atlantamoi

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080402/...mariah_carey_3

LOS ANGELES - With her 18th chart-topper "Touch My Body," Mariah Carey has passed Elvis Presley for the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard singles chart, and is now second only to the Beatles.

But while the diva was in full celebration mode after learning of her latest milestone, she was also quick to put her accomplishment in perspective.

"I really can never put myself in the category of people who have not only revolutionized music but also changed the world," Carey told The Associated Press on Tuesday via phone from London. "That's a completely different era and time ... I'm just feeling really happy and grateful."

Carey's single is the new No. 1 single on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart: The song also is No. 1 on the trade magazine's digital download chart thanks to a precedent-setting 286,000 downloads in its debut week. She had been tied with Presley with 17 No. 1 singles; the Beatles are the all-time leaders with 20. (Madonna also beat a Presley record this week, surpassing the King for the most top 10 hits with her 37th for her hit "4 Minutes.")

Carey said being in such company was gratifying not only because of her personal success, but what it meant for women and minorities.

"For me, in my mind the accomplishment is just that much sweeter," she said. "In terms of my ethnicity, always feeling like an outsider, always feeling different ... for me it's about saying, 'Thank you Lord, for giving me the faith to believe in myself when other people had written me off.'"

"Touch My Body" is the first single off of Carey's upcoming album "EMC2," due out April 16. It is the follow-up to her Grammy-winning disc "The Emancipation of Mimi," released in 2005, that year's best-selling album with five million copies sold; it marked a huge comeback for the multiplatinum superstar after personal and professional setbacks.

Like that album, Carey said "EMC2" continues her sense of freedom and rebirth: "It's like emancipation of Mariah Carey to the second power and beyond."

Carey, 38, said this is the most enjoyable point of her nearly two-decade old career, and that's her priority these days, not trying to set sales records or even making pop history.

"I've gone through enough of my life worrying about that kind if thing," said Carey.

"I want to encourage anyone else out there who feels like maybe they can't overcome an obstacle, I feel like I'm living proof ... never lose your faith," she added. "I'm seriously a grateful individual right now."

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Wow, didn't realize she had so many hits. I'm not a fan in the least, but find this pretty fascinating. The only song I've ever heard from her I like just a little is the one where she samples Tom Tom Club. I like that she has some perspective on the situation.

cdollaz

Ugh.

pinata242

Time to dig up Lennon because even his corpse can write better songs than this shit.

Giantrobo

Good for her for saying that.

I'm sure the old farts were saying the same "oh no!" shit when Elvis started getting his no 1's over past 1940's big bands and crooners.

Chrisedge

...What?

Hiro11

This seemingly proves that only 12 year old girls actually buy cds any more.

Sean O'Hara

In a perfect world, her career would've sputtered out 15 years ago and she would've appeared in Penthouse.

Instead we're still subjected to her singing "talents."

Michael Corvin

Helloooo.... someone's been working out.

Mondo Kane

And the old farts are on KaZaa.

The Bus

kefrank

i clicked on this thread hoping it was just an april fool's joke.

Mordred

Hey, I hate Mariah Carey's music like most of the male population, but I've got to admit she's got an amazing voice. She just uses it to sing crap.

I'd still go for the Penthouse thing though.

cranberries fan

Mariah Carey will never be even close to legend like Beatles or Bee Gees.
As for Elvis he did not even write his on songs other people did.

Sonny Corinthos

It's a very sad day in the world of music when Mariah Carey suppasses Elvis in anything. He is a legend and changed music forever Like someone said before, there must be a ton of little teeny bopper girls that still buys CDs.

gatoinfeliz

Considering her days in Sony were in charge of her payola loving husband/record label president it's no wonder she was raking up those number ones aside from the desperate antics they also used to make sure her "streak" was uninterrupted. I find her number ones after leaving Sony in 2000 to be a real meter of her popularity. Let's face it folks, these days everyone makes piece of shit songs that cater to the r&b loving masses.

Besides, she isn't really all that massively popular outside of the US. Sure in the past years she has been able to sell a bit more but how many hits has she had anywhere else in the world that have had the success of those in the US?

big whoppa

Billboard uses different ways to track now than in the past when Elvis was alive and the Beatles were a group. I read Mariah is also the top-selling female artist in the US.

Mariah is a huge success story, talented and I like most of her music. As big a mark she has made in music, how many would call her legend like Elvis? So, I can commend her for humbling herself a little in the article above.

big whoppa

BBW?

She must have finally got back with her trainer.

slop101

If by "trainer", you mean "Photoshop artist" then yes.

And to be fair, The Beatles were only around for 8 years - Mariah's been putting out (shitty) albums for more than twice that long.

orangecrush

The Beatles were also "competing" in a completely different era. It is ridiculous to compare the two's #1 hits. For the record, I would take the Beatles over Mariah every day of the week.

slop101

Yeah, it was way more competitive back then as there were far more singles released and in circulation back then than there is now.

DRG

Here's the All Time Top 20:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...100_%28U.S.%29

Rank Artist Number One Singles
1 The Beatles 20
2 Mariah Carey 18
3 Elvis Presley 17
4 Michael Jackson 13
5 Madonna 12
6 The Supremes 12
7 Whitney Houston 11
8 Stevie Wonder 10
9 Janet Jackson 10
10 Bee Gees 9
11 Elton John 9
12 Rolling Stones 8
13 George Michael 8
14 Usher 8
15 Phil Collins 7
16 Daryl Hall and John Oates 6
17 Wings 6
18 Diana Ross 6
19 Pat Boone 6
20 Paula Abdul 6

Paula Abdul is in the top 20??? Wow.

DRG

Although to be fair, it's starting to swing back to that dynamic with digital track sales.

Chrisedge

I tried finding a 2008 screenshot from SNL...how do you photoshop live video?



Granted she is a rollercoaster girl as far as her weight goes, but she has a great figure when she is on the "down" side...

Michael Corvin

I'm surprised Billy Joel isn't up there. I know he's had a ton of "top-10" hits, I guess #1 was just out of his reach on all of them.

I think it is a bit of both slimming down and photoshop magic. But whatever, that's a great pic above(the one w/o the cellulite ).

LiquidSky

Although I don't care for her music, I would much rather listen to Mariah that that paper-thin "voice" of Paula.