2005's The Emancipation of Mimi returned Carey to her former glories, becoming her first chart-topper in eight years, spawning two more number one hits ("We Belong Together," "Don't Forget About Us") and winning three Grammys. However, she started to get things back on track a year later with a supporting role in indie drama "WiseGirls" (2002), an acclaimed Super Bowl performance and the modestly-received ninth studio effort Charmbracelet. Carey's career took another blow when her acting debut in "Glitter" (2001) and its accompanying soundtrack bombed with critics and audiences alike. A chaotic appearance on "Total Request Live" (MTV, 1998-2008) and various troubling messages posted on her official website raised concerns even further and she was later hospitalized for two weeks. At the turn of the century Carey made her acting debut playing an opera singer in "The Bachelor" (1999) and signed a record-breaking $100 million deal with Virgin Records America but shortly after was reported to be in the midst of an emotional and physical breakdown.
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After performing at the inaugural VH1 Divas benefit gig in 1998, Carey duetted with Whitney Houston for "The Prince of Egypt" (1998) soundtrack, released a best-selling hits compilation and worked with Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg on Rainbow, her 1999 final LP for Sony which achieved the highest first-week sales of her career. Carey doubled down on these hip-hop elements for 1997's Butterfly, inviting the likes of Puff Daddy, Missy Elliott and Q-Tip to contribute on the first record since separating, both personally and professionally, from Mottola. The latter's team-up with Boyz II Men, "One Sweet Day," spent a record-breaking 16 weeks atop the US Hot 100, while an ODB-assisted remix of "Fantasy" was credited with pioneering the now ubiquitous pop/rap collaboration. Carey's golden streak continued with "All I Want for Christmas is You," the instant classic lead single from 1994's Merry Christmas, a hit duet with Luther Vandross and 1995's six-time Grammy nominated Daydream. However, Carey soon bounced back with an acclaimed MTV Unplugged EP which produced a chart-topping cover of The Jackson 5's "I'll Be There." 1993's Music Box, a poppier affair which spawned two of her signature ballads, "Hero" and "Without You," elevated her status higher than ever before, selling an astonishing 28 million to become one of the world's best-selling LPs ever.
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Influenced by her love of Motown, 1991 sophomore Emotions failed to reach the same heights, peaking at No.4 and selling half of its predecessor.
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Not only did Mariah Carey top the Billboard 200, it also spawned the first of 18 number one singles, "Vision of Love," shifted 15 million copies worldwide and led to a Best New Artist win at the Grammys. On signing to his Columbia Records label, Carey recorded her self-titled 1990 debut album, a mixture of showboating power ballads and glossy soul-pop which immediately positioned her as a rival to Whitney Houston. Starr which helped her catch the attention of future husband Tommy Mottola. Born in Huntington, NY in 1970, Mariah Carey first began writing songs in high school and after moving to Manhattan aged 17 landed a backing vocal gig with Brenda K. Renowned for her five-octave vocal range, Billboard chart dominance and diva-like behavior, Mariah Carey inspired a generation of vocalists with a record-breaking run of self-penned hits which effortlessly bridged the gap between pop and R&B.