Mariah Carey - Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)

Mariah Carey’s “Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)” was released as the second single from her blockbuster Christmas album on November 1, 1994. Coming on the heels of the modern day Christmas classic “All I Want Christmas Is You”, it showed the tender side of Mariah. Co-written with Water Afanasieff, it’s a touching ballad about missing someone during the Christmas season.

The major highlight of the song is of course Carey’s astonishing voice, scaling from a soft lilt to the stirring powerful climax towards the end, it’s a classic 1990s Mariah ballad with her voice front and center. The song also has a universal touch since the lyrics can be applied to missing a former flame or even a lost loved one during Christmas time.

A few stars have covered this song in recent years including the singer Jojo and the actor Billy Eichner, giving attention to a song that’s often been overshadowed by “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. Carey has even started to sing this song as part of her annual Christmas tour. Whether it will ever become a true bona fide hit remains to be seen. The song may be a bit too slow for today’s listening ears. If it couldn’t become a hit during Carey’s peak mid-1990s reign, it’s doubtful it will top the charts in 2024. But at nearly 24 million Spotify streams and consistent radio play every year, many people know and love this song around the world. Not bad for a song that recently celebrated its 30th anniversary!