Raiff Celebrates Mariah's 20 Years in Music: 1990

Posted by Raiff on Saturday, 15-May-2010, 12:01PM EDT

On May 15, 1990, a then unknown singer named Mariah Carey released her first single, "Vision Of Love." Like all new artists, things didn't happen overnight. After much preparation, promotion and as Mariah put it herself to Billboard, "a culmination of a lot of hard work and a lot of dreams," "Vision Of Love" started to make some ground at radio and retail, debuting at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the June 2, 1990 chart.

The first time she heard her debut single "Vision Of Love" on the radio, she was ecstatic, to say the least.

Four days after her very first TV appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show, Mariah found herself center court the first game of the 1990 NBA Finals in Detroit performing "America The Beautiful." The live appearance was a smart marketing move with more than 20,000 people in the stadium and an estimated 14.3 million viewers watching at home. "I've never sung infront of that many people. I was really nervous and when I watch it now it's like this incredible feeling because I went up to the high note at the middle of 'from sea to shining sea.' The whole crowd really, really responded to it and nobody knew who I was at all. And like when I watch the responses of the basketball players, that was a special time for me."

Almost three weeks later, after an upward trend in popularity and visibility, CBS Records released her debut album Mariah Carey on June 13, 1990. CBS was so sure they had a hit on their hands that they launched the largest and most expensive campaign for a new artist since Bruce Springsteen released Born To Run in 1975.

Mariah Carey initially started out slow (which most albums did before the Soundscan era, even for established artists), debuting at #80 on the Billboard 200 on the June 23, 1990 chart. As "Vision Of Love" eventually reached the upper ranks of the Billboard Hot 100, Mariah Carey moved up in its respective chart accordingly. It reached a peak position of #4 on the Billboard 200 when "Vision Of Love" ascended to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 on the August 4, 1990 chart. Mariah Carey was certified platinum just a few weeks later.

Aside from the power of Mariah's vocal, the message of "Vision Of Love" also connected with listeners. While some people have interpreted "Vision Of Love" as a love song, Mariah has said the lyrics actually describe her feelings after finally getting a record deal. In talking to MTV News, Mariah explained that "'Vision Of Love' is about a lot of things. I wrote it right after I signed my deal with Columbia Records and it was a major turning point in my life but it was mostly sort of finding an inner peace and an inner strength because of this major achievement... Basically just a celebration of my life and the things that were happening in my life when I wrote the song."

The lyrics express a theme that would show up in future Mariah songs; the belief that humans can persevere and good fortune will come. Mary J. Blige describes the effect the song had on her in stating, "Mariah Carey's music saved little ghetto children's lives. Songs like 'Visions of Love' gave us hope and we would sing those songs and try to hit every note like Mariah—which we can't." Even Snoop Dogg said, "I always tell [Mariah] this story: When I was locked up in jail, that song 'Vision of Love' was the hottest song in the world." Jay-Z, too, listened to the song while serving time. It's clear the message of "Vision Of Love" cuts through many situations.

While many people can recall first hearing "Vision Of Love" and some even say it is what made them want to sing, the influence of the song runs even deeper. "Vision Of Love" literally set the standard for female singers. As Sasha Frere-Jones wrote in New Yorker, "'Vision of Love' is the Magna Carta of melisma... Carey made melisma a required move for both R&B singers and contestants on American Idol."

Even an artist like Nelly Furtado has said she learned to sing by listening to Mariah's debut album (including "Vision Of Love") and wrote songs similar to Mariah songs. Rich Juzwiak of Slant puts it more succinctly: "I think ['Vision Of Love'] was a vision of the future world of American Idol." In fact, two American Idol winners have said Mariah played a big part in their wanting to become singers. First season winner Kelly Clarkson told American Idol Rewind she realized she wanted to be a professional singer when she sang "Vision Of Love" in a choir solo in seventh grade. Sixth season winner Jordin Sparks told CTV that when she saw Mariah performing on an awards show, "I knew then that's what I wanted to do."

As soon as "Vision Of Love" let up, "Love Takes Time" was right around the corner to keep Mariah Carey selling. The timing was so immaculate and "Love Takes Time" became so popular (it reached #1 on the November 10, 1990 chart and remained at the top for 3 weeks) that the album received a new peak of #3 on the Billboard 200 and stayed within the Top 5 albums all through the later, more competitive part of the year. Towards the end of 1990, "Vision Of Love" finished as the #6 single of the 1990 chart year and Mariah Carey officially became a multi-platinum selling artist.

Mariah would later tell MTV News, "It seems like everything that I did in the first year that I came out with my first album is like a blur."

