Christmas may be over, but Mariah Carey’s Christmas song is a gift that keeps on giving – and it could be the greatest song of all time.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” was released in 1994, but eventually reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2017 after streaming numbers fed into its chart success. In 2019, it reached the top spot and since then, the festive jam has resurfaced every year as the holidays approach, spending several weeks in the highest spot. This week, the track recorded its 17th week at No. 1, approaching the 19-week record set by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Carey’s hit could break the record this year, and he’ll certainly break it next year.

And that’s it: Which song comes back to life every year and dominates the charts? While the lifespan of most big pop hits can be a year, Carey and Christmas songs in general enjoy a different level of success thanks to the holiday season. So by the numbers, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” will be the best-performing song in Billboard history. And every year, Carey knows how to capitalize on the holiday season, from her holiday tour to TV specials to merchandising. Let’s call it their karma for releasing an epic Christmas jam.

Carey also deserves this honor. Musicians have been creating original Christmas songs for years, but it’s rare that they become classics or standards like “All I Want.” She’s one of the greatest songwriters of all time (and yes, I’m so willing to argue with you if you question that), and she’s created something that will put us all in the right mood the day after Halloween. And if you feel like you’ve listened to the song too many times, it disappears in January, giving you plenty of time to miss it when it reappears 11 months later.

Carey’s song also deserves this award because she is the queen of the charts. Let’s just look at her stats: She has 19 No. 1s, second only to The Beatles’ 20-song record, and we all know she’ll surpass that. In total, her music was at number 1 on the Hot 100 for 96 weeks and the gap between her and number 2 is large at 36 weeks. And while there are contemporary songs that reach the top of the charts every week, many of them rarely stay there. Some make it to the charts simply because of the artist’s hype, and these “hits” crash shortly after. Others are relieved through marketing plans such as bundling. They’re technically No. 1 hits, but not in the same way that Carey’s songs chart. There is a big difference. Your numbers don’t lie.

So here’s to Carey and “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” making history and becoming the most successful song of all time. Santa Claus may be a work of fiction, but Carey and this holiday staple are the real story.