Topping the Charts: Mariah outsells Elvis
Is Mariah Carey one of the greatest pop artists of all time? asked Ken Levine in Huffingtonpost.com. For most music fans, that
Is Mariah Carey one of the greatest pop artists of all time? asked Ken Levine in Huffingtonpost.com. For most music fans, that’s a laughable proposition, yet “Touch My Body,” the latest single from her album E=MC2, marks 18 no. 1 songs for the pop diva—second only to the Beatles. This means that the woman who gave us Glitter now has more chart-topping hits than Elvis Presley. Not surprisingly, the song that put the nail in the coffin includes such cringe-worthy lyrics as “I’ll hug you tighter than my favorite jeans.”
But as Elvis himself said, 50 million—or in Carey’s case, 61.5 million—fans can’t be wrong, said Jody Rosen in Slate.com. Considering that Carey made her debut less than 20 years ago, she deserves a little respect from all “the haters.” Her voice—“that cyclonic force capable of hurtling unnumbered octaves, shattering crystalware, and inducing musicogenic epileptic seizures in Japanese women”—has influenced countless contemporary pop singers, for good or ill. All this tells us is that no. 1 hits are no longer a signifier of true cultural influence, said Mario Tarradell in The Dallas Morning News. Carey’s recent success is a product of the collapsing music industry and the rise of digital downloads. As one of a dwindling number of big-name acts, she has less competition. Still, if she surpasses the Beatles’ record of 20 no. 1s, I’ll shed a tear.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Humza Yousaf clears the decks to battle no-confidence vote
Speed Read First minister is 'done', according to insider, but a single vote could change the balance
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Immunotherapy and hay fever
The Explainer Research shows that the treatment could provide significant relief from symptoms for many hay fever sufferers
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A flooded island, a ballistic missile, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published