The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / What Is The Most Played Xmas Song On Radio? It's Not Mariah Carey

**Posted by RadioActive** November 6, 2024 11:22 am

A research group took a look at the most played Yule tunes from last year and ranked them as the ones that tested best with audiences who listen in to the annual Christmas format.

You might have thought the top tune would be Mariah Carey's classic "All I Want For Christmas Is You," which seems to be on every station and every speaker in every store throughout the holiday season. (Although it tested best with a younger demo.) But the top song goes back a lot farther than that.

It's the Bobby Helms' perennial "Jingle Bell Rock," which came out in 1957. Carey's Christmas crooner wound up at #12.

You can see the list of the Top 100 here.

But the survey didn't just ask about specific songs. It also delved into a topic that flares here every holiday. When should it start and when should it stop?

"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."

**Posted by Easily Amused** November 6, 2024 11:38 am

I consider it a good holiday season if I avoid hearing McCartney's 'Wonderful Christmastime'. 😁

It was only a few years ago that I heard 'Christmas Wrapping' by the Waitresses for the first time. More than one pointed out to me that I clearly had never worked in retail, and they were correct.

**Posted by newsguy1** November 6, 2024 12:08 pm

Amazing how practically all the songs are secular pop or rock Christmas tunes.
Not that I care, but I would have thought Silent Night and The First Noel etc would be there. I notice there's Do You Hear What I Hear.
I think you'd find more traditional carols in Canada because of our ongoing British ties.
But, like I say, I'm not a Christmas kind of person.

**Posted by kevjo** November 6, 2024 11:22 pm

newsguy1 wrote:
Amazing how practically all the songs are secular pop or rock Christmas tunes.
Not that I care, but I would have thought Silent Night and The First Noel etc would be there. I notice there's Do You Hear What I Hear.
I think you'd find more traditional carols in Canada because of our ongoing British ties.
But, like I say, I'm not a Christmas kind of person.

For the most part the religious-themed Christmas songs tend to get shoved to the back of the line until maybe Christmas Eve. It probably has a lot to do with mainstreaming it for those who don't celebrate the spiritual side.
In CHFI's case, they have in the past interchangeably used the terms holiday and Christmas.

**Posted by RadioAaron** November 6, 2024 11:43 pm

kevjo wrote:
newsguy1 wrote:
Amazing how practically all the songs are secular pop or rock Christmas tunes.
Not that I care, but I would have thought Silent Night and The First Noel etc would be there. I notice there's Do You Hear What I Hear.
I think you'd find more traditional carols in Canada because of our ongoing British ties.
But, like I say, I'm not a Christmas kind of person.

For the most part the religious-themed Christmas songs tend to get shoved to the back of the line until maybe Christmas Eve. It probably has a lot to do with mainstreaming it for those who don't celebrate the spiritual side.
In CHFI's case, they have in the past interchangeably used the terms holiday and Christmas.

Agree, and tempo is a major consideration too. The presentation tends to be bright & light, and the religious tunes mostly don't fit that.