40 Most Popular Christmas Songs – Ranked

It’s that time of year again – all the radios are playing the most god-awful music you’ve ever heard for a month straight!

Not all Christmas songs are bad, though, but I did start to wonder – how many of the popular hits are actually good? And that’s when I stumbled across this article of the Top 40 Most Streamed Christmas Songs.

It’s worth noting that these are figures from 2021 and that it’s streaming only, so it might not be the best representation of Christmas radios … but either way, I thought it would be fun to rank these forty tracks from worst to best!

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Lump Of Coal

40 – Mistletoe (Justin Bieber)

2011 Justin Bieber was a special kind of low for the music industry, so I was horrified when a song of his from this era made the top forty.

“Mistletoe” is the kind of crappy commercial pop that I loathe, and Bieber’s young vocals are infuriating.

39 – Santa Tell Me (Ariana Grande)

Another modern Christmas song, and another soulless cash grab.

“Santa Tell Me” sounds like every other Ariana Grande song, which is to say it’s lifeless and repetitive.

38 – Santa’s Coming For Us (Sia)

I wasn’t expecting Sia of all people to have a Christmas album, and I certainly wasn’t expecting “Santa’s Coming For Us” to be so one-note.

The best part about the song is probably the star-studded music video, as otherwise it’s a generic track with lyrics that can’t have taken more than five minutes.

37 – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Darlene Love)

My least favourite of the “classic” Christmas songs, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” has one of the most mundane choruses of all.

Those long-drawn out “Christmaaaaaassss!” refrains are so boring, but at least the verses are passable.

36 – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Sam Smith)

I really like the original version of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, but Sam Smith’s stripped-back cover ain’t where it’s at.

The track is purely comprised of his soppy vocals and a jazzy piano, so the whole thing feels empty.

Passable

35 – Merry Christmas Everyone (Shakin’ Stevens)

Most Christmas hits are groan-inducing as it is, but “Merry Christmas Everyone” is one of the worst offenders.

It’s too simple and cheesy, with festive ideas and motifs we’ve heard a hundred times before.

34 – Baby It’s Cold Outside (Idina Menzel ft. Michael Bublé)

Yes, I know the lyrics are questionable. Yes, I know the original is better. Even so, Menzel and Bublé’s version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” doesn’t do enough to excite me.

33 – All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)

The big one … and I’ve ranked it in the bottom ten. If that’s not the most controversial thing about this list, then I don’t know what is!

I’ve heard “All I Want For Christmas Is You” too many goddamn times in my life so I’m sick to death of it. It’s fine if I’m being objective, but I don’t like Carey’s vocals on most of her work anyway.

32 – Santa Baby (Kylie Minogue)

“Santa Baby” is quite a tricky one to rank – while I like the song a decent amount, I think it sticks out like a sore thumb when compared to other jollier Christmas ditties.

31 – Underneath The Tree (Kelly Clarkson)

“Underneath The Tree” is fairly recent in the pantheon of Christmas hits, but I think it does a decent job.

Clarkson’s vocals are great, and it’s joyous enough for me to give it a pass.

30 – Jingle Bell Rock (Bobby Helms)

We’ve reached the portion of the ranking where all the Christmas songs are fine, but they just aren’t ones that I go back to during the festive period.

Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” is a classic, but it’s a bit slow.

29/28 – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Michael Bublé / Jackson 5)

The first double-bill on this list, both Michael Bublé and Jackson 5 recorded equally catchy versions of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” so I don’t see any point ranking them separately.

It’s a fun track that encapsulates the childhood glee of a prospective visit from Santa, but I suppose as I get older that feeling fades.

27 – Blue Christmas (Elvis Presley)

You can always count on Elvis to provide a memorable track, but “Blue Christmas” isn’t one I play all too often.

26 – Wonderful Christmastime (Paul McCartney)

Paul McCartney is one of my favourite musicians, songwriters and human beings of all time, but “Wonderful Christmastime” isn’t his best work.

I can be in a certain mood for it, but it’s a shame those well-produced synths aren’t put to more creative use.

25 – Christmas Lights (Coldplay)

I completely forgot that Coldplay released their own Christmas song. It’s alright.

24 – Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee)

“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” is very similar to “Jingle Bell Rock”, but I like the former’s energy and swing a bit more.

23/22 – Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow (Frank Sinatra / Dean Martin)

The second and final double-bill, and yet again I appreciate both the Sinatra and Martin versions of “Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow”.

It’s classic 60’s crooner material, and the orchestration is delightful.

21 – Holly Jolly Christmas (Michael Bublé)

For context, I’ve probably heard Michael Bublé’s Christmas album played about a thousand times in my household, so most of its incredible tracklist has been burnt into my mind.

“Holly Jolly Christmas” is a bit of a filler track, but Bublé’s performance sells it.

Gets Me In The Spirit

20 – Mary’s Boy Child / Oh My Lord (Boney M)

I always forget that Boney M made a Christmas song, and how fun it is.

Let’s not beat around the bush – it sounds just like every other Boney M song, but I still enjoy it.

19 – Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) (Darkness)

I’ve always had Rock sensibilities, so any heavy-hitting Christmas song was always going to have an advantage over the others.

Darkness’s “Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)” isn’t necessarily a classic, but I like the chorus a lot.

18 – Sleigh Ride (Ronettes)

I don’t know why I like “Sleigh Ride” above some of the other 60’s hits – the refrain has all the makings of an unwanted earworm, but it always puts a smile on my face.

17 – I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Wizzard)

“I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” is exactly what a Christmas song should be – uproarious fun with the right amount of tongue-in-cheek.

Unfortunately, the Black Mirror episode where someone literally gets stuck in a Christmas nightmare every day has hampered my experience with this song.

16 – One More Sleep (Leona Lewis)

The best of the “modern” Christmas songs (not counting Michael Bublé, since he’s timeless), “One More Sleep” is exactly what a contemporary Christmas song should be.

It’s joyous and boasts a great Leona Lewis vocal performance, and the production is appropriately festive.

15 – Lonely This Christmas (Mud)

The best Christmas song Evil Presley never wrote.

I love the sultry vocals and the Doo-Wop vibe, even if the lyrics of “Lonely This Christmas” are a bit of a downer.

14 – White Christmas (Bing Crosby)

“White Christmas” was the original Christmas hit, and it’s the song that all others must be compared to.

The lyrics are both heart-warming and life-affirming, and Crosby’s vocals are as smooth as butter.

13 – It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas (Michael Bublé)

“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” is the first song on the famous Bublé album, so not only have I heard it the most but it also represents the very start of the festivities in my mind.

12 – Step Into Christmas (Elton John)

What I like most about “Step Into Christmas” is that it hardly sounds like a Christmas song at all.

It’s mostly just another showcase of Elton John’s talents, which I can’t complain about.

11 – Stop The Cavalry (Jona Lewie)

Other than a few quick lines, “Stop The Cavalry” has hardly any references to Christmas – but for whatever reason those synths and trumpet hooks are inseparable from the Christmas spirit.

10 – Feliz Navidad (Jose Feliciano)

I wish we got more Christmas hits from around the world like this – the holiday is all about global peace and prosperity!

“Feliz Navidad” has some incredibly catchy choruses and verses, and the light-hearted guitar and trumpets always get my head bobbing along.

9 – It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Andy Williams)

It’s not Christmas until you finally hear “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” on radios.

Andy Williams’ vocals are superb, and the track represents the communal joy that you only see in December.

8 – Last Christmas (Wham!)

We’ve now reached the part of the list where it’s undisputed classic after another, and “Last Christmas” is just about as iconic as it gets.

It’s the ultimate earworm Christmas song – once it gets in your head, it’ll stay there until next December.

7 – 2000 Miles (Pretenders)

For the longest time I had no idea “2000 Miles” by Pretenders was a Christmas song.

I always wondered why this banger kept resurfacing in December, and that’s when I finally paid closer attention to the lyrics!

6 – Merry Xmas Everybody (Slade)

The ultimate Christmas Rock song, “Merry Xmas Everybody” can get any party singing and dancing along.

I love the gritty guitars and vocals, and that enormous scream of “It’s Chriiissstmaaaassss!” is a staple of British culture.

5 – Do They Know It’s Christmas (Band Aid)

It was unprecedented in 1984 for a group of such esteemed British musicians to come together for a charitable cause, but it was even more surprising how scathing the song ended up being!

They keep changing the lyrics to be softer with each passing rendition, but I’ll always appreciate the original “Do They Know It’s Christmas” for calling out idle and uncaring listeners.

Genuinely A Great Song

4 – The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) (Nat King Cole)

It’s a shame only four of the biggest Christmas hits are great songs in their own right (i.e. they would have succeeded without the festive appeal), but I suppose it’s better than none.

Nat King Cole always knew how to write compelling music, and “The Christmas Song” contains some of the best songwriting and performance of any festive track.

3 – Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (Plastic Ono Band)

People argue about whether Lennon or McCartney had the better solo career, but in terms of their Christmas offerings it’s night and day.

“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” was my favourite Christmas song for a time – it’s feelgood and simple, and the “War Is Over” refrain is very powerful.

2 – Fairytale Of New York (The Pogues ft. Kirsty Maccoll)

Most of the songs on this list are overplayed, but for whatever reason I’ve heard “Fairytale Of New York” a thousand times and yet I still love it dearly.

Maybe it’s the raspy vocals, maybe it’s the boisterous tone, maybe it’s the euphoric choruses … either way, The Pogues managed to hit something special with this one.

1 – Driving Home For Christmas (Chris Rea)

I think the best songs are the ones that give a fresh perspective on an old story – something personal and specific that evokes genuine feelings and memories.

Chris Rea’s “Driving Home For Christmas” is my favourite Christmas song for a plethora of reasons – the songwriting is clever, the lyrics are vivid, and Rea’s vocal performance is the one that sticks in my mind. This is the only Christmas song I wish I could play across the other eleven months of the year!

Aaaand that’s my list! Merry Christmas to all who celebrate – as my gift to you, here are some of my latest blog posts below: