American singer Mariah Carey has released sixteen studio albums, two soundtrack albums, seven compilation albums, three extended plays, one remix album, and six anniversary albums. Carey is one of the best-selling musical artists of all-time, having sold over 220 million records.
After signing with Columbia Records in the late 1980s, Carey began recording her eponymous debut album (1990). A critical and commercial success, it peaked atop the US Billboard 200 and has received nonupls platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This was followed by Emotions (1991) and her first extended play, MTV Unplugged (1992), both of which peaked within the top four in the US. Carey then released her third studio album Music Box (1993), to commercial success; it topped the charts in multiple countries, went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time, and was certified diamond by the RIAA. This was followed by her first holiday album Merry Christmas (1994), which became one of the best selling holiday albums and was also certified diamond by the RIAA. Throughout the latter half of the 1990s, Carey went on to release a string of successful albums including the diamond certified album, Daydream (1995), the highly acclaimed Butterfly (1997), and her first compilation album, #1's (1998). The lattermost is the best-selling album in Japan by a non-Asian artist. In 1999, Carey released Rainbow which debuted at number two in the US and became her first studio album since 1994 to not reach the top position.
By 2000, Carey parted with Columbia and signed a five-album deal with Virgin Records, releasing her eighth studio album Glitter (2001), which also served as the soundtrack to the film of same name. Both the album and film were commercial and critical failures, primarily due to its controversies and setbacks. After being bought out of Virgin, Carey signed a new deal with Island Def Jam to release her next album, Charmbracelet (2002) to moderate success. During this time, both a second compilation, Greatest Hits (2001) and her first remix album, The Remixes (2003), was released as part of her contract with Columbia. After a musical hiatus, Carey made a comeback with the hip-hop and R&B-inspired album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005) which received critical and commercial success, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and becoming both the best-selling album of 2005 in the US, and one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century. This was followed by E=MC² (2008) which also debuted atop the chart. She also released the compilation album The Ballads (2008) which debuted at number ten in the US. Carey went on to release Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009), her second holiday album Merry Christmas II You (2010), and Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse (2014) to varying commercial and critical success, but all debuting top four in the US.
In 2015, Carey signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. She released both the compilation album, #1 to Infinity (2015) and soundtrack to Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You (2017). She released her fifteenth studio album, Caution (2018) to critical praise, with critics deeming it another mini-musical comeback following a period of moderate success. In 2020, she released a compilation album The Rarities (2020) featuring unreleased songs, B-sides and live performances. She also released an accompanying soundtrack to her Christmas special Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (2020). During the 2020s, Carey released various anniversary editions for her albums including that for Butterfly, Music Box, Rainbow, Merry Christmas, The Emancipation of Mimi, Daydream and Glitter featuring remixes and unreleased songs. By 2025, Carey had signed with the media company Gamma and released her sixteenth studio album, Here for It All (2025).
Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications US AUSPeak positions for albums in Australia:
