P1 Media Group has released its annual study of the the appeal of the 100 most-played Christmas songs from the 2023 Holiday Season.
P1 says “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms remains America’s #1 best-testing Christmas song for seven of the past 8 years. P1 Media Group Partner/co-founder Ken Benson said, “Christmas music’s appeal remains as strong as ever amongst American radio listeners who listen to All Christmas stations ‘frequently’ or ‘sometimes’ and personally enjoy Christmas music on a local radio station during the holiday season.
Other key findings include:
- The Holiday standards dominate the Top 100 with five versions of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town, “Sleigh Ride,” and “Winter Wonderland” making the list.
- Three Artists, Amy Grant, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams, have four songs in the Top 100.
- Women score Christmas music on average four points higher than Men. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is the #1 tester for Women, while Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” is #1 for Men.
- Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” from 2010 and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” 2014 are the two highest-testing original Christmas songs from the 2000s, ranking #51 and #54, respectively.
- The favorability of Christmas music remains strong. Seventy of the Top 100 songs tested with an appeal score of 75 or higher on a 100-point scale, and 95 songs tested 70 or higher.
By demographic the top testing songs by age are:
- 18-24 “All I Want for Christmas is You” Mariah Carey
- 25-34 “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” Michael Buble with Burle Ives version a close second.
- 35-44 “Ring Christmas Bells” Ray Conniff
- 45-54 “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” Any Williams.
More say Christmas Music should begin in early November this year than last with 31% saying Early November (up from 23% last year), 17% mid-November, 28% Thanksgiving, 22% early December, and 2% mid-December.
Most Christmas music lovers, 52% (60% in 2023 and 48% in 2022), want Christmas music programming to stop on New Year’s Eve. 14% say Christmas Day, 22% December 26, 7% December 27, and 3% some other time.
| Rank | Title | Artist | Year | 18-54 Score |
| 1 | Jingle Bell Rock | Bobby Helms | 1957 | 82.70 |
| 2 | Holly Jolly Christmas | Burl Ives | 1963 | 82.36 |
| 3 | It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year | Andy Williams | 1963 | 82.34 |
| 4 | Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree | Brenda Lee | 1964 | 82.22 |
| 5 | Santa Claus is Coming to Town | Jackson 5 | 1970 | 81.74 |
| 6 | Feliz Navidad | Jose Feliciano | 1979 | 81.70 |
| 7 | Holly Jolly Christmas | Michael Buble | 2011 | 81.35 |
| 8 | The Christmas Song | Nat King Cole | 1960 | 80.80 |
| 9 | Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree | Leann Rimes | 2004 | 80.77 |
| 10 | It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas | Bing Crosby | 1945 | 80.75 |
| 11 | Carol of the Bells | Mannheim Steamroller | 1984 | 80.62 |
| 12 | All I Want for Christmas is You | Mariah Carey | 1994 | 80.35 |
| 13 | Santa Claus is Coming to Town | Frank Sinatra & Cyndi Lauper | 1992 | 80.27 |
| 14 | Sleigh Ride | Ronettes | 1963 | 80.20 |
| 15 | Ring Christmas Bells | Ray Conniff | 1962 | 80.03 |
| 16 | Sleigh Ride | Amy Grant | 1983 | 79.95 |
| 17 | You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch | Thurl Ravenscroft | 1966 | 79.89 |
| 18 | We Wish You a Merry Xmas | Bing Crosby | 1992 | 79.86 |
| 19 | Winter Wonderland | Amy Grant | 1963 | 79.79 |
| 20 | Jingle Bells | Frank Sinatra | 1957 | 79.49 |
| 21 | Linus and Lucy | Vince Guaraldi Trio | 1964 | 79.29 |
| 22 | Carol of the Bells | David Foster | 1997 | 79.25 |
| 23 | Last Christmas | Wham | 1986 | 79.21 |
| 24 | Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow | Andy Williams | 1965 | 79.10 |
| 25 | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Dean Martin | 1959 | 79.06 |
| 26 | Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 | Trans-Siberian Orchestra | 1996 | 78.94 |
| 27 | Jingle Bell Rock | Brenda Lee | 1964 | 78.83 |
| 28 | Sleigh Ride | Leroy Anderson | 1952 | 78.77 |
| 29 | Sleigh Ride | Air Supply | 1987 | 78.72 |
| 30 | Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas | Frank Sinatra | 1963 | 78.55 |
| 31 | Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow | Frank Sinatra | 1967 | 78.54 |
| 32 | Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow | Harry Connick Jr. | 1963 | 78.52 |
| 33 | Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) | Darlene Love | 1963 | 78.47 |
| 34 | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Burl Ives | 1950 | 78.46 |
| 35 | It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas | Perry Como | 1951 | 78.32 |
| 36 | Jingle Bell Rock | Hall & Oates | 1984 | 78.21 |
| 37 | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Gene Autrey | 1949 | 78.16 |
