Music News

Mariah’s Queen of Christmas crown gets knocked askew. A little bit.

“All I Want for Christmas is You” (otherwise known as THAT BLOODY SONG) by Mariah Carey is back at #1 on the singles charts in both the US and UK (it’s currently sitting at #5 in Canada). So what else is new, right?

However, all isn’t candy canes and presents for Mariah. Brenda Lee’s 1958 classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (currently #6 in Canada) is out-streaming “All I Want for You is Christmas,” something that’s a bit of a surprise.

Also interesting is the annual holiday songs chart put out by ASCAP, one of the American performing rights society. This organization tracks public performances of all the songs of its registered members, collects the appropriate fees, and then distributes them to composers. According to ASCAP, both Perry Como and Burl Ives are ahead of Mariah this year.

  1. Perry Como, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”
  2. “Sleigh Ride” (covered by many people)
  3. Burl Ives, “Holly Jolly Christmas”
  4. “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” (covered by millions)
  5. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (everyone’s covered it)

Where’s Mariah’s song? At #9. Aw. Let’s give her a bit of a boost, shall we?

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37974 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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