"All I Want for Christmas Is You" received critical acclaim. Parisien called the song "a year-long banger", complimenting its instrumentation and melody. Steve Morse, editor of "The Boston Globe", wrote that Carey sang with a lot of soul. "Music & Media" commented, "Phil Spector's Christmas album has been the main inspiration for this carol in a "Darlene Love against the wall of sound" tradition." According to Barry Schwartz from "Stylus Magazine", "to say this song is an instant classic somehow doesn't capture its amazingicity; it's a modern standard: joyous, exhilarating, loud, with even a hint of longing." Schwartz praised the song's lyrics as well, describing them as "beautifully phrased," and calling Carey's voice "gorgeous" and "sincere."