Best Christmas Songs of All Time + Party Playlist (2026)

Last checked: October 14, 2026. Chart and streaming figures come from the 2025 holiday season, the most recent complete one.

Christmas songs, the seasonal pop, jazz, country and choral recordings that return to playlists every December, are the soundtrack of the holidays in the U.S. Christmas 2026 falls on Friday, December 25, so you have roughly ten weeks to get your playlist ready. In this guide, we rank the best Christmas songs of all time using real chart and streaming data, then show you how to turn them into a Christmas party playlist that actually works. For the full holiday plan, start with our Christmas 2026 complete guide.

We list titles, artists and release years only. That way, you can search each song on your streaming app of choice and build your own list in minutes.

What Is the Number 1 Christmas Song?

The number 1 Christmas song is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (1994). In fact, it is the longest-running No. 1 in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, the main U.S. singles chart, with 22 total weeks at the top as of the chart dated January 3, 2026, according to Guinness World Records.

That record took decades to build. The song reached its 20th week at No. 1 on the chart dated December 20, 2025, and that broke a three-way tie with “Old Town Road” and “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which each logged 19 weeks. Then it added two more weeks over the holidays. Billboard also called that final week a record week for holiday hits.

Still, Mariah does not win every scoreboard. Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” finally hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 on the chart dated December 9, 2023, roughly 63 years after it first charted. Meanwhile, on Spotify, Sia’s “Snowman” overtook Mariah as the most-streamed Christmas title of the December 2025 charts, Euronews reported, although Mariah keeps the all-time Spotify crown.

The 25 Best Christmas Songs of All Time

The best Christmas songs of all time are the ones that return to the charts every single year, so we ranked them by how they actually perform, not by nostalgia alone. Specifically, we weighed Billboard Hot 100 peaks, all-time Spotify streams and how often each song appears on holiday radio and party playlists. As a result, the list leans on recordings that every age group knows.

Rank	Song	Artist	Year	Why it makes the list
1	All I Want for Christmas Is You	Mariah Carey	1994	Record 22 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100
2	Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree	Brenda Lee	1958	Hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in December 2023
3	Last Christmas	Wham!	1984	Peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 (Dec 2025)
4	Jingle Bell Rock	Bobby Helms	1957	Peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 (Dec 2025)
5	The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)	Nat King Cole	1946	Hot 100 top 10 in the 2025 season
6	It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year	Andy Williams	1963	Over 1 billion Spotify streams
7	Santa Tell Me	Ariana Grande	2014	Most-streamed 21st-century Christmas song on our list
8	Underneath the Tree	Kelly Clarkson	2013	Hot 100 top 10 in the 2025 season
9	Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!	Dean Martin	1959	Peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100
10	Sleigh Ride	The Ronettes	1963	Back in the Hot 100 top 10 in January 2026
11	Feliz Navidad	José Feliciano	1970	Bilingual party favorite
12	A Holly Jolly Christmas	Burl Ives	1964	Former Hot 100 top-10 holiday hit
13	White Christmas	Bing Crosby	1942	Eleven weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s 1942 retail chart
14	It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas	Michael Bublé	2011	Over 1.1 billion Spotify streams
15	Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)	Darlene Love	1963	Peaked at No. 15 on the Hot 100 in 2022
16	Santa Baby	Eartha Kitt	1953	Flirty crooner classic
17	Snowman	Sia	2017	Top Spotify Christmas song of December 2025
18	Mistletoe	Justin Bieber	2011	Debuted at No. 11 on the Hot 100
19	Run Rudolph Run	Chuck Berry	1958	Rock ‘n’ roll dance-floor filler
20	Happy Xmas (War Is Over)	John and Yoko, Plastic Ono Band	1971	Big singalong closer
21	Wonderful Christmastime	Paul McCartney	1979	Synth-pop holiday staple
22	Blue Christmas	Elvis Presley	1957	Elvis’s take on a 1949 country hit
23	This Christmas	Donny Hathaway	1970	Soul classic; peaked at No. 34 on the Hot 100
24	Christmastime Is Here	Vince Guaraldi Trio	1965	From A Charlie Brown Christmas
25	Christmas Tree Farm	Taylor Swift	2019	Modern pop pick for Swifties

Notably, the top of this list barely changes from year to year. On the Hot 100 dated January 3, 2026, holiday songs held every spot from No. 1 to No. 24, and the top 10 included Mariah Carey, Brenda Lee, Bobby Helms, Wham!, Ariana Grande, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Kelly Clarkson, Andy Williams and The Ronettes.

