I’m not saying this ranking itself is absolutely correct. What I mean is I approached it the right way, unlike the only other top 10 we currently have (MsMojo💀). Honestly, I hate that video with a passion; it’s so generic and only focuses on the popularity of the songs and when/where they were performed, not the quality of the vocals themselves. I mean, they had the audacity to choose VOL over Vanishing for SNL 1990, and they didn’t even include You And I or If It's Over! Anyway, feel free to share your opinions below.

Also, I want to clarify that some of the performances in this list are actually representative of an entire era/sub-era of Mariah’s career. For example, the VOL performance at #9 isn’t necessarily the only one of its kind to have occurred during the Charmbracelet tour. However, it is the best example I know of, hence I am calling it #9 even though it could probably only make top 50 if we were to consider every single one of Mariah’s performances. In fact, ranks 10, 9, and 8 all have more or less equivalent performances out there which could easily tie them for the same spot. Only a few such as BET 2002 (rank 6) are truly one-of-a-kind, and I will try to go with these when possible.

Finally, please note that since this list is based mostly on vocal prowess, late 2000s-present day performances are generally ruled out. Not that Mariah didn’t have prime moments post-TEOM, but usually it was just one note/part that was really spectacular (e.g. ABMB 2009), and it still didn’t match up to actual prime performances overall.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:16 #10
01:33 #9
03:07 #8
05:26 #7
07:31 #6
09:38 #5
11:31 #4
13:52 #3
16:27 #2
18:53 Honorable mention
19:45 #1
22:52 Outro

#mariahcarey #lambily #liveperformance #top10 #ranked #vocals #livevocals #90s