The ‘90s was an extraordinary year for five-time Grammy winner Mariah Carey who released a colossal 14 number one hits throughout the decade, shortly followed by a further four number ones in the ‘00s. Aren’t you just itching to know who writes Mariah’s hit singles?
Mariah writes her own songs in cooperation with other songwriters. She has an extensive list of songwriting credits and has writing credits on all the songs that have created her legendary legacy.
Read on if you’d like to learn more about Mariah’s ‘90s hit singles and who she has co-written them with.
Hit Singles in the ‘90s
In the ‘90s, Mariah released hit singles: Vision of Love, I Don’t Wanna Cry, Love Takes Time, Emotions, Whenever You Call, My All, Honey, Always Be My Baby, One Sweet Day, Fantasy, Hero, Dreamlover and Someday. The fourteenth hit single Mariah released was a Jackson 5 cover, I’ll Be There that she didn’t write.
Vision of Love (1990)
Vision of Love is a song about being grateful to God and not a lover, peaking the charts at number 1 in August of 1990, remaining on the charts for 22 weeks. Mariah co-wrote the song with Ben Margulies, a fellow Grammy-nominated songwriter, who shares a record label with Tresona.
I Don’t Wanna Cry (1991)
I Don’t Wanna Cry is the first song Mariah didn’t co-write with Ben, but in an interview with MTV, she revealed she’s not a fan of the song and it seems that she does anything to avoid performing it. Mariah co-wrote the song with Narada Michael Walden.
I Don’t Wanna Cry peaked at number 1 in May of ‘91, remaining on the charts for 19 weeks.
Love Takes Time (1990)
Love Takes Time is a song that describes how healing from the loss of a lover takes time, especially when love for an ex-lover remains. Mariah co-wrote this song with Ben Margulies.
Emotions (1991)
Emotions was a hit single for Mariah in the ‘90s that allowed her to showcase her vocal range, especially towards the end of the song where it’s reported she sounded like a G sharp, which is three and a half octaves above a middle C – basically, Mariah was hittin’ the high notes.
The song spent 20 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 1 in October of ‘91, a month after its release and was co-written with Robert Clivillé and David Cole.
Whenever You Call (1997)
Whenever You Call is a romantic love song that’s about two people who are in love but they’re far apart, and it’s co-written with Walter Afanasieff, a multiple Grammy award-winning record-maker, and songwriter.
My All (1998)
My All was released as part of Mariah’s sixth studio album, topping the charts at number 1 in May of ‘98 just one month after its release. It’s a song that holds great meaning for Mariah, and it was co-written with Walter Afanasieff.
Honey (1997)
Honey was released in August 1997, and by September it had peaked at number 1 and held its position on the charts for 20 weeks. It was co-written with Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, Kamaal “Q-Tip” Fareed, and Steven “Stevie J” Jordan, and features a blend of hip hop and R&B.
Always Be My Baby (1996)
Always Be My Baby was released as part of Mariah’s fifth studio album; it’s a carefree midtempo ballad that describes the attachment felt to a lover after they’ve left, recounting that they’ll “always be my baby” even after they’ve moved on.
This song was co-written with Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal.
Concluding Notes
Mariah reached higher levels with her singing throughout the 90s and worked with many different singer/songwriters to produce the songs that topped the charts. Sometimes, all you need is a little hard work and dedication to succeed.