Which Holiday Songs Are the Most Streamed?

The most-streamed Christmas song on Spotify is “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which passed 2 billion streams. In addition, Wham!, Brenda Lee and Ariana Grande round out the top four, according to a December 2024 count published by RouteNote, a music distribution company.

Rank	Song	Artist	Spotify streams
1	All I Want for Christmas Is You	Mariah Carey	2.14 billion
2	Last Christmas	Wham!	1.83 billion
3	Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree	Brenda Lee	1.27 billion
4	Santa Tell Me	Ariana Grande	1.26 billion
5	Jingle Bell Rock	Bobby Helms	1.19 billion
6	It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas	Michael Bublé	1.163 billion
7	Snowman	Sia	1.162 billion
8	It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year	Andy Williams	1.01 billion
9	Mistletoe	Justin Bieber	885 million
10	Feliz Navidad	José Feliciano	811 million

However, streaming totals keep climbing every December, so treat these numbers as a snapshot. For example, Sia’s “Snowman” sat in seventh place on this all-time list, yet it led Spotify’s seasonal charts in December 2025. In other words, younger listeners are slowly pushing a few 21st-century songs into the canon.

Classic vs. Modern Holiday Hits

Classic Christmas songs from the 1940s to the 1960s still dominate, while modern songs from the 1990s onward fill the pop and party slots. So the best playlists blend both: crooners for warmth, plus newer hits to keep younger guests singing along.

Christmas songs by decade

Each decade brought a different sound to Christmas songs, from big-band crooners to synth-pop and streaming-era ballads. Use this table to fill gaps in your playlist by era.

Decade	Sound	Essential picks
1940s	Crooners and big band	White Christmas (Bing Crosby, 1942); Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Judy Garland, 1944); The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole, 1946)
1950s	Early rock ‘n’ roll and country	Santa Baby (Eartha Kitt, 1953); Jingle Bell Rock (Bobby Helms, 1957); Blue Christmas (Elvis Presley, 1957); Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee, 1958); Run Rudolph Run (Chuck Berry, 1958)
1960s	Wall of Sound and TV specials	Sleigh Ride (The Ronettes, 1963); Little Saint Nick (The Beach Boys, 1963); A Holly Jolly Christmas (Burl Ives, 1964); Christmastime Is Here (Vince Guaraldi Trio, 1965)
1970s	Soul and singer-songwriter	Feliz Navidad (José Feliciano, 1970); This Christmas (Donny Hathaway, 1970); Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1971); Wonderful Christmastime (Paul McCartney, 1979)
1980s	Synth-pop and charity singles	Last Christmas (Wham!, 1984); Do They Know It’s Christmas? (Band Aid, 1984); Christmas Wrapping (The Waitresses, 1981)
1990s	Pop and R&B divas	All I Want for Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey, 1994); Let It Snow (Boyz II Men, 1993)
2000s-2010s	Modern pop	Mistletoe (Justin Bieber, 2011); Underneath the Tree (Kelly Clarkson, 2013); Santa Tell Me (Ariana Grande, 2014); Snowman (Sia, 2017); Christmas Tree Farm (Taylor Swift, 2019)

Why the old classics keep winning

The old songs win because people replay them every year, and streaming rewards repetition. According to an NPR analysis, about a quarter of all songs on Billboard’s Holiday 100, a seasonal chart Billboard launched in 2011, had appeared on every edition of the chart, including all of the top six. Moreover, Mariah Carey had led 63 of its first 71 editions.

How to Build a Christmas Party Playlist

A good Christmas party playlist moves through four phases: easy crooners while guests arrive, mid-tempo classics over food, upbeat hits at the peak, and mellow songs at the end. Plan roughly 15 to 20 songs per hour of party time.

