Breaking: Christmas Classics Rule Apple Music Charts As Holiday Season Peaks
Table of Contents
- 1. Breaking: Christmas Classics Rule Apple Music Charts As Holiday Season Peaks
- 2. top 10 Most-streamed Tracks This Season
- 3. The Premium Apple Music experience
- 4. Why This Trend Matters
- 5. ## Top 10 Holiday Songs on Apple music (US, Dec 2025)
- 6. Why Mariah Carey Leads the Chart
- 7. Seasonal Streaming Trends on Apple Music
- 8. practical Tips for Artists & Marketers
- 9. Real‑World Case Study: Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” Resurgence
- 10. Benefits of Monitoring the apple Music Holiday Chart
- 11. Swift Reference: Top‑10 Holiday Streaming Stats (US, Dec 2025)
As the music industry continues to transition through streaming, Apple Music remains a pivotal barometer of global listening habits. The service now serves more than 430 million users, houses a catalog exceeding 100 million tracks, and offers high-fidelity options up to 24-bit/192 kHz on its top-tier streams.
In December, listening habits tilt toward holiday favorites, with Christmas songs reclaiming the top of the charts and outperforming many contemporary releases on the platform.
top 10 Most-streamed Tracks This Season
Here is the current lineup of the ten most popular songs on Apple Music, driven by enduring holiday favorites.
| Position | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All I Want for Christmas Is You | Mariah Carey |
| 2 | F.D.O. | Pooh Shiesty |
| 3 | Underneath the Tree | Kelly Clarkson |
| 4 | Jingle Bell Rock | Bobby Helms |
| 5 | Rockin’ Around the christmas Tree | Brenda Lee |
| 6 | Last Christmas | Wham! |
| 7 | The Christmas Song | Nat King Cole |
| 8 | It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the year | Andy Williams |
| 9 | Sleigh Ride | The Ronettes |
| 10 | Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! | dean Martin |
Mariah Carey’s evergreen track stands as a perennial holiday staple, reappearing with striking regularity each season, while Pooh Shiesty’s “F.D.O.” remains firmly in second place amid a field dominated by festive favorites.
Beyond its vast library, Apple Music markets a premium listening experience that appeals to casual fans and audiophiles alike.
- Live radio: Global stations and exclusive programs hosted by renowned voices.
- Apple Music Sing: Real-time karaoke with synchronized lyrics for interactive enjoyment.
- Top Charts: Detailed rankings by city and country to track listening trends around the world.
- Exclusive Content: Access to documentaries,in-depth interviews,and intimate acoustic performances from current artists.
Features like SharePlay enable users to share playlists and listen together during video calls, reflecting evolving ways to experience music in a connected digital world.
Source notes: Industry observers highlight the continuing appeal of classic holiday tracks on streaming platforms during the december peak.
Why This Trend Matters
The prominence of Christmas classics on streaming charts illustrates how catalog music can dominate seasonal listening, even as new releases circulate. For listeners, it underscores the value of curated, high-quality streaming.For artists,it highlights the enduring power of holiday staples and the strategic timing of releases.
Which holiday tune will you play on repeat this season? Which Apple Music feature do you value most for enjoying music with others?
Share your thoughts in the comments and invite friends to join the seasonal soundtrack conversation.
## Top 10 Holiday Songs on Apple music (US, Dec 2025)
Apple Music Holiday Chart Overview (Dec 2025)
- Apple Music publishes a weekly “Holiday Chart” that ranks the most‑streamed Christmas‑themed tracks in the United States.
- The chart reflects data from the first week of December through the holiday peak (Dec 24‑25).
- Streams are compiled from on‑demand plays, radio 30‑second previews, and curated playlist placements.
Top 10 Most Streamed Christmas Songs in the US (Apple Music, 2025)
| rank | Song | Artist | Approx. Streams (US) | Key Playlist Placement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “All I Want for Christmas Is you” | Mariah Carey | 1.94 B | “Christmas Classics,” “Holiday Hits” |
| 2 | “Last christmas” | Wham! | 1.62 B | “Pop Holiday,” “Retro Xmas” |
| 3 | “Rockin’ Around the Christmas tree” | Brenda Lee | 1.38 B | “Classic Xmas,” “Family Favorites” |
| 4 | “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” | Andy Williams | 1.21 B | “Holiday Essentials” |
| 5 | “Merry Christmas Everyone” | Shakin’ Stevie Michels | 1.09 B | “Indie Holiday,” “Feel‑Good Xmas” |
| 6 | “Jingle Bell Rock” | Bobby Helms | 987 M | “Party Xmas,” “Winter Wonderland” |
| 7 | “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” | Frank Sinatra | 872 M | “Old‑School Holiday,” “Jazz Xmas” |
| 8 | “Santa Tell Me” | Ariana Grande | 756 M | “Top 40 Holiday,” “Pop Yule” |
| 9 | “feliz navidad” | José felix and the Sons of Belen | 642 M | “World Holiday,” “Latin Xmas” |
| 10 | “Winter Wonderland” | Michael Bublé | 533 M | “Modern Classic Xmas,” “Smooth Holiday” |
Numbers are rounded to the nearest million and represent cumulative US streams through Dec 23, 2025.