This was just the beginning of the whirlwind. Mariah Carey had arrived, and she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

MARIAH QUOTES

"I think my mother chose 'Mariah' because it would be a good stage name." Rolling Stone

"I knew from watching and listening to my mom that singing could and would be my profession. And besides, she had to tear me away from the radio each night just to get me to go to sleep." Seventeen

"I think I always knew that there was nothing else I really loved doing. My mother was a professional singer so I knew it was a feasible kind of profession, and it wasn't just a pipe dream." Record Mirror

"I've had boyfriends but I've always been focused to doing music. I've always had this attitude, 'ha, ha, I'm leaving. I'm going to sing.' So I guess they were a little more serious about it than I was. I knew I wasn't going to get out of High School and get married, you know what I mean?" Record Mirror

"I just see myself as a singer/songwriter, and I'm trying to do this because I've wanted to do this all my life. I'm not trying to be like anyone. I'm not trying to take anyone's audiences away, to model or mould myself on anyone else. I'm just trying to basically get my music across and please myself." Blues & Soul

"When no one knows you, you are constantly trying to prove yourself. But, after you have a bit of success, you're still doing it. You're always proving yourself in one way or another. I'd be under more pressure if I didn't have any success. It's not being taken over by something I don't like. I can't complain because I've wanted to do this my whole life." Blues & Soul

"I started rebelling. I just didn't want to do the legitimate kinds of vocalist things, like Broadway music and stuff like that. I got into the people that influenced me more." Wiz Circular

"I'm very happy with what's happened. I've got a great record company. It's hard for me to feel that it's real. I can't touch it. I still feel like the same person who's been striving for a long time. I still feel like me." Entertainment Weekly

"One thing I'm glad I did was that I never sold my publishing, because I almost gave away my publishing for $5,000 when I was 18 and totally broke and trying to get a record deal. Well, it wasn't all my publishing but at the time I was really broke. I went to a meeting with a certain company and there's a song on my first album called 'All In Your Mind' which was never released. The guy heard that and wanted to give me a deal for $5,000 or $10,000 or something. I'm so glad I believed in myself as a writer not to do that and just to stick it out. It was so tempting, though, when you have 5 dollars for the week to live on." Blues & Soul

CELEBRITY QUOTES

Mary J. Blige: "I love Mariah Carey. Mariah Carey's music saved little ghetto children's lives. Songs like "Visions of Love" gave us hope and we would sing those songs and try to hit every note like Mariah -- which we can't. I don't think she knows what a big part she plays in Mary J. Blige's life. And then to meet her... she's such a beautiful person that you can't do anything but defend her when [the media] starts acting stupid on her. She doesn't deserve that." (Barnes and Noble interview)

Rihanna: "I used to sing 'Vision of Love' all the time in the shower, using my toothbrush as my microphone." (51st Grammy Awards Promo)

Beyonce Knowles: "'Vision of Love,' when I first heard that song, I knew it, my mind was made up - I had to be a singer." (MTV Europe)

Nelly Furtado: "The first singer I really got into was Mariah Carey when I was about 12. She kind of taught me how to sing 'cause, you know, couldn't really afford singing lessons. So, I would just listen to Mariah Carey's CD over and over again, and learn all her lyrics." (MTV Overdrive)

Whitney Houston: When asked if she remembered first hearing Mariah's music, Whitney replied by singing a line from "Vision of Love" and said, "Yep, I remember it. It was like, kinda, my tone, not quite me. Who is she?" (MTV interview with John Norris)

Nivea: "I was watching 'The Arsenio Hall Show,' and Mariah was performing 'Vision of Love.' The way she projected her voice, she just had so much power. I knew then that I wanted to make people feel the way she made me feel. I bought all her albums and learned all the songs. That's all I would do all day long sing Mariah Carey songs." (Yahoo! Music Interview)

Lucie Silvas: "I was obsessed. I remember the moment I first heard Vision of Love, then I saw this white girl with a black voice on television, and everything about her bowled me over. You could relate to her and yet she was a magical icon, and throughout my school days all I dreamed of was being like Mariah Carey. She sang with a gospel choir around her, which was always my dream. I just wanted to be her." (Guardian Unlimited)

Anastacia: "From her very first album till now her voice has been absolutely glorious to listen to. I am affected by every note she hits, which is practically every note on the keyboard." (Smash Hits)

Christina Aguilera: "I discovered Mariah in my room one day listening to the radio, and as soon as 'Vision of Love' came on, I ran downstairs going, 'Mommy, Mommy - I just found the greatest person in the world! I just heard the greatest new voice!'" (Entertainment Weekly)

Snoop Dogg: "I always tell her this story: When I was locked up in jail, that song 'Vision of Love' was the hottest song in the world. I used to always say, 'Man, if I could meet her!'" (MTV)

TV/RADIO APPEARANCES