels Advocate
The Nicki Minaj-assisted track Up Out My Face is the standout here.
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Valentines