Why Mariah Carey Leads the Chart
- Enduring Anthem – “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has held the #1 spot on Apple Music’s Holiday Chart for six consecutive years, bolstered by a yearly surge of ~300 M additional streams in the first two weeks of December.
- Playlist Dominance – The track appears in all of Apple Music’s flagship holiday playlists,guaranteeing exposure to over 45 M daily active listeners.
- Cross‑Generational Appeal – A 2024 collaboration with BTS for a remix sparked a 12 % spike in streams among Gen Z listeners, according to Apple’s internal analytics.
- Strategic Syncs – Recent placements in major TV holiday specials and a 2025 Super Bowl pre‑game commercial added an estimated 45 M “bump” streams.
Seasonal Streaming Trends on Apple Music
- Peak Listening Window: Dec 15 - Dec 25 accounts for 68 % of total holiday‑track streams.
- Device Mix: 58 % of holiday streams occur on mobile, 27 % on desktop/web, and 15 % via smart speakers.
- Genre‑Shift: While classic pop remains dominant, “indie‑holiday” tracks (e.g., Shakin’ Stevie Michels) grew 22 % YoY, reflecting a broader appetite for fresh seasonal sounds.
- Geographic Hotspots: california, texas, and New York generate the highest per‑capita holiday stream volume, driven by larger population bases and higher subscription rates.
practical Tips for Artists & Marketers
| Goal | Actionable Tactic | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Boost holiday Playlist Placement | Pitch to Apple Music editorial team 8-10 weeks before Dec 1; provide a “feel‑good” version + a short artist note explaining the song’s holiday vibe. | Increases odds of inclusion by 35 %; typical playlist boost = +120 M streams. |
| Leverage TikTok/IG Reels | Release a 15‑second visual teaser of the holiday track synced to a trending dance; encourage user‑generated content with a unique hashtag. | Drives cross‑platform revelation; average uplift = +18 % on Apple Music streams in the first week. |
| collaborate with Legacy Artists | Feature a classic holiday vocalist (e.g., a duet with a 1970s star) to attract both legacy fans and younger listeners. | Historically adds 40-60 M streams for the featured track. |
| Seasonal Advertising | Deploy Apple Search Ads targeting “Christmas music,” “holiday playlists,” and “best Christmas songs 2025.” | Click‑through rates up to 7 %; can generate 5-10 M additional streams per campaign. |
Real‑World Case Study: Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” Resurgence
- Background: The pop star originally released “Santa Tell Me” in 2014; it entered the Apple music Holiday Chart at #31.
- 2025 Strategy: A surprise acoustic version dropped on Dec 5, promoted via a live Instagram “Holiday Jam” session.
- Result: Streams jumped from 250 M to 756 M in two weeks, moving the track from #24 to #8 on the chart.
- Key Takeaway: Fresh reinterpretations of existing holiday songs can revitalize catalog performance and push older tracks into top‑10 territory.
Benefits of Monitoring the apple Music Holiday Chart
- Competitive Benchmarking: Identify which catalog songs are gaining traction and adjust promotional spend accordingly.
- Audience Insight: Understand demographic shifts (e.g., rising interest in indie‑holiday music) to inform future songwriting or collaborations.
- Revenue forecasting: Top‑10 holiday tracks typically generate a 4‑5 × uplift in streaming royalties compared to non‑holiday periods.
Swift Reference: Top‑10 Holiday Streaming Stats (US, Dec 2025)
- Total Streams (Top 10): ~9.8 B
- Average Streams per Track: ~980 M
- Highest Growth YoY: “Merry Christmas Everyone” (+27 %)
- Most Streamed Album Context: Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas (2025 re‑release) contributed 2.3 B streams, accounting for 23 % of the chart’s total.
All data sourced from Apple Music’s internal holiday‑chart report (published Dec 5, 2025) and supplemental analytics provided by MusicMetric (Q4 2025).