Party phase	Mood	Songs to queue
Arrivals (first 30-45 min)	Warm, low-key	The Christmas Song; Let It Snow! (Dean Martin); Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas; Christmastime Is Here
Food and drinks	Cheerful background	It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year; Silver Bells; It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Michael Bublé); Santa Baby
Peak (games, dancing)	High energy, singalong	All I Want for Christmas Is You; Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree; Jingle Bell Rock; Run Rudolph Run; Feliz Navidad; Last Christmas; Santa Tell Me
Wind-down	Mellow, nostalgic	White Christmas; Blue Christmas; This Christmas; Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

Best Christmas songs for a party

The best Christmas songs for a party have a strong beat and a chorus everyone knows. In our experience, these ten keep a room moving:

1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” – Mariah Carey (1994)
2. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” – Brenda Lee (1958)
3. “Jingle Bell Rock” – Bobby Helms (1957)
4. “Run Rudolph Run” – Chuck Berry (1958)
5. “Feliz Navidad” – José Feliciano (1970)
6. “Last Christmas” – Wham! (1984)
7. “Santa Tell Me” – Ariana Grande (2014)
8. “Sleigh Ride” – The Ronettes (1963)
9. “Christmas Wrapping” – The Waitresses (1981)
10. “Little Saint Nick” – The Beach Boys (1963)

Office and family party tips

For an office party, stick to clean versions and keep the volume conversational until games start. For a family gathering, on the other hand, add a kids’ block early in the evening, then shift to the classics after dinner. If you are planning games too, our Christmas party ideas and games guide pairs well with this list.

What Are the Best Christmas Songs for Kids?

The best Christmas songs for kids are short, story-driven and easy to sing, like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman.” Many of them come from cartoons and TV specials, so children often recognize the characters before they learn the words.

Song	Best-known version	Year	Good for
Here Comes Santa Claus	Gene Autry	1947	Toddlers
All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth	Spike Jones and His City Slickers	1948	Silly singalong
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer	Gene Autry	1949	All ages
Frosty the Snowman	Gene Autry	1950	Preschool and up
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)	The Chipmunks	1958	Giggles
A Holly Jolly Christmas	Burl Ives	1964	Classroom parties
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch	Thurl Ravenscroft	1966	Grinch fans
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer	Elmo and Patsy	1979	Older kids

Also, “The Chipmunk Song” spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1958, so it topped the main pop chart, not just a children’s chart. For a movie night afterward, pair the playlist with a family film from our movies list.

Are There New Christmas Songs in 2026?

As of October 14, 2026, we have not confirmed any major new Christmas single or album for the 2026 season from an official source. Most holiday releases arrive in late October and November, so check back closer to Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, new Christmas songs face a steep climb. During the 2025-26 season, no holiday title made the Hot 100 top 10 for the first time; every holiday song in the top 10 was a returning hit. Similarly, in December 2024, only two songs released that year made Billboard’s Holiday 100, and Laufey’s “Christmas Magic” ranked highest at No. 53, NPR found. Even so, recent songs worth adding include:

• “Santa Doesn’t Know You Like I Do” – Sabrina Carpenter (2023): a flirty pop pick that charted on the Holiday 100.
• “Christmas Magic” – Laufey (2024): a jazzy, cozy song that suits the arrivals phase.
• “Christmas Tree Farm” – Taylor Swift (2019): it debuted at No. 59 on the Hot 100.
• “Snowman” – Sia (2017): the streaming-era breakout that topped Spotify’s December 2025 charts.

When Do Radio Stations Start Playing Christmas Music?

Most radio stations start playing Christmas music between November 1 and Black Friday, and there is no single national switch date. Instead, each station decides locally, and a few flip even earlier.

For example, NorthPine, which tracks stations across the Upper Midwest, counted only four stations that flipped to all-Christmas on November 1, 2025. Then 58 had switched before Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving (33) and Black Friday (36) were the busiest days. By December 11, the region had a record 156 all-Christmas stations. In 2026, Thanksgiving falls on November 26 and Black Friday on November 27, so expect the big wave that week.

Frequently Asked Questions