The Remixes: The Ballads: The Essential Mariah Carey: CANPeak positions in Canada:
Mariah Carey: Emotions: MTV Unplugged: Music Box: Merry Christmas: Daydream: Charmbracelet: FRA* GER JPN Albums since 2014: NL NZ SWI UK "Merry Christmas II You" Mariah Carey Released: June 12, 1990 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD 1 6 1 — 24 13 6 4 15 6 US: 6,000,000 JPN: 900,000 RIAA: 9× Platinum ARIA: 5× Platinum BPI: Platinum IFPI SWI: Gold MC: 7× Platinum NVPI: Platinum RIAJ: 3× Platinum RMNZ: 4× Platinum Emotions Released: September 13, 1991 (EUR) Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD 4 8 6 — 46 3 9 6 15 4 US: 3,600,000 JPN: 1,000,000 RIAA: 4× Platinum ARIA: Platinum BPI: Platinum IFPI SWI: Gold MC: 4× Platinum NVPI: Gold RIAJ: 4× Platinum RMNZ: Platinum SNEP: Gold Music Box Released: August 31, 1993 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD, MiniDisc 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 US: 8,035,000 CAN: 600,000 FRA: 1,294,700 GER: 1,400,000 JPN: 2,300,000 NL: 600,000 UK: 1,500,000 RIAA: Diamond ARIA: 12× Platinum BPI: 5× Platinum BVMI: 2× Platinum IFPI SWI: 4× Platinum MC: 7× Platinum NVPI: 6× Platinum RIAJ: Million RMNZ: 5× Platinum SNEP: Diamond Merry Christmas Released: October 28, 1994 (VAR) Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD, MiniDisc 3 2 4 44 2 1 2 10 4 32 US: 5,800,000 CAN: 200,000 JPN: 2,800,000 UK: 311,000 RIAA: Diamond ARIA: 7× Platinum BPI: Platinum BVMI: Gold IFPI SWI: Gold MC: 3× Platinum NVPI: Platinum RIAJ: 2× Million RMNZ: 2× Platinum Daydream Released: September 26, 1995 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD, MiniDisc 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 US: 8,548,000 FRA: 730,400 JPN: 2,200,000 UK: 649,000 RIAA: 11× Platinum (Diamond) ARIA: 5× Platinum BPI: 2× Platinum BVMI: Platinum IFPI SWI: Gold"The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Mariah Carey; 'Daydream')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 30, 2011. MC: 7× Platinum NVPI: Platinum RIAJ: Million RMNZ: 5× Platinum SNEP: 2× Platinum Butterfly Released: September 10, 1997 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, cassette+CD, CD, MiniDisc 1 1 1 6 7 1 1 4 3 2 US: 3,849,000 JPN: 1,000,000 RIAA: 5× Platinum ARIA: 2× Platinum BPI: Platinum IFPI SWI: Gold MC: 2× Platinum NVPI: Gold# Enter Butterfly in the "Artiest of titel" box. RIAJ: Million RMNZ: Platinum SNEP: 2× Gold Rainbow Released: October 27, 1999 (VAR) Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD, MiniDisc 2 4 2 1 3 2 4 11 2 8 US: 3,443,000 CAN: 300,000 FRA: 203,028 JPN: 422,230 RIAA: 3× Platinum ARIA: Gold BPI: Gold BVMI: Platinum IFPI SWI: Gold MC: 2× Platinum NVPI: Gold RIAJ: 4× Platinum RMNZ: Platinum SNEP: Platinum Glitter Released: August 18, 2001 (JPN) Label: Virgin Formats: LP, cassette, CD 7 13 4 5 7 1 12 11 10 10 US: 666,000 JPN: 261,900 UK: 55,080 RIAA: Platinum RIAJ: Platinum IFPI SWI: Gold SNEP: Gold Charmbracelet Released: November 20, 2002 (JPN) Label: Island Formats: LP, cassette, CD 3 42 30 12 32 4 30 — 9 52 US: 1,170,000 FRA: 193,587 JPN: 240,440 UK: 122,010 RIAA: Platinum BPI: Gold IFPI SWI: Gold MC: Gold RIAJ: Platinum SNEP: Gold The Emancipation of Mimi Released: March 30, 2005 (JPN) Label: Island Formats: LP, CD, digital download 1 6 2 4 14 2 8 12 9 7 US: 6,100,000 FRA: 147,719 JPN: 259,275 UK: 671,000 RIAA: 7× Platinum ARIA: Platinum BPI: 2× Platinum BVMI: Gold MC: 3× Platinum RIAJ: Platinum RMNZ: 2x Platinum SNEP: Gold E=MC² Released: April 4, 2008 (ITA) Label: Island Formats: LP, CD, digital download 1 2 1 6 7 7 11 10 5 3 US: 1,300,000 JPN: 146,293 UK: 136,986 RIAA: Platinum ARIA: Gold BPI: Gold RMNZ: Gold MC: Platinum RIAJ: Gold Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel Released: September 28, 2009 (VAR) Label: Island Formats: LP, CD, digital download 3 6 5 10 27 9 26 25 18 23 US: 555,000 UK: 80,308 RIAA: Platinum BPI: Silver RMNZ: Gold Merry Christmas II You Released: November 2, 2010 Label: Island Formats: CD, digital download, LP 4 27 14 82 77 24 52 — — 101 US: 587,000 RIAA: Gold Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse Released: May 6, 2014 (JPN) Label: Def Jam Formats: CD, digital download, LP 3 5 8 26 27 25 14 11 16 14 US: 127,000 FRA: ~3,700 RMNZ: Gold Caution Released: November 16, 2018 Label: Epic Formats: LP, cassette, CD, digital download 5 15 15 71 67 30 38 40 35 40 US: 43,000 Here for It All Released: September 26, 2025 Label: Gamma Formats: LP, cassette, CD, digital download 7 19 — 50 37 33 53 — 18 31 US: 39,000"—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released
