Artist: Mariah Carey
Album: The Ballads
Released: 1.20.09 (US)

When you're blessed with the biggest voice of a generation, it's only right that you remind the world every so often of your contributions to music. Such is the case with the release of The Ballads, Mariah Carey's 4th "best-of" type project. Just so you know, this release contains some of Carey's best work but only from her years at Columbia Records, a time period that was undeniably the prime of her career. Some of Mariah's signature hits can be found here, including Vision of Love, Always Be My Baby, Hero, and Anytime You Need A Friend. Also included are some of her most adored covers of timeless classics, some of which have become classics themselves including The Jackson 5's I'll Be There, Open Arms by Journey, and Against All Odds, originally done by Phil Collins. Even with a compilation disc, Mariah continues to prove her chart-topping ability as The Ballads debuted at #10 in the Billboard 200 this past week. If you're looking for an essential compilation album to define one of the signature voices in music history, this album will not disappoint you.

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