New holiday songs look to climb chart as Mariah Carey’s reign continues

SABRINA CARPENTER. ED SHEERAN. TWENTY ONE PILOTS.  AVA MAX.

THESE ARE THE NAMES OF SOME OF TODAY’S BIGGEST POP MUSIC STARS WHO HAVE RECENTLY LENT THEIR VOICES TO OUR HOLIDAY SOUNDTRACKS.

WHILE THESE RECORDINGS HAVE ADDED TO THE FESTIVE FEEL OF THE SEASON – WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHARTS – THERE IS STILL ONE REIGNING QUEEN OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC.

MARIAH CAREY AND HER 1994 HIT “ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU” HAS BEEN AT THE TOP OF BILLBOARD’S “HOT 100 HOLIDAY” FOR 61 WEEKS OUT OF THE CHART’S 69 TOTAL WEEKS SINCE IT BEGAN ITS TALLY IN 20-11 – WHICH RANKS BY STREAMING ACTIVITY DATA, RADIO AIRPLAY AUDIENCE IMPRESSIONS AND SALES DATA.

The song’s staying power is so strong, it’s currently No. 1 on the Billboard “Hot 100” with 38.2 million streams and 24.4 million radio airplay audience impressions in the past week. It was also No. 1 on Billboard’s “Greatest Holiday Songs of All Time” chart

A SONG FROM 30 YEARS AGO – THAT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A CLASSIC – BUT IT’S FAIRLY NEW WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO THE REST THE TOP 10 OF THE MOST RECENT “HOLIDAY 100.”

SONGS FROM THE 50S, 60S, 70S AND 80S HOLDING MOST OF THE TOP SPOTS – INCLUDING

“LAST CHRISTMAS” BY WHAM RELEASED IN 1984 AT NUMBER 3, “A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS” BY BURL IVES FEATURED IN THE 1964 RULOPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER TV SPECIAL AT NUMBER 5, AT NUMBER 7, DEAN MARTIN’S 1959 RENDITION OF “LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW.”

AND AT NUMBER 2

– “ROCKIN AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE” BY BRENDA LEE – RELEASED IN 1958. THIS ONE HAD IT’S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE OF ITS OWN LAST YEAR WHEN IT OVERTOOK MARIAH AS THE NUMBER ONE SPOT ON THE “HOLIDAY 100” FOR THREE WEEKS – AND ALSO – FOR THE FIRST TIME — LANDED TOP OF THE “HOT 100” CHART TOO.

BUT THIS DOESN’T THOSE LATEST HOLIDAY JINGLES ARE NOT MAKING IT ON BILLBOARD’S LIST AT ALL.  IF YOU NEED TO, BE LIKE SANTA AND CHECK THE LIST TWICE – BECAUSE THERE IS NEW MUSIC ON THERE.

IN FACT – TO GET TO THE FIRST SONG RELEASED IN THE PAST DECADE – YOU ONLY HAVE TO GO TO THE 10^TH SPOT – TO FIND ARIANA GRANDE’S “SANTA TELL ME” – THOUGH THAT WAS RELEASED 10 YEARS AGO. ONE OF THE FEW ARTISTS TO OVERTAKE MARIAH CAREY – HOLDING NUMBER ONE FOR ONE WEEK IN THE 2014-2015 HOLIDAY SEASON.

AND THAT SONG IS FOLLOWED BY KELLY CLARKSON AT NUMBER 11 WITH 2013’S “UNDERNEATH THE MISTLETOE” – RELEASED 9 YEARS AGO.

SO WHAT ABOUT NEWER SONGS FROM THE PAST FIVE YEARS? HOW ARE THEY FARING?

NUMBER 34 HAS OUR FIRST TASTE OF THAT – WITH THE JONAS BROTHERS “LIKE IT’S CHRISTMAS” FROM 2019.

THE ED SHEERAN AND ELTON JOHN 2021 “MERRY CHRISTMAS” ORIGINAL IS NOT TOO FAR BEHIND AT 41.

BUT FOR A SONG RELEASED THIS YEAR IN 20-24 – THERE IS ONLY ONE CONTENDER – LAUFEY’S (LAY-VAY’S) “CHRISTMAS MAGIC” AT NUMBER 50.

THE GRAMMY WINNING ICELAND-CHINESE ARTIST NOT ONLY CELEBRATING THIS FEAT – BUT SHE ALSO JUST PREMIERE DHER CONCERT FILM “A NIGHT AT THE SYMPHONY: HOLLYWOOD BOWL” IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE.

AND JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW HARD OF A TASK IT IS FOR A NEWER SONG TO CLIMB TO THE TOP OF THE HOLIDAY CHART — PAST ALL OF THOSE BELOVED CLASSICS – JUST LOOK AT TAYLOR SWIFT – WHO HAS HAD HER SHARE OF RECORD-BREAKING BILLBOARD MOMENTS. SWIFT’S 2019 “CHRISTMAS TREE FARM” SINGLE SITS AT NUMBER 79 – NOT A USUAL SPOT ON A MUSIC CHART TO SEE THE POP SUPERSTAR.

BY THE WAY, IF YOU’RE WONDERING THE OTHER ARTISTS TO HAVE “THE HOLIDAY 100” NUMBER ONES — JUSTIN BIEBER AND PENTATONIX. ALL FOR JUST A WEEK OR SO. BEFORE GIVING THE SPOT BACK TO WHO MANY CONSIDER ITS RIGHTFUL OWNER – MARIAH CAREY.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M KENNEDY FELTON.

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