Disco de Mariah Carey: “Greatest Hits”

While never accused of being a particularly meaningful song interpreter, Mariah Carey has nonethelesss produced some of the best pop of the last decade, the majority of which is presented here in this very generous twenty-eight song compilation. While her career is seemingly going even further south thanks to her unjustly criticized GLITTER album(and the accompanying flop of a movie), this is a good reminder of why, at her peak, few could come close to Carey's track record. While she was constantly prone to adult contemporary sap('I Don't Wanna Cry', the horrifically maudlin 'My All'--one of her worst records ever), she also produced a number of first-rate singles('Vision Of Love', 'Fantasy', 'Emotions'). Sixteen of the tracks are carry-overs from her previous 1'S collection(rendering that set pointless), along with tracks from RAINBOW, as well as a completely unnecessary remix of her holiday track 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'. Additionally, the set includes several of Carey's non-commercial singles(the sterling 'Forever', 'Butterfly'), as well as one of her best, most fully realized songs ever('Underneath the Stars', which was inexplicably never released). One minor omission her is that of 'Breakdown', one of the few highlights from her otherwise dreary BUTTERFLY album. Otherwise, this is a great way to filter through the cream of Carey's Sony years.

I've listened to Mariah for years, although had never purchased her music. I decided to purchase this CD mainly because of the positive reviews I read. I can say that I was not disappointed. The music is great and the sound is wonderdful to my ears. God Bless Mariah for years to come!

This cd is a compilation of her greatest years as an artist-her years with Columbia, that is! There is so much more here than on Number 1's! For example, Can't Let Go, Forever, and Underneath The Stars, as well as other singles that weren't commercially released. This is great for any Mariah fan that wants all the singles without buying each and every album! It's too bad that this once incredible vocalist has gone downhill since she left her first record label. For all the complainers out there that gave one star because there's nothing new here: It's a Greatest Hits album!! What else did you expect?!

I "discovered" Mariah with her 14th #1 single, "Heartbreaker", in 1999. The only reason I'd never heard her before is that I was 10 and my mother didn't care for Mariah Carey's singing (still doesn't--she's crazy). I immediately bought "Rainbow" and was pleasantly surprised when I bought "#1's" at all of the material she has recorded. The CD collections of my sister and I now contain every album she has recorded to date, including duplicates of several. This album is an excellent collection, far better than "#1's", because many of Mariah's best songs did not go to the #1 position on the Hot 100 (although 15 did, giving her more #1 singles than any other woman, and, since the two who bested her--Elvis with 18 and the Beatles with 20--are no longer recording, she has a shot at the top spot). Among them are the cheesy but beautiful "Endless Love" cover and "Make it Happen", which I have never been able to listen to without saying "Wow". We are all familiar with her range, but this song is driven by her vocal power, which is amazing (and she was only 21 when this song was recorded!). This CD is an excellent CD, and it shows her awe-inducing career with Columbia Records. She was the most successful artist of the 90s, and "Greatest Hits" definitely proves why, but don't buy this CD if you don't like pop music. That's for the most part what it is, and it's just silly to buy a CD that you know you won't like and then complain that you don't like it. (Just had to say that.)

Mariah Carey was the biggest female songstress of the 90's. She had several hugely successful albums hit after hit (at least up until the "Butterfly" album.) This album is a great look back at her amazing career (although the first disk has most of the good stuff on it. Mariah worked for her success and her first album yielded 4 incredible hits (Vision of Love, Love Takes Time, Someday, and I Don't Wanna Cry) They were all huge on radio and commercially (all making it to #1) Mariah's 2nd album "Emotions" wasn't quite as successful as her first, but it was still a fantastic work churning out three of her best songs (Emotions, Can't Let Go (breathtaking), and Make It Happen) Yet again, all three were large on radio and commercially. Next came along her biggest acheivement yet "Music Box." Four fantastic singles followed (the 2 #1's "Dreamlover", "Hero", and the equally deserving "Anytime You Need A Friend" and "Without You." In '95, Mariah released yet another huge album "Daydream." "One Sweet Day" was one of the buggest songs in history and "Fantasy" and "Always Be My Baby" were also amazingly successful. "Forever" was also released off "Daydream" but never charted (which is beyond me cuz it's a fantastic song.)

Now...here's where Mariah began to falter. '97 and "Butterfly." She began to go into the hip-hop scene and radio quickly turned its back on her. "Honey" and "My All" went to #1 but only due to commercial releases. They both received lukewarm airplay. "Butterfly" never even charted. in '99 "Rainbow" was released which provided some amazing songs, but they were overshadowed by the hip-hop (...). "Heartbreaker" and "TGIFY" went to #1, but yet again, they released barely any airplay and only managed to cuz of commercial releases....

Mariah...go back to the music that brought u onto the scene. Don't waste your time with music that doesn't show off your amazing talent.