Australia’s most popular Christmas songs of all time

It might seem like Mariah Carey owns the airwaves at Christmas time, but there are plenty of other artists that have popular festive tunes.

Cameron AdamsNational music writer

@cameron_adams

4 min read

December 23, 2020 - 8:13PM

News Corp Australia Network

Entertainment

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Australians haven’t embraced the Christmas No. 1 single like the Brits have. However streaming is changing all that, making Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You a festive No. 1, 25 years after it was originally stuck at No. 2 in Australia.

Chart statistician Gavin Ryan said nostalgia is playing out through modern technology of streaming.

“With a longing for older Christmas times, people have gone back to their childhood favourites,” Ryan said. “Streaming and download platforms can really influence the charts immediately. With Mariah Carey’s 26 year old song now a Christmas classic and Michael Buble’s Christmas album about to turn ten, these are the new seasonal favourites.”

AUSTRALIA’S FESTIVE FAVES

WHITE CHRISTMAS – BING CROSBY

Spotify streams: 230 million

Australian chart peak: No. 1

The ultimate Christmas classic. Written by Irving Berlin for the film Holiday Inn, this was No. 1 in Australia for five months, from June to October 1943. Bing’s 23 week run at No. 1 was only eclipsed last year by Tones And I’s Dance Monkey which clocked up 24 weeks. The Guinness Book of Records have listed it as the world’s best-selling single, with over 50 million copies of Crosby’s version sold, and over 100 million when album sales and cover versions are factored in. It is the most covered Christmas song of all time, with over 500 renditions from Bette Midler to Garth Brooks. A duet version with Michael Buble and Shania Twain reached No. 50 in Australia last year.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU – MARIAH CAREY

Spotify streams: 825 million

Australian chart peak: No. 1

The ultimate modern Christmas classic. Released in 1994, this originally peaked at No. 2 in Australia, stuck behind the Cranberries’ Zombie. In the iTunes and now streaming era, where songs overtook albums, Carey’s festive anthem has had an annual second wind. It’s been our Christmas No. 1 single for the last two years running and finally reached No. 1 in America last year, 25 years after its first release. And Carey, who co-wrote the song, makes around $670 million in royalties each year from this song alone. It has now gone seven times platinum in Australia – marking over 500,000 sales. If this song returns to No. 1 on the ARIA chart this year it’ll make history – no one has ever done that three times with the same song.

Bing Crosby singing White Christmas with Marjorie Reynolds in the film Holiday Inn. Picture: Supplied

LAST CHRISTMAS – WHAM!

Spotify streams: 615 million

Australian chart peak: No. 3

Released in 1984, it was kept off the top spot by Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas, which raised money for Ethiopian famine. George Michael, who wrote, produced and performed every instrument on the song, gave all his royalties for Last Christmas to the same charity. The song has sold over four million copies and is the highest-selling song to never reach No. 1 in the UK. His estate continue to grant his wishes of passing all royalties to famine relief – the song is expected to generate around $850 million this year. It has also been endlessly covered by everyone from Taylor Swift to cartoon pest Crazy Frog (the Frog also scored a No. 4 hit with a cover of Jingle Bells in 2005). It only peaked at No. 3 in Australia, and got back to No. 2 in the UK last year (helped by the movie of the same name) – will it ever overlap Mariah in the streaming era and finally become a No. 1?

DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS? – BAND AID

Spotify streams: 293 million

Australian chart peak: No. 1

This roped together 80s superstars (Wham, Duran Duran, Bananarama, Culture Club, Bono) for a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and between the song and the Live Aid concert they’ve raised over $200 to combat famine in Ethiopia. Ironically it was held off the No. 1 spot in Australia by Madonna’s Like a Virgin, eventually reaching No. 1 in January 1985. There was Band Aid 2 in 1989 with Jason and Kylie and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, then Band Aid 20 in 2004 with Coldplay, Dido, Bono, Robbie Williams and Band Aid 30 in 2014 with One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Sinead O’Connor, Sam Smith and Bono, again.

HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER) – JOHN LENNON & THE PLASTIC ONO BAND

Spotify streams: 250 million

Australian chart peak: No. 9

This 1972 hit was a Christmas song as well as a protest song against the Vietnam War. A charity cover by The Incredible Penguins made No. 10 in 1985, it’s since been covered by everyone from Maroon 5 to Miley Cyrus (with Sean Lennon). Delta Goodrem released a cover of the song as the b-side of her December 2003 No. 1 Predictable.

Mariah Carey makes a mint each Christmas. Picture: Supplied

RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER – GENE AUTRY

Spotify streams: 33 million

Australian chart peak: No. 2

A hit in December 1950, the singing cowboy was famous for his festive songs and the biggest was this one, written by Johnny Marks, who’d also pen A Holly Jolly Christmas and Rockin’ Around the Christmas tree.

HOW TO MAKE GRAVY – PAUL KELLY

Spotify streams: 19 million

Australian chart peak: No. 37

Originally written for a Christmas charity album back 1996, the song grows in popularity each year, with the streaming generation in particular. It has now overlapped Dumb Things to be his second-most streamed song on Spotify, with To Her Door still out front at 33 million streams. Could this be the year streaming helps it finally crack the Top 20?

I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS – JIMMY BOYD

Spotify streams: 2 million

Australian chart peak: No. 1

Boyd was just 13 when he sang this 1953 novelty hit that got the Catholic Church off-side at the time. It’s also been endlessly covered, by everyone from the Jackson 5 to Amy Winehouse and most recently on Dolly Parton’s new Christmas album.

Wham's festive favourite Last Christmas raises money for charity each year. Picture: Supplied

SNOOPY’S CHRISTMAS – THE ROYAL GUARDSMEN

Spotify streams – 5.5 million

Australian chart peak: No. 1

The US novelty band had enjoyed a No. 1 hit with Snoopy VS the Red Baron in 1967, the next year they simply tweaked the lyrics to involve Christmas Eve.

I WANT A ROCKIN’ XMAS – OL’55

Spotify streams: 18,000

Australian chart peak: No. 7

The Australian band scored a No. 1 in Adelaide and Melbourne in 1976 (No. 7 nationally) with this originally co-written by rock guru Glenn A.Baker. The b-side was a cover of the Beach Boys’ Little Saint Nick.