18 Mariah Carey Songs That Deserved To Reach Number One, In Celebration Of ‘#1 To Infinity’

Mike Wass @mikewassmusic | May 19, 2015 6:00 am

“It’s Like That” — The Emancipation Of Mimi (2005)

Lambs were overjoyed when “It’s Like That” pranced all the way to number 16. Mariah had been going through something of a drought at the time and a top 20 hit felt like breakthrough. Little did we know that career-reviving smash “We Belong Together” was just around the corner.

“Migrate” — E=MC² (2008)

Haters love casting E=MC² as a stale copy of The Emancipation Of Mimi, but I still think it’s one of Mimi’s best albums. She and/or her label just got the singles terribly, terribly wrong. After the sassiness of “Touch My Body,” nobody wanted a generic ballad like “Bye Bye.” If they had opted for “Migrate” — with its slick beats (courtesy of Danja) and infinitely quotable lyrics — the MC could have 19 number ones to her credit.

“Thanx 4 Nothin'” — E=MC² (2008)

Nobody does gut-wrenching break-up anthems better than MC. I wanted to include sublime Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel ballad “Standing O” on this list, but “Thanx 4 Nothin'” covers the same territory and was released first. It’s an impeccable pop song. I’d like to think it could have found a larger audience if officially released.

“H.A.T.E.U.” — Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel (2009)

Speaking of Mariah and bad single choices, the person who signed off on “I Want To Know What Love Is” — a dated Foreigner cover, no less — as the second single from Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel needs to resign. “H.A.T.E.U.” was an edgier choice that generated immense blog attention when the album dropped. By the time it was released as a single, however, the buzz had all but evaporated.

“Oh Santa!” — Merry Christmas II You (2010)

The Queen of Christmas was hoping that lightning would strike twice with this upbeat gem. It didn’t, but still puts on smile on my face — regardless of the season.

“Almost Home” (2013)

Mariah’s contribution to Oz The Great And Powerful sounded like a surefire smash. The diva’s voice sounded better than ever, the chorus is a gift from the pop gods and it courses with warm nostalgia. I don’t have a reason or excuse why this flopped — apart from Mimi not actively promoting it — but I can’t help but think it was a missed opportunity. Revisit the magic below.