| 38 | Winter Wonderland | Andy Williams | 1965 | 78.15 |
| 39 | Sleigh Ride | Johnny Mathis | 1958 | 77.95 |
| 40 | Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) | Mariah Carey | 1994 | 77.80 |
| 41 | Deck the Halls | Percy Faith | 1954 | 77.68 |
| 42 | O Tannenbaum | Vince Guaraldi Trio | 1965 | 77.63 |
| 43 | Run Rudolph Run | Chuck Berry | 1958 | 77.57 |
| 44 | Frosty the Snowman | Ray Conniff | 1959 | 77.45 |
| 45 | It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas | Johnny Mathis | 1986 | 77.41 |
| 46 | Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas | The Carpenters | 1978 | 77.39 |
| 47 | Jingle Bells | Ray Conniff | 1959 | 77.29 |
| 48 | It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year | Amy Grant | 1992 | 77.28 |
| 49 | Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree | Amy Grant | 1992 | 77.15 |
| 50 | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Harry Connick Jr | 1993 | 76.92 |
| 51 | Underneath the Tree | Kelly Clarkson | 2023 | 76.61 |
| 52 | Frosty the Snowman | Willie Nelson | 1979 | 76.44 |
| 53 | Deck the Halls | Nat King Cole | 1960 | 76.41 |
| 54 | Home for the Holidays | Perry Como | 1954 | 76.24 |
| 55 | Santa Tell Me | Ariana Grande | 2014 | 76.16 |
| 56 | Santa Claus is Coming to Town | Mariah Carey | 1994 | 76.15 |
| 57 | This Christmas | Train | 2015 | 75.99 |
| 58 | I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa | Jackson 5 | 1970 | 75.97 |
| 59 | Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) | Michael Buble | 2011 | 75.85 |
| 60 | Here Comes Santa | Gene Autry | 1948 | 75.78 |
| 61 | White Christmas | Bing Crosby | 1942 | 75.68 |
| 62 | Last Christmas | Taylor Swift | 2007 | 75.60 |
| 63 | Let it Snow, Let it Snow,Let it Snow | Dean Martin | 1964 | 75.47 |
| 64 | The Little Drummer Boy | Harry Simeone Chorale | 1958 | 75.45 |
| 65 | Santa Claus is Coming to Town | Crystals | 1963 | 75.25 |
| 66 | Winter Wonderland | Air Supply | 1987 | 75.25 |
| 67 | Wonderful Christmastime | Paul McCartney | 1979 | 75.23 |
| 68 | Do You Hear What I Hear? | Carrie Underwood | 2007 | 75.11 |
| 69 | Santa Claus is Coming to Town | Bruce Springsteen | 1981 | 75.09 |
| 70 | Frosty the Snowman | Jimmy Durante | 1952 | 75.04 |
| 71 | Happy Xmas (War is Over) | John Lennon | 1971 | 74.96 |
| 72 | Up on the Housetop | Gene Autry | 1957 | 74.94 |
| 73 | O Holy Night | Kelly Clarkson | 2003 | 74.93 |
| 74 | Winter Wonderland | Johnny Mathis | 1958 | 74.91 |
| 75 | Do You Hear What I Hear? | Martina McBride | 1999 | 74.72 |
| 76 | Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree | Jessica Simpson | 2000 | 74.66 |
| 77 | Happy Holidays/The Holiday Season | Andy Williams | 1963 | 74.36 |
| 78 | It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas | Michael Buble | 2011 | 74.09 |
| 79 | Home for the Holidays | Carpenters | 1970 | 73.57 |
| 80 | Here Comes Santa Claus | Elvis Presley | 1957 | 73.24 |
| 81 | This Christmas | Donny Hathaway | 1968 | 72.96 |
| 82 | Santa Baby | Taylor Swift | 2007 | 72.88 |
| 83 | Holly Jolly Christmas | Lady A | 2012 | 72.86 |
| 84 | Blue Christmas | Elvis Presley | 1957 | 72.28 |
| 85 | Santa Baby | Madonna | 1987 | 71.98 |
| 86 | Last Christmas | Backstreet Boys | 2022 | 71.81 |
| 87 | White Christmas | Drifters | 1954 | 71.77 |
| 88 | Where Are You Christmas | Faith Hill | 2000 | 71.40 |
| 89 | Chipmunk Song | Chipmunks | 1958 | 71.32 |
| 90 | Little St. Nick | Beach Boys | 1964 | 71.22 |
| 91 | Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays | ‘N Sync | 1998 | 71.17 |
| 92 | Do They Know It’s Christmas | Band Aid | 1984 | 70.92 |
| 93 | Christmas Canon | Trans-SiberianOrchestra | 2001 | 70.87 |
| 94 | Winter Wonderland | Eurythmics | 1987 | 70.54 |
| 95 | Please Come Home for Christmas | The Eagles | 1978 | 70.28 |
| 96 | Wrap Me Up | Jimmy Fallon & Meghan Trainor | 2023 | 67.05 |
| 97 | All I Want for Christmas | Vince Vance | 1990 | 66.73 |
| 98 | Someday at Christmas | Stevie Wonder | 1967 | 66.55 |
| 99 | Step into Christmas | Elton John | 1973 | 63.49 |
| 100 | DJ Play a Christmas Song | Cher | 2023 | 60.78 |
| Top 100 Averages | 1978 | 76.21 |
P1 Media Group conducted the online survey from November 1-3, 2024 sampling 400 18-54-year-old radio listeners from the Top 50 American Radio Markets. Participants were required to listen either “Frequently” or “Sometimes” to an all-Christmas Music local radio station during the holiday season and rate their enjoyment of Christmas music on a local radio station during the holiday season a ‘7’ or higher on a 1 to 10 scale. We identified “Heavy Streamers” by asking each respondent, “How frequently do you listen to music on your smartphone, computer, or other listening device from a streaming service such as Pandora, Spotify, or Apple Music.” 60% of the sample responded they stream “every day,” and 28% answered a “few days” a week.
The test list was compiled from the most-played Christmas Songs on American radio in 2023. The full results are available at http://p1mediagroup.com
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com