Every Holiday Song Dominating the Charts Right Now—And the Surprising Tracks Leading the Pack. ML

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Key Points

Christmas classics annually return to the Billboard Hot 100, led by Mariah Carey’s hit.
Veteran and modern holiday songs repeatedly achieve new chart peaks decades after release.
Streaming and nostalgia fuel perennial chart success for festive favorites each December.

The holiday season hasn’t officially peaked until Christmas classics start climbing back onto the Billboard Hot 100 — and this year, the charts look as festive as ever.

The annual takeover is already underway, with timeless hits already reclaiming their spots alongside current pop releases. Mariah Carey’s unstoppable “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has returned for its yearly reign, proving once again that no modern holiday playlist is complete without it. Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is also back in heavy rotation — an impressive feat more than six decades after its release..

And those aren’t the only seasonal heavy hitters cracking the Top 100. From nostalgic staples to newer festive favorites, here’s a look at every holiday song warming up the Billboard charts right now.

#49 – ‘Feliz Navidad’ by Jose Feliciano

Released in 1970 as the title track from José Feliciano’s holiday album, this bilingual Christmas classic quickly grew into a festive favorite. Although the song didn’t chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 until many years later, it finally entered the list on the week ending January 7, 2017 at No. 44. In December 2020 the track became Feliciano’s first Top 10 hit on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 6.

#48 – ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ by Darlene Love

Darlene Love’s powerhouse classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home”) was first released in November 1963 on the Phil Spector-produced album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. The track finally entered the chart for the very first time in December 2017 — 55 years after its release — landing at No. 50. In 2022, the track reached its peak, landing at No. 16.

#40 – ‘A Holly Jolly Christmas’ by Burl Ives

“AHolly Jolly Christmas’ by Burl Ives remains one of the most cheerful staples of the holiday season. Originally released in 1964 for the Rankin/Bass stop-motion special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the song later appeared on Ives’ 1965 album of the same name.

Despite its age, the song only began charting on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017 and has since returned annually, reaching a new peak of No. 4 during the 2019 holiday season.

#37 – ‘Sleigh Ride’ by The Ronettes

The Ronettes’ version of “Sleigh Ride” has become one of the most beloved holiday recordings of all time. Released in 1963 on the Spector’s compilation A Christmas Gift for You, the track transformed the Leroy Anderson orchestral original into a girl-group, pop-driven staple filled with Ronnie Spector’s unmistakable vocals.

Despite being more than half a century old, the song only began impacting the Billboard Hot 100 after in 2017 and has returned every holiday season since, peaking at No. 8 in 2023—its highest position yet.

#34 – ‘Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!’ by Dean Martin

This velvety rendition of ‘Let It Snow!’ by Dean Martin remains one of the most recognizable holiday staples in the American songbook. Though the song itself was originally written in 1945 by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, Martin’s version appeared on his 1959 album A Winter Romance and later on the 1966 compilation The Dean Martin Christmas Album. Martin’s classic began charting on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017 and has since become a favorite, peaking at No. 7 in 2023.

#32 – ‘It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas’ by Michael Bublé

Michael Bublé has become synonymous with modern Christmas music, and his smooth, retro-inspired take on “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” is a big reason why. The song itself dates back to 1951, written by Meredith Willson, but Bublé’s version — released on his blockbuster 2011 holiday album Christmas — quickly became the definitive recording for a new generation of listeners. The track debuted at No. 96 after it’s release, and peaked at No. 12 last year in Dec 2024.

#30 – ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year’ by Andy Williams

Few voices define the holiday season like Andy Williams, whose joyful classic “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” has become a December staple. Originally released in 1963 on The Andy Williams Christmas Album, iit grew into one of the most recognizable Christmas recordings ever made.

Williams finally entered the Billboard Hot 100 with the track in 2017, more than five decades after its debut. Since then, the song has climbed as high as No. 5, most recently in December 2020.

#29 – ‘The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)’ by Nat King Cole

With its crackling-fire imagery and Nat King Cole’s iconic vocals, “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)” was first recorded by Cole and the King Cole Trio in 1946, the song becoming an instant seasonal favorite. Cole went on to re-record it multiple times, with the 1961 stereo version — backed by a lush orchestral arrangement — becoming the definitive rendition most listeners know today. More than 60 years after its release, ‘The Christmas Song’ has returned annually and reached a new peak of No. 9 in December 2022.

#27 – ‘Underneath the Tree’ – Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” quickly earned its place among the modern holiday greats. Released in 2013 as the lead single from her Christmas album Wrapped in Red, the track was written by Clarkson and producer Greg Kurstin. The hit debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 92 in 2013, and has returned each December and climbed steadily over the years. It reached its peak position of No. 9 during the 2024 holiday season.

#19 – ‘Santa Tell Me’ by Ariana Grande

“Santa Tell Me” has evolved from a catchy holiday original into a full-fledged seasonal staple. Released on November 24, 2014, Ariana Grande’ssong arrived as a standalone Christmas single following the success of her earlier holiday EP, Christmas Kisses.

It’s safe to say the song has become one of the most successful modern Christmas songs on the Billboard Hot 100. It re-enters the chart annually and has reached new heights in recent years, ultimately peaking at No. 5 during the 2024 holiday season.

#14 – ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ by Bobby Helms

Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” was released in 1957, the track blending early rock-and-roll energy with festive cheer, helping it stand out from the more traditional Christmas songs of its era. Helms recorded the song with guitarist Hank Garland, whose signature riff remains instantly recognizable today.

While the song was a hit upon release, its true staying power emerged decades later, thanks to annual radio rotation, holiday movie placements (including Home Alone 2 and Mean Girls), and modern streaming habits. Jingle Bell Rock re-enters the Billboard Hot 100 every winter, often climbing into the Top 20. It reached a new peak of No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 2019 — an incredible milestone more than 65 years after its debut.

#13 – ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ by Brenda Lee

Lee recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in 1958 when she was just 13 years old, a fact that continues to astonish listeners given the song’s mature, confident vocal style. Written by Johnny Marks — the same songwriter behind “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas” — the track didn’t become a hit immediately. It wasn’t until the early 1960s that it began climbing holiday charts.

Fueled by streaming, the hit regularly surges back onto the Billboard Hot 100 every December. In 2022, it made history when Brenda Lee reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 for the first time in her career — 65 years after the song’s release — making her the oldest artist to top the chart.

#11 – ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham!

Released in December 1984, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” was written and produced by George Michael., The song re-enters the chart annually and peaked at No. 3 in 2024, its highest position to date. In the U.K., it finally claimed the No. 1 spot in 2021, 36 years after it was originally released, breaking a long-standing chart record.

#8 – ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ by Mariah Carey

Originally released in 1994 as part of her album Merry Christmas, Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become the undisputed modern queen of holiday music. Written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, the song has transcended its era and turned into a cultural phenomenon.

While already beloved for decades, the song made history when it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time at No. 1 in 2019, a full 25 years after its release. Since then, it has returned to that spot every holiday season — making Carey the artist with the longest span between first and most recent No. 1 hits, and the only musician to score a No. 1 with the same song in multiple years.