OOOPS.

For some reason, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, Mariah Carey’s huge 1994 holiday single, was not in my iTunes library. I occasionally tend to hide my Christmas songs because no one wants to hear about jingle bells in April. Or July. Or really anytime before, like, December 15th. Oh, is that just me?

But Mike, if you hide all of your Christmas music, why did you then already write a blurb on Prince’s “Another Lonely Christmas”? BECAUSE THAT DAMN SONG TRANSCENDS THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

Not to say Mariah’s song isn’t great (after all, it’s on this list), but…I’ll put it like this. “Another Lonely Christmas” is a Prince song that happens to be about the holiday season. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is a holiday song that happens to be sung (beautifully) by Mariah Carey.

It’s got that timeless Phil Spector feel, is positively joyous, and may well be the last holiday-related song that becomes a standard. If you were born in the mid ‘80s or later, Mimi’s Christmas gem is as familiar to you as the Nat King Cole and J5 Christmas albums were to me when I was coming up.