Columbia Records to Release Mariah Carey's #1's On November 17

Business Wire, Oct 21, 1998

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Oct. 21, 1998--

Definitive Collection Features Mariah's 13 Chart-Toppers Plus Four

New Recordings

Mariah Carey's #1's brings together, for the first time, all 13 of her chart-topping megahits as well as four exciting brand-new recordings. Since her 1990 debut, Mariah Carey has sold more than 90 million records worldwide and has earned an astounding 75 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum records. As the biggest-selling female artist of the 1990's, Mariah Carey has provided an ongoing soundtrack to the decade. With more No. 1 records than any solo female artist in the rock era, Mariah Carey continues to give voice to the emotions of our age. #1's, the definitive Mariah Carey collection, will be in-stores on November 17.

In addition to her 13 certified #1's, Mariah has newly recorded a quartet of songs in keeping with the caliber of her biggest hits: "When You Believe (from The Prince Of Egypt)," a duet with Whitney Houston; "Whenever You Call," a duet with Brian McKnight; "I Still Believe"; and "Sweetheart."

Tracks on #1's include: "I Don't Wanna Cry," "Someday," "Love Takes Time," and "Vision Of Love" (from Mariah Carey); "Emotions" (from Emotions); "I'll Be There" (from MTV Unplugged); "Dreamlover" (from Music Box); "One Sweet Day" and "Always Be By Baby" (from Daydream); and "Honey" and "My All" (from Butterfly). #1's includes the No. 1 single version of "Fantasy," featuring O.D.B., and a previously unreleased live version of "Hero."

When Mariah Carey released her eponymous debut album in 1990, she launched an unbroken string of successes unparalleled in the music history. Mariah Carey has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide and yielded a record-setting four consecutive No. 1 singles on Billboard's Top Pop Singles chart: "Vision of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday," and "I Don't Wanna Cry." All four appear on #1's.

The title track of her 1992 album, Emotions, generated her fifth consecutive No. 1 single, placing Mariah Carey in the Top Ten All-Time achievers of Most Consecutive No. 1 Hits. Emotions also earned Mariah two Grammy nominations ("Best Pop Vocal, Female" and, with Walter Afanasieff, "Best Producer") and an American Music Award ("Favorite Female Artist, Soul/R&B"). On March 17, 1992, Mariah Carey appeared on MTV Unplugged. The popularity of that appearance led to the release of Mariah's sixth No. 1 single ("I'll Be There") as well as an EP which has sold more than five million copies worldwide, and a home video which has sold more than a quarter-of-a-million copies worldwide.

In 1993, Mariah Carey scaled the next plateau of artistic growth with release of her record-breaking Music Box, an album which has sold more than 24 million copies worldwide and generated her seventh and eighth No. 1 singles "Dreamlover" and "Hero" as well as the Top 10 hit "Without You." As a follow-up, Mariah released her holiday album, Merry Christmas, causing a Yuletide sales flurry when more than eight million copies sold worldwide shortly after its release in November 1994.

Mariah's 1995 album, Daydream, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart; generated three consecutive No. 1 singles -- "Fantasy" (the single version, featuring O.D.B., appears on No. 1's), "One Sweet Day" (her duet with Boyz II Men which, having spent 16 weeks at No. 1, still holds the record as the longest-running single in the top slot), and "Always Be My Baby" (Mariah's ninth, tenth, and eleventh No. 1's) -- and has been certified nine times platinum by the RIAA. With the success of Daydream, Mariah Carey became the first female artist in history to have three studio albums to each sell in excess of eight million copies.

Mariah Carey's 1997 album, Butterfly, took her music, and her fans, in a bold new direction. Mixing contemporary R&B and pop with heady lyrical and production sophistication, Butterfly marked Mariah's maturation as an artist. The album generated the No. 1 hits "Honey" (featuring Mase & The Lox) and "My All" (her twelfth and thirteenth No. 1's). Butterfly has been certified triple platinum by the RIAA.

Over the course of her career, Mariah Carey has been the recipient of numerous music industry awards and honors. She won Grammys in 1990 for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Female ("Vision of Love"). The same year, Mariah picked up three Soul Train Awards: Best New Artist, Best Album (Mariah Carey) and Best Single, Female ("Vision of Love").

A perennial favorite at the American Music Awards, Mariah won Favorite Female Artist/R&B in 1992; Favorite Female Artist, Pop/Rock and Favorite Album, Adult Contemporary in 1993; Favorite Female Artist, Pop/Rock in 1995; and Favorite Female Artist, Pop/Rock and Favorite Female Artist, Soul/R&B in 1996.

The 1996 Blockbuster Awards honored Mariah for Favorite Single ("Fantasy") and Favorite Adult Contemporary Single ("One Sweet Day"). She picked up her first Billboard Awards in 1991 for Top Adult Contemporary Artist, Top Pop Artist, Top Album Artist, Top Pop Album Artist, Top Pop Singles Artist, and Top Pop Singles Artist/Female. In 1996, she won a Billboard Award for Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year and, with Boyz II Men, a Special Hot 100 Singles Award for "One Sweet Day."