In fact some of our greatest current vocalists have cited “Vision of Love” as the song that made them want to become singers. Over the past 30 years countless singers have referred to “Vision of Love” as the song that made them want to sing, a teaching tool for how they learned to sing, a song they performed when they were growing up, and a song that got them through tough times. Devon Powers of Pop Matters writes, “From its first few moments, the song demands to be legendary.” LA Weekly named it the #5 female pop song of all-time. It forced people to stop what they were doing and listen, and it changed the way many people, particularly female singers, approached music. Cheryl ‘Salt’ James told VH1, Carey “put herself on the map with that song.” More than announcing Carey’s arrival, though, with time “Vision of Love” has revealed itself to be arguably the most influential song of all-time vocally. Julianne Shepherd asked in Vibe, “Who can forget the first time they heard” Mariah’s voice on the song? In talking about the song to VH1, singer Paula Cole noted, “Her voice was spectacular.” Carey would win the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1991 for “Vision of Love” over famed veteran singers like Bette Midler and Whitney Houston. Musically the song opens with some sci-fi-like synths before moving into electric piano chords that Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker describes as “reminiscent of early Billy Joel.” While also noted for doo wop elements and a slow dance shuffle that didn’t quite sound like anything on radio at the time, the song Elysa Gardner of USA Today calls a “lush debut vehicle” was more notable for the incredible vocal display put on by Carey. Carey has said, though, that the song was written in reaction to struggling for a while and then landing a record deal.
Lyrically “Vision of Love” seems to be a love song about finding a soul mate, and in fact the NY Daily News named it one of the 100 greatest love songs.
“Vision of Love” spent 4 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 that summer, the longest run of any song that year. “Vision of Love,” her “first single – ever,” was released in advance of her self-titled debut album. In May of 1990 Long Island native Mariah Carey “realized a dream, and visualized the love that came to be“.
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