As the festive season of 2024 wraps up, the UK Official Singles Chart reflects a familiar blend of timeless Christmas classics and emerging contemporary tracks. While enduring favorites continue to dominate, newer songs are also making their mark in the streaming era.
Magic Radio recently unveiled a countdown highlighting the UK’s most-streamed Christmas anthems, drawing data from the Official Charts Company. The top echelon is occupied by the undisputed trinity of Christmas masterpieces. Leading the pack is Mariah Carey with “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” boasting an impressive 475 million streams to date. Following closely is Wham!’s poignant “Last Christmas,” with 457 million streams, and The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl’s iconic “Fairytale Of New York,” rounding out the top three with 316 million plays. These three perennial favorites consistently reappear in the Official Chart each December, often vying for top positions within the Christmas Chart Top 10.
The rest of the top 5 Most Played Christmas Songs are populated by more vintage yuletide tunes. Shakin’ Stevens’ cheerful “Merry Christmas Everyone” secures the fourth spot with 267 million streams, while Brenda Lee’s rock and roll infused “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” claims fifth place with 258 million streams, proving the lasting appeal of classic festive melodies.
Amongst these giants, Michael Bublé’s rendition of “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” stands out as the highest-ranking modern Christmas song – defined as tracks released post-2010. Bublé’s 2011 take on this timeless classic sits just behind Brenda Lee at number 6, accumulating 257 million streams. This highlights the enduring power of reimagining classic songs for contemporary audiences.
Ariana Grande also secures a prominent position with her contemporary festive hit, the sparkling 2014 single “Santa Tell Me.” This modern favorite lands as the UK’s eighth most-streamed Christmas track, amassing 232 million streams and showcasing the popularity of newer Christmas releases.
Other modern Christmas songs demonstrating their staying power against the classic juggernauts include Kelly Clarkson’s heartwarming “Underneath The Tree” in 11th place (197 million streams), Leona Lewis’ soulful “One More Sleep” in 15th place (170 million streams), and Justin Bieber’s catchy “Mistletoe” in 19th (153 million streams). These tracks demonstrate the evolving landscape of most played christmas songs, with modern entries successfully competing alongside established classics.
You can listen back to Magic Radio’s countdown of the Official Top 40 now on the Rayo app.
