All I Want for Christmas Is You was released by Mariah Carey in 1994 on her album Merry Christmas and has since become one of the most played holiday songs in the world. It returns to the charts every December, helped by streaming, radio play and social media, where short clips soundtrack gift reveals, festive countdowns and Christmas memes. Its instantly recognisable melody and joyful tone keep it relevant decades later, making a nine-second snippet enough to signal the whole holiday season to listeners.