It’s that time of year again. All of our festive favourites are back on the radio and Christmas playlists can be heard in every store. Christmas songs are a true sign of the holiday season and each year artists try to create the next “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. But which Christmas songs should you actually listen to? Here is your guide to holiday hits, festive flops, and everything in between.
Those holiday classics we all know and love have soundtracked the Christmas season for decades. A time of nostalgia, the holidays bring back memories of childhood, drinking hot chocolates whilst the Christmas tunes played in the background.
Today’s hit-makers try each year to make the next Christmas number one. Most notably, Ariana Grande, Coldplay and Kelly Clarkson have successfully made holiday hits, with their songs a staple piece of Christmas playlists around the world. However, do these songs deserve the title of “Christmas classic”, joining the likes of Wham! and Mariah Carey on the list of festive music icons?
Today’s Top Holiday Hits
“Santa Tell Me” – Ariana Grande
With 1.3 billion streams on Spotify, “Santa Tell Me” is undoubtedly a modern Christmas favourite. Despite first entering the charts in December 2014, the song continues to climb the billboard charts each holiday season, and has consistently re-entered the UK Official Chart every year since its release. It is safe to say that Ariana is as popular as ever this Christmastime, following the recent release of major motion picture Wicked: For Good, in which she portrays the secondary protagonist Glinda. Therefore, we can expect to see several Christmassy contributions to the charts from her this year.
As well as “Santa Tell Me”, Grande has had a handful of other holiday hits in the past decade. Her 2015 release “Winter Things” has racked up over 130 million Spotify streams and counting. She also collaborated with Kelly Clarkson in 2021 on “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me”, adding to her list of Christmas successes. The song reached number 23 in the UK charts, and overall appeared on 8 different charts for a total of 76 weeks.
I am sure that many would agree in saying that Ariana Grande’s Christmas catalogue is definitely worth listening to!
“Underneath The Tree” – Kelly Clarkson
In addition to her collaboration with Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson has had successes of her own. Her 2013 release “Underneath The Tree” quickly became a modern Christmas hit, reaching the top 10 in several countries including the US, UK and Canada. With over 900 million streams on Spotify, Clarkson most definitely made a holiday hit with this one.
Additionally, Kelly Clarkson has released two Christmas albums. Her first, Wrapped in Red, was released in 2013, and achieved wide critical acclaim. Reaching number three on the Billboard 200, the album was a huge success. In 2021, Clarkson released her second Christmas album When Christmas Comes Around. Whilst less successful in the charts than her first offering, Clarkson still received much critical praise for the album, particularly towards her collaboration with Grande.
To create two successful Christmas albums is a rarity in this era of music, which is why many consider Kelly Clarkson as a modern Queen of Christmas, alongside the iconic Mariah Carey.
“Christmas Lights” – Coldplay
Coldplay’s Christmas contribution is the sentimental ballad “Christmas Lights”. Pulling at the listener’s heartstrings, the band sing about feelings of hope and loss at Christmastime.
“Oh Christmas lights, light up the street. Maybe they’ll bring her back to me” – Coldplay
Even though it was released in 2010, the song has re-entered the UK official top 100 for the past 11 years, proving that it is still a festive favourite. Coldplay’s softer, more emotional approach creates the sense of nostalgia we can’t escape during the holiday season, helping listeners connect to the song.
In 2021, the band re-released the song on both black and limited-edition blue 7′ vinyl, with the B-side being their cover of the Christmas classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. The resurgence of vinyl, particularly with Gen-Z buyers, helped broaden Coldplay’s listener demographic to a younger age, solidifying their status as Christmas hitmakers for both old and young across the world.
Festive Flops
Now that we’ve covered the holiday hits of the past decade or so, let’s take a look at some recent Christmas releases that didn’t take off…
“One I’ve Been Missing” – Little Mix
Despite reaching a peak of number 21 in the UK Official Chart, Little Mix’s “One I’ve Been Missing” has not reached the same status as other modern holiday songs. For example, it is notably missing from Spotify’s Christmas Hits Playlist, which includes, as per the playlists’ description, “The biggest Christmas songs of all time”. With 55 million streams on Spotify, the song has clearly been popular amongst Little Mix and general pop music fans. However, it has not managed to reach as wide an audience as its competitors during the festive season.
“Drummer Boy” – Justin Bieber and Busta Rhymes
Despite Bieber’s song “Mistletoe” becoming a modern holiday smash hit (with over 950 million Spotify streams), he hasn’t always been so successful when it comes to creating festive hits. “Drummer Boy” was an attempt to put a modern spin on a classic carol. However, the song was widely criticised for having cringe worthy lyrics and out-of-place references to pop culture.
Overall, Justin Bieber’s Christmas album Under the Mistletoe was majorly successful, reaching number 1 on the US Billboard 200. Although, many would agree that “Drummer Boy” is one to skip on the album.
2025 Christmas Listening Guide
The 2020s have seen some amazing new Christmas contributions in the music industry. The question is, which songs of the past 5 years deserve a spot in your 2025 Christmas playlist?
Sabrina Carpenter’s Fruitcake EP
2025 has without a doubt been a huge year for Sabrina Carpenter. From concluding her Short n’ Sweet world tour, to releasing her GRAMMY nominated album Man’s Best Friend, she has reached new heights and taken the world by storm.
Her Christmas catalogue most notably consists of her 2023 Christmas EP, fruitcake. It features a fun, festive take of her hit single “Nonsense”, as well as four new Christmas tunes and a cover of Irving Berlin’s holiday masterpiece “White Christmas”.
The whole EP is sure to reach new highs on streaming services this Christmas following Carpenter’s incredible year.
“Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call” – Bleachers
Taylor Swift producer Jack Antonoff and his band Bleachers released this Christmas tune in 2024. After gaining momentum on TikTok last year for its nostalgic-sounding production and relatable lyrics, the song is set to have another successful year this Christmastime.
The festive sounds of synths and sleigh bells can be heard as the track opens, and the reminiscent, nostalgic feel the song brings creates a quintessential Christmas vibe for your holiday playlist. It is definitely one to soundtrack your winter this festive season, and is set to follow in the footsteps of modern classics as a new holiday favourite.
Your Perfect Holiday Playlist
All the hits mentioned, alongside some other festive favourites and Christmas classics can be found in this playlist. Now your winter 2025 soundtrack is sorted, just in time for the holidays.
