There’s nothing quite like getting into the holiday spirit by listening to Christmas songs nonstop for the entire month of December, or even sooner if you’re into that. It’s safe to say that one of the most famous Christmas songs of all time is Mariah Carey’s, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Here’s how the song came to be one of the most beloved holiday tunes of all time.

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The song has a very recognizable sound to it and was actually inspired by the music of past decades. “It was really inspired by songs from the ‘60s or the ’50s where you couldn’t help but be happy when you heard them,” said Carey in an Amazon Music mini-documentary about the song that was released last year.

According to CNN, the 50-year-old singer wrote the classic holiday song with Walter Afanasieff, in 1994. 26 years later and the song is the gift that keeps giving as the multi-platform song remains a hit on the Billboard Holiday Hot 100 chart year after year, according to CNN, which is impressive considering the music industry and its culture is constantly evolving.

Amongst many other qualities, the song’s upbeat tempo makes it stand out from other Christmas ballads such as “White Christmas“ or ”Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” according to CNN. According to a 2016 Nielsen report, “All I Want for Christmas” was the only song to make the top 5 holiday songs for radio airplay, streaming services, and song purchases, which proved the song’s appeal across generations.

Carey has been smart enough to market “All I Want for Christmas is You” by having an annual Christmas show tour and even a children’s book and an animated movie that was inspired by the classic hit.

“It means so much to me to be able to sing the song with people all over the world, countries where they don‘t even celebrate Christmas. It’s always like such a rush for me,” Carey said about her song in the Amazon Music mini-documentary.