P1 Media Releases Christmas Music Findings And America’s Top 100 Songs

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P1 Media Group has released its annual Christmas Music Research report. The media research and strategy firm conducted a nationwide survey of radio listeners likely to tune into all-Christmas music stations during the holiday season.

The study evaluated the appeal of the top 100 most-played Christmas songs from the 2023 holiday season, as reported by Mediabase.

P1 reports that Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” has maintained its status as America’s top-performing Christmas song for seven of the last eight years.

Ken Benson, Partner and co-founder of P1 Media Group noted that the allure of Christmas music continues to resonate strongly among American radio audiences. Many listeners frequently or sometimes tune into All Christmas stations and enjoy holiday music on local radio stations throughout the festive season.

Among the findings:

• The Top 100 chart is currently highlighted by the dominance of holiday classics, featuring five renditions of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town ” and popular tracks “Sleigh Ride” and “Winter Wonderland.”
• Three Artists, Amy Grant, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams, have four songs in the Top 100.
• According to recent data, women rate Christmas music an average of four points higher than men. Notably, Mariah Carey’s hit “All I Want for Christmas is You” ranks as the top choice among female listeners. At the same time, Jose Feliciano’s classic “Feliz Navidad” holds the number one spot for male listeners.

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” Andy Williams.

More say Christmas Music should begin in early November this year than last.

• 31% Early November (up from 23% last year)
• 17% Mid November
• 28% Thanksgiving (27% in 2023)
• 22% early December
• 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% Christmas Day
• 22% December 26th
• 7% December 27th
• 52% on New Year’s Eve
• 3% some other time

The Top 100 Testing Christmas Songs 2024 are:

1. “Jingle Bell Rock,” Bobby Helms (1957) 82.70 18-54 Score
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 2
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-Siberian Orchestra (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

The full report is available here.    

BMM Staff