Mariah joins Chicago Radio Station to announce the return of Christmas music

CHICAGO — Hurry up and eat the Halloween candy, it’s time to think about Christmas. At least that’s what Mariah Carey and Chicago radio station 93.9 LITE FM believe. Carey, the five-time Grammy winner, appeared as a guest on “Melissa Forman in the Morning” on Wednesday to announce when the station will switch to 24-hour Christmas music for the 24th year in a row.

The official time for the switch on 93.9 LITE FM is Friday at 3 p.m., starting with a commercial-free two-hour block. The switch to holiday tunes comes a day earlier than last year. The radio station, owned by iHeartMedia, typically plays soft, contemporary music for adults. From November to December 26, the program usually switches to Christmas music only.

Carey called into the show to discuss the holidays, including an upcoming stop in the area next month, among other things. Carey plays her Christmas show on November 27 at the Allstate Arena. The legendary singer has become synonymous with the holiday since the success of her hit song “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which debuted in 1994.

“Well, it’s really hard to pick the songs because we’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of my Christmas album, the first one,” Carey said of the song list for the holiday tour. “And then, you know, I also do some songs that have been successful for me.”

Although 93.9 Lite FM has not announced which song it will play on the first Friday, here are some from past years: