Mariah Carey, Wham! or Ariana Grande, which artists are the holiday season's headline acts?

This year, once again, music fans didn't wait until the days leading up to December 25 to listen to Christmas songs. So, who are they listening to?

By AFPRelaxnews

Published: Dec 22, 2023 04:25:02 PM IST

Updated: Dec 22, 2023 04:46:58 PM IST

According to Spotify, the title of Queen of Christmas goes to Mariah Carey. Image: Kevin Winter / Getty Images North America / Getty Images Via Afp

Every year, music lovers get into the holiday spirit by listening to some of the season's top tracks. They tend to turn to iconic Christmas artists, whose names Spotify reveals in a new series of music rankings.

Unsurprisingly, the title of Queen of Christmas goes to Mariah Carey. The American superstar owes this to her cult song, "All I Want for Christmas Is You." This catchy track, released in 1994 on the album "Merry Christmas," tops Spotify's chart of the most popular Christmas songs worldwide.

The King of Christmas is none other than Michael Bublé. The Canadian crooner wins this title thanks to his album, "Christmas." This 2011 release set a new record on the platform as the most streamed Christmas album of all time.

Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Ariana Grande also top the list of most-listened-to holiday artists.

Christmas is a time for nostalgia, when many people listen to music linked to memories of childhood or adolescence. Spotify's year-end charts reflect this trend, with many tracks from the '90s, '80s and even '50s. These include Wham!'s "Last Christmas" (1984), Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (1958) and Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" (1957).

Also read: From thorny subjects to underwhelming gifts: How to keep Christmas conflict-free

This year, once again, music fans didn't wait until the days leading up to December 25 to start listening to Christmas songs. Spotify claims that peak listening for tracks celebrating the end-of-year festivities was reached on November 26 worldwide. This shows just how much music helps people to get into the Christmas spirit.

Furthermore, Sunday is the day of the week when Spotify users listen to the most festive music. Perhaps this is because these upbeat tracks have a positive effect on their morale, helping to motivate them for the week ahead.