Top 10 Beloved Mariah Carey Music Videos

Wood cabins, tire swings, a crackling campfire with friends, and a nighttime swim epitomize the innocence of summer camp. This is the backdrop of “Always Be My Baby,” which details the story of young love. The video follows a young girl and boy who sneak away from their cabins to engage in a pre-teen love affair. Mariah, clad in an-all denim outfit, is the all-American girl singing sweetly of a love that will never fade. PG in a way that many videos just aren’t anymore, “Always Be My Baby” showcases a time when a pop diva really was the girl next door.

This Japanese culture-inspired video, described as "Speed Racer meets Hello Kitty,” helped “Boy (I Need You)” become one of the more unforgettable tracks from the album Charmbracelet. The video features retro Tokyo themes, as well as Carey’s alter ego Bianca, who also appeared in Heartbreaker. Marking Carey’s first time working with director Joseph Khan, “Boy (I Need You)” is a full tale including kaiju, a car chase and a swordfight. Coming shortly after her very public breakdown, the track and its video also gave Carey the chance to show herself in a new light.

In a departure from the pop diva’s signature sound, “My All” takes on a Latin flavor. Shot entirely in black and white, and directed by legendary photographer Herb Ritts, this video finds the usually sweet and happy Mariah singing about the pain of loneliness. Beginning with Carey atop an overturned canoe staring into the night sky, we’re treated to a more vulnerable and unsure version of the songstress. Meanwhile, a sensual encounter with her lover shows Mariah’s steamier side, and corresponds to the theme of change going on in her life and career during this time.

This red and white themed video for the remix version of the song features Nicki Manaj and Mariah Carey as Barbie dolls that break out of their boxes. Directed by Carey’s then- husband Nick Cannon – who also makes a cameo appearance – the video depicts the two ladies shopping in matching nursing outfits and at a nail salon. Although there’s not much plot to this effort, the combination of a dolled up Mariah with Nicki Minaj before the rapper’s own smash debut helped make this video one of YouTube’s most viewed after its release in 2009.

The lead single from the Butterfly album, “Honey” hit the pop world with a bang. On the heels of divorce rumors and record label issues, this music video shows Mariah as a freer and more independent woman. Dressed more provocatively than was the norm for the singer, Mariah plays a character named Agent M, who must escape a hostage situation to be reunited with her love. At almost 7 minutes long, the James Bond-themed music video was nearly a short film. Many felt that the imagery of Mariah breaking free from capture in a mansion was a statement on her waning marriage to Tommy Motolla, while her fans saw this video as the beginning of a new and improved Mariah.

Fantasy marks the first music video that Mariah Carey directed herself. Having been dissatisfied with many of her videos in the past, Mariah became interested in doing it herself, and hit it out the park on her first try. Set in an amusement park, Carey is seen enjoying some of her favorite pastimes, like roller-blading on the boardwalk and riding roller coasters. The video gives off a carefree vibe, with a little girl shown dancing in an effort to mimic Mariah. The Daydream album was Carey’s first major attempt at incorporating hip-hop into her pop sound, as demonstrated by the remix video of “Fantasy” even featuring the Wu-Tang’s Old Dirty Bastard.

“Heartbreaker” follows the story of Mariah and her friends as they attempt to catch her cheating boyfriend, played by Jerry O’Connell. Set in a movie theatre, the video makes use of rom-com themes like watching a big popcorn movie, having a fight in the bathroom, and a group of girls who are there to see you through it all. A fan favorite due to its message of female empowerment, it features an homage to movies like “Grease” and “Enter the Dragon”, as well as debuting Mariah’s alter ego, Bianca. All this action and fun came in with a price tag of $2.5 million, the most ever spent on a video at that time.

“All I Want for Christmas” has become a part of every holiday season since its release in 1994. The video is a compilation of home videos shot by Mariah the year before using Super-8mm film. In between these, we see Mariah in an all red winter outfit frolicking in the snow and sitting on Santa’s lap, played by then-husband Tommy Mottola. Scenes of authentic holiday cheer, like playing with her dog, throwing snowballs, and decorating the tree, give this video a down-home feel. To date, the track itself is Mariah Carey’s biggest international success and has sold over 14 million records.

This soulful song is seen by many as Mariah’s comeback, and was released as the second single from The Emancipation of Mimi album. Premiering on April 11th, 2005, Carey’s "We Belong Together" became Yahoo! Music's most watched video of the year, being streamed 7.5 million times. The video is part 2 of a romance that begins at the end of the video for “It’s Like That”. In it, we see Mariah apologizing for letting her true love go while she prepares to marry an older man. The reluctant bride escapes the wedding by running off with her former lover and riding away as her dress’ train drags along the highway.



Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions.




“Dreamlover”
…
Music Box (1993)

“I Want to Know What Love Is”
Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009)

“Shake It Off”
The Emancipation of Mimi (2005)

Mariah’s playful, kid-like nature comes out in this video. Her 18th number one single on the Billboard Hot 100, “Touch My Body” is fashioned to follow the daydreams of a geek squad-like IT guy that’s called to Mariah’s mansion to fix her computer. Playing off the double meaning of the song’s lyrics, the video shows Mariah traipsing around in revealing outfits while playing laser tag and Guitar Hero, as well as having pillow fights with him. It’s a comedic side that we rarely see from Carey, debuting a couple months before her surprise wedding to Nick Cannon. Who else but Mariah could still pull off such a sexy, funny, award-winning video after about 20 years in the business?