The queen of Christmas herself Mariah Carey earns a very decent sum of money for a song she debuted 30 years ago.

‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ came out way back in 1994 and was an instant classic, reaching number two in the UK charts and number six over in the US.

Now we’re in the era of streaming music, the song regularly re-enters the charts every year in the weeks before Christmas.

And Carey’s monster hit has now reached number one in over 30 countries, with it being added to popular playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.

“When I wrote [it], I had absolutely no idea the impact the song would eventually have worldwide,” Carey, 55, told Billboard in an honest admission.

“How could I? It was so early on in my career and most young artists, at that time, weren’t really making Christmas music at the onset of their careers.

“When writing [it], I was tapping into a bittersweet mixture of longing and festiveness.

Mariah Carey has defrosted in time for Xmas (Instagram/@mariahcarey)

“I had grown up wishing I could have a functional family Christmas like the ones I saw on TV or in the movies, but truth is… that never happened!

“So, I wrote the song for the little girl in me filled with holiday spirit.

“The record really has brought me full circle, and I’m so full of gratitude that so many people enjoy it with me every year.”

At the time of writing, the song is currently number 10 in the UK chart and is likely to rise in the lead up to 25 December.

With all its success, The Economist reports that the song earned $60 million in royalties between its 1994 release and 2017.

This worked out to about $2.6 million per year, which is around £2.1 million.

Based on previous figures, it means Carey still earns a whopping £5,753 a day, which is £239.70 an hour.

Not bad for a song that came out 30 years ago…

Commenting on the track, one fan said: “It’s amazing how this song is timeless, reborn every November, and then dies after Christmas, Mariah thought of a marketing genius.

“Mariah Carey has officially defrosted from her iceberg. We will now not stop hearing Christmas songs until dec 31,” a second penned.

“Happy to see y’all again this year, is a great season, happy holidays, IT’S TIIIIIMMEEEEEEE,” wrote a third.

As someone else said: “All her songs are superb. But this is by far what makes Mariah legendary. So iconic.”