Extended plays Title Extended play details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications US AUS CAN FRA GER JPN NL NZ SWI UK MTV Unplugged Released: June 2, 1992 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, CD, cassette, MiniDisc 3 7 6 22 30 13 1 1 19 3 US: 2,800,000 JPN: 500,000 RIAA: 4× Platinum ARIA: 2× Platinum BPI: Gold IFPI SWI: Gold MC: Platinum RMNZ: 2× Platinum SNEP: 2× Gold Valentines Released: January 28, 2000 (Walmart exclusive) Label: Columbia Formats: CD — — — — — — — — — — The Live Debut – 1990 Released: July 17, 2020 Label: Columbia Formats: Digital download, streaming — — — — — — — — — —"—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released
Soundtrack albums Title Soundtrack album details Peak chart positions US CAN IRE JPN SWI UK Dig. Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Released: November 22, 2017 (JPN) Label: Epic Formats: CD, digital download — — — — — — Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special Released: December 4, 2020 Label: Legacy, Sony Music Formats: Digital download, streaming 100 99 47 100 37 18"—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released
Compilation albums Title Compilation album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications US AUS CAN FRA GER JPN NL NZ SWI UK #1's Released: November 16, 1998 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, cassette, CD, MiniDisc, Super Audio CD 4 6 6 2 10 1 15 13 3 10 US: 4,848,000 FRA: 732,400 JPN: 3,600,000 UK: 768,000 RIAA: 6× Platinum ARIA: 2× Platinum BPI: 2× Platinum BVMI: Gold MC: 3× Platinum RIAJ: 3× Million RMNZ: 2× Platinum SNEP: 2× Platinum Greatest Hits Released: December 4, 2001 Label: Columbia / Virgin Formats: CD, cassette, MiniDisc 52 47 27 3 36 3 37 11 17 7 US: 1,230,000 FRA: 104,350 JPN: 217,890 UK: 809,000 RIAA: 2× Platinum ARIA: 3× Platinum BPI: 3× Platinum RIAJ: Platinum RMNZ: Platinum SNEP: Gold The Ballads Released: October 17, 2008 Label: Columbia / Legacy / Virgin Formats: CD, digital download 10 79 — 39 — 19 5 19 — 13 US: 395,000 BPI: Gold Playlist: The Very Best of Mariah Carey Released: January 26, 2010 Label: Columbia / Legacy Formats: CD, digital download — — — — — — — — — — #1 to Infinity Released: May 15, 2015 (VAR) Label: Columbia / Epic / Legacy Formats: LP, CD, digital download 29 18 — 132 — 19 44 25 49 8 US: 86,000 BPI: Gold Japan Best Released: October 17, 2018 Label: Columbia / Legacy Formats: CD, digital download — — — — — 53 — — — —The Rarities Released: October 2, 2020 Label: Columbia / Legacy Formats: CD, digital download 31 16 80 70 65 24 47 — 29 44"—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released
Remix albums Title Remix album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications US AUS FRA JPN NL NZ SWI UK The Remixes Released: June 25, 2003 (JPN) Label: Columbia Formats: Cassette, CD 26 78 60 95 99 36 69 35 US: 289,000 RIAA: Gold RMNZ: Gold
Anniversary albums + List of anniversary albums with selected details and chart positions Title Reissue details Peak chart positions JPN SPN AUSVinyl Merry Christmas (Anniversary Deluxe Edition) Released: November 1, 2019 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, digital download, streaming — — — Butterfly: 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition Released: September 15, 2022 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, digital download, streaming — — — Music Box: 30th Anniversary Edition Released: September 8, 2023