Mariah Carey Is Faced With A $20 Million Lawsuit Over Her Classic Christmas Song

Mariah Carey is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer who is well known for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style, and signature use of the whistle register. Carey rose to fame in 1990 with her eponymous debut album. She was the first artist to have her first five singles reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, from “Vision of Love” to “Emotions”.

Carey has released more than a few notable hits throughout her illustrious music career. There’s “Hero,” “Always Be My Baby,” and “Belong Together,” which earned her two Grammy Awards. But one of her biggest hits is without a doubt the holiday anthem “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” The catchy tune has become a music staple and is easily one of the most recognizable yuletide tracks ever recorded.

Well, currently, it appears that the song has sparked a bit of controversy, as Carey now finds herself facing a $20 million lawsuit in connection to the song. The lawsuit alleges there’s a less-than-idyllic backstory to the inception of her iconic holiday jam, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Carey is being sued for copyright infringement by songwriter Andy Stone for allegedly taking inspiration from a song he wrote and recorded — by the same name — years before she released the mega-hit in 1994.

Andy Stone performs as Vince Vance for the country-pop band Vince Vance & the Valiants. Per legal documents obtained by The New York Post, Stone is suing the singer for $20 million in damages due to several alleged factors, including copyright infringement and misappropriation. Stone apparently wrote a song bearing the same title for his band, and it was released in 1989.

Mariah Carey – Though It’s Worth Mentioning That Both Tracks Sport Different Lyrics And Melodies.

The suit, which also names Mariah Carey’s co-writer Walter Afanasieff, alleges that the pair “knowingly, willfully and intentionally engaged in a campaign to infringe [Stone’s] copyright in the work.” It goes on to say that this all happened at the expense of “the commercial gain, personal profit and unjust enrichment of the defendants and the irreparable injury and financial loss” of the plaintiff. The songwriter also claims that neither Carey nor her collaborator ever consulted him for use of the title. And while Carey’s song may be the more recognizable of the two, Stone asserts that his tune was getting strong airplay in 1993 – the year before the pop star’s track dropped.

Mariah Carey — About The Song And The Lawsuit

Andy Stone is claiming that Mariah Carey and her co-writer Afanasieff “never sought or obtained permission” for the use of the title “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and that Stone did not permit, consent, or a license to use the title.

The court filing claims that Stone’s lawyers first reached out to Carey and the other defendants in April 2021 concerning “the unauthorized use of the song,” and after “not being able to come to an agreement” about the usage, Stone personally requested to send a cease and desist letter. Despite that, Carey and the other defendants “continue to exploit” his work.

So far, Carey has not responded to the lawsuit.

Carey and Afanasieff released their version of the holiday single on Carey’s 1994 Christmas album, Merry Christmas, and the timeless track has had a staying power that makes it the song to kick off the season. It has been streamed at least 1 billion times on Spotify, is certified 6x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and has spawned a children’s book, family film, and mini-documentary, Mariah Carey Is Christmas: The Story of ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You,’ for Amazon. As of 2017, it’s also earned $60 million in royalties.

Twenty-five years after its release, the single rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time ever, having previously reached number three in 2018.

Mariah Carey — Mariah Carey Isn’t New To Lawsuits

This isn’t the first instance in which Mariah Carey has dealt with a legal situation. In 2019, she sued her former assistant for millions, claiming that she recorded “embarrassing” videos of her without her knowledge. The case was eventually settled, but only time will tell how this latest situation plays out for the Free Guy-featured artist.

In an old ET footage of Carey taken less than 48 hours after the song’s release, she said that she wrote the song’s lyrics after they filmed the music video. “I wrote the song after I shot the video and it just happened to work really well when we put it to the music,” she shared.

In an Amazon special, Carey reflected on the iconic hit, which has earned her more than $60 million in royalties. “When I first made the record, it wasn’t as big a hit as it is now. It’s grown in popularity over the years,” she said. “My favorite line in the song is, ‘I won’t even wish for snow,’ because I always wish for snow!”

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