Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She made her recording debut in 1990 under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and became the first recording artist to have her first five singles top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. According to Billboard magazine, Mariah Carey was the most successful artist of the 1990s in the United States. Following her separation from Mottola in 1997, Carey introduced elements of hip hop into her album work, to much initial success, but her popularity was in decline when she left Columbia in 2001. Mariah Carey has sold more than 175 million albums, singles and videos worldwide. Mariah Carey was named the best-selling female pop artist of the millennium at the 2000 World Music Awards. Mariah Carey has the most number-one singles for a solo artist in the United States (eighteen; second artist overall behind The Beatles). Mariah Carey has earned five Grammy Awards, and is well-known for her five-octave vocal range, power, melismatic style, and use of the whistle register.