Opinion: We need new Christmas music – 3 Christmas songs that top the charts every year
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Opinion: We need new Christmas music – 3 Christmas songs that top the charts every year

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

For some, Christmas consists of two days: Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve. For many, Christmas lasts from November 1st to January 1st. It just is, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, if you identify with the latter of the two demographics, you are partly the reason the same commercialized Christmas songs grace the charts season after season.

Again, if you like listening to Burl Ives before Thanksgiving, there’s no shame in that. But maybe you wouldn’t like a little variety in the nationwide Christmas playlist? Well, if you believe that, then the nation still has a lot of work to do because these three Christmas songs were the highlight billboards Holiday 100 for as long as anyone can remember, and they do now.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey

What else is there to say about this song? Is it a classic, yes, absolutely. But don’t you think it’s time to hand the title of favorite Christmas song of all time to someone else? Well, that’s between you and yourself and anyone who will listen.

Opinions aside, numbers don’t lie. Since its release in 1994, the song has spent 70 weeks on the charts and stayed at No. 1 on the Holiday 100 for 60 weeks. There are a plethora of other statistical facts that support this song’s seasonal dominance, but I think we have them all heard too many times. So maybe we should all just bow down to Mariah Carey and accept her inevitable reign over the holiday season.

“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee

One could argue that Brenda Lee’s song is more dominant than Carey’s, and the point they would probably be making is the sheer longevity of the song. Released in 1958, the song has been a staple of the holiday season ever since, gracing family living rooms, shopping malls and Christmas tree lots. Honestly, you could be in the middle of the Mojave Desert on December 25th and still have a high chance of hearing this song.

The song is currently at number 2 in the charts. However, it has incredibly similar numbers to Carey’s song. Lee’s single also spent a total of 70 weeks on the charts, peaking at No. 1. Carey could give it a run for her money, but she still hasn’t overtaken her.

“Last Christmas” by Wham!

Last Christmas I gave myself….So on and so forth, you know the rest of the lyrics, and that’s because George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley have been blasting their ’80s hit across the Christmas networks since the song’s release in 1984. Whether you were an ’80s kid or your parents, this song is as inescapable as your relatives’ political discussions over Christmas dinner. As a result, the song has become a cornerstone of the holiday.

The singing duo’s song has remained at number three on the Holiday 100 for a total of 70 weeks. Even though it hasn’t surpassed Carey or Lee, it’s still one of those Christmas songs that almost anyone can sing along to.

All of these songs are an integral part of the holiday and it might be difficult to celebrate Christmas without them. But despite their quality, we are in for something new.

Photo by Terence Patrick/CBS via Getty Images

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