A few things to unpack here - Carey is an amazing vocalist and this album a sold so many records. And if this project is going to have a nineties soul with hip hop influences this is probably the one to include - here the mainstream shift from pop towards urban sound can truly said to have begun - soon damn near every track and artist would have Dre or Puffy or Neptunes or Wyclef Jean or Timbaland producing and a guest rapper for Street cred. Is this album brilliant? The upbeat tracks are pretty good, the ballads could all be the same song and some of Mariah’s vocals stylings are initiating so no, not take, but I’m going to argue the album fully merits a place here on this list (and I would rather listen to this again than, say, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway).