Holiday Hits More Popular Than Ever

Christmas music has reached unprecedented popularity in 2025, with listeners starting the holiday tunes earlier than ever and 20 of Spotify's top 25 global tracks being Christmas-themed as of December 10.

This dominance highlights a surging trend where festive classics and modern holiday hits are pushing aside year-round pop songs on streaming charts, driven by a cultural shift toward extended holiday cheer amid global stresses.

Data from Spotify and analytics sites show holiday songs infiltrating the top 200 as early as November 1, with streams for Christmas playlists doubling in mid-November compared to prior years. 

By early December, classics like Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (which surpassed 2 billion lifetime streams) led the charge, followed by Wham!'s "Last Christmas," Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and Michael Bublé favorites dominating curated and daily charts.

The Wall Streeet Journal reports experts attribute the earlier embrace—holiday playlist creation up 60% from October 2024 to 2025—to a need for emotional comfort during uncertain times, including economic pressures and world events. Streaming algorithms amplify this by promoting seasonal playlists, creating a feedback loop that extends the "Christmas creep" from post-Thanksgiving to as early as Halloween.

This year's surge outpaces previous seasons, with Christmas tracks claiming more top spots faster, reinforcing the timeless appeal of holiday music in the streaming era.

As the 2025 holiday season reaches its peak, classic Christmas songs continue to dominate streaming charts, with Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" reigning supreme once again as the most-streamed holiday track globally on Spotify and topping Billboard's Holiday 100 and Hot 100.

This timeless 1994 hit has solidified its status as the ultimate modern holiday anthem, surpassing 2 billion lifetime streams and marking its seventh consecutive year leading charts during December. 

 

Trailing closely are perennial favorites that evoke nostalgia and festive cheer:

• Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (1958)
• Wham!'s "Last Christmas" (1984)
• Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" (1957)
• Ariana Grande's "Santa Tell Me" (2014)

These tracks have surged into Spotify's global top ranks and Billboard's Global 200, pushing aside non-seasonal pop hits.

Michael Bublé's smooth renditions, particularly from his 2011 Christmas album like "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," also rank high on Spotify's most-listened holiday lists, blending crooner classics with contemporary appeal.amazon.com

Other staples rounding out the top tier include Dean Martin's "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and timeless tracks like "Feliz Navidad" by José Feliciano.

This year's dominance reflects an earlier start to holiday listening, with Christmas songs infiltrating top charts as soon as November and claiming the majority of high positions by mid-December, driven by playlists, algorithms, and a collective craving for comfort amid global uncertainties.

While new 2025 releases from artists like Luke Bryan, Carter Faith, and others add fresh country twists, the streaming crown undeniably belongs to these enduring classics that return stronger every year.