To talk about Christmas music is, inevitably, to talk about Mariah Carey. Her song All I Want for Christmas Is You has established itself, year after year, as the most listened to song every December 25th on the main streaming platforms.
Since its release in 1994, the song has not only become a seasonal anthem, but a cultural phenomenon that resurfaces with a vengeance every Christmas.
However, it does not reign without competition: Last Christmas by Wham! continues to dispute the first place in global reproductions.
While in countries such as the United States and Spain the scales tend to tip in favor of Mariah Carey, in the United Kingdom the public remains faithful to the Wham! classic, keeping it at the top of the charts.
Surprise in the overall figures
Despite the undisputed dominance of these two Christmas anthems, neither Mariah Carey nor Wham! lead the ranking of most listened artists on Spotify during Christmas. That title goes to a more contemporary figure: Ariana Grande. With around 124 million monthly listeners, the American singer is positioned as the number one artist on the platform during these festive dates, surpassing even the great legends of Christmas pop.
This leadership is not a coincidence or the result of a single one-off success. Ariana Grande has a solid catalog that stays current throughout the year, but she has also achieved something rare: to incorporate recent Christmas songs that behave like modern classics in the global charts.
The first key carol in this phenomenon is Santa Tell Me. Ariana Grande released the song on November 24, 2014, at a pivotal moment in her career, when she was riding high after the success of her second album, My Everything. Unlike other Christmas tracks, Santa Tell Me was not part of an official album, but was released as a standalone single, intended as a direct gift for her fans.
Over the years, the song has established itself as one of the most played Christmas songs of the 21st century, returning every December to the top of the charts and racking up millions of plays on holiday playlists around the world.
Ariana Grande: A Stellar Duet with Kelly Clarkson
The second track that has propelled Ariana Grande into Christmas is Santa, Can’t You Hear Me, a collaboration with Kelly Clarkson released in 2021. The song originally appeared on When Christmas Comes Around…, Clarkson’s second Christmas album, released on October 15 of that year.
The song attracted attention from its premiere for the powerful vocal exchange between the two artists and for its sound that combines the classic spirit of traditional Christmas carols with a contemporary pop production.
Thanks to the combination of a successful repertoire throughout the year and these two carols that remain in the top of the world every December, Ariana Grande has managed to become, as of December 25, the most listened to artist in the world.
Although Mariah Carey retains her symbolic crown as the undisputed queen of Christmas, the figures show that the new generation also has its own spotlight this holiday season.
Here you can watch the video of Kelly Clarkson’s duet with Ariana Grande.
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