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The presents have been opened and wallets closed, as the 2022 holidays have concluded. But which holiday songs made the biggest gains over the latest holiday season?
Here’s a look at the seasonal songs that logged the 10 top increases in on-demand audio and video streaming over the 2022 holidays as compared to 2021, according to Luminate, among the 50 most-streamed songs, on-demand, this holiday season.
Overall, streaming of holiday songs surged 12.1% over the latest holidays (Nov. 18-Dec. 29, 2022, correlating to the tracking period of Billboard‘s Holiday 100 songs chart dated from Dec. 3 through Jan. 7), as compared to the corresponding period the year before (Nov. 19-Dec. 30, 2021), per the top 500 holiday titles in each of the last two holiday seasons. (For this research, UGC [user-generated content] was included, although it does not contribute to Billboard‘s charts.)
Below is a recap of the 10 top-gaining seasonal songs year-over-year during the latest holidays — and their newest chart highlights.
The Top-Gaining Songs of the 2022 Holiday Season
“Here Comes Santa Claus,” Gene Autry
70.5 million on-demand audio and video U.S. streams Nov. 18-Dec. 29, 2022, up 53.5% from Nov. 19-Dec. 30, 2021
The song galloped to a No. 25 high on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Dec. 31, besting its prior No. 28 peak reached three years earlier. Originally released in 1947, it hit the top 10 on Billboard pop and country charts annually through the end of the ’40s.
“Blue Christmas,” Elvis Presley
77.2 million, up 48.8%
The King’s festive favorite logs a new No. 24 best on the Jan. 7 Hot 100. Up from No. 27, it marks his first appearance in the top 25 in exactly 44 years, since “My Way” held at its No. 22 peak on the Jan. 7, 1978, survey.
“Deck the Halls,” Nat King Cole
86.4 million, up 41.1%
The track made a jolly jaunt to a new No. 16 high on the Dec. 31 Hot 100. As previously reported, Cole achieves his first top 10 since 1963 with “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You),” which gained by 5% to 95.4 million on-demand streams this holiday season vs. the same period the year before.
“This Christmas,” Donny Hathaway
53.4 million, up 39.1%
The song rises to a new No. 37 highpoint on the Jan. 7 Hot 100. It’s his top-ranking entry since “The Closer I Get to You” – one of his six charted duets with Roberta Flack – a No. 2 hit in 1978.
“Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” Trans-Siberian Orchestra
36 million, up 37.8%
The instrumental rock reimagination of “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen” and “Carol of the Bells” reached No. 35 on the Holiday 100 in December, its best rank on the chart in over two years.
“Merry Christmas,” Ed Sheeran & Elton John
41.4 million, up 37.4%
The cheery song by the British superstars fared far better in its second year. On the Hot 100, it climbed to No. 42, after it hit No. 55 in its first year of release. If its momentum continues, it could swell John’s total of top 40 hits beyond his current sum of 59, while Sheeran boasts 23 top 40 entries.
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” Dean Martin
60.5 million, up 31.7%
After first making notable inroads in streaming in the mid-2010s, the classic has hit the top 20 on the Streaming Songs chart each holiday season since 2018, reaching a No. 5 best in December 2020.
“Jingle Bells,” Frank Sinatra
81.3 million, up 31.3%
The recording ascends to No. 20 on the Jan. 7-dated Hot 100, marking a milestone for the late legend: he ranks in the top 20 for the first time since June 3, 1967, when “Somethin’ Stupid,” with daughter Nancy, placed at No. 16 following four weeks at No. 1.
“Do They Know It’s Christmas,” Band Aid
40.1 million, up 29.7%
The all-star anthem hit No. 34 on the Dec. 3 Holiday 100, its best rank since 2018. Helping its profile, LadBaby’s update, “Food Aid” (also a charity single) topped the Dec. 31 Official UK Singles chart. With the coronation, the husband-and-wife duo of Mark and Roxanne Hoyle became the first act with five Christmas UK No. 1s, surpassing The Beatles’ four in 1963-65 and 1967.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey
262.3 million, up 29.6%
Rounding out the top 10-gaining holiday hits over the most recent Yuletide season, Carey’s 1994 modern classic made more Hot 100 history, upping its total to 12 weeks at No. 1, including four in a row, its most time on top in any holiday period. Its 262.3 million on-demand streams over the 2022 holidays led all songs, followed by runner-up Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (202.8 million).
In highlights just outside the seasonal songs with the 10 biggest increases over the latest holidays, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” gained by 29.1% to 150.7 million on-demand streams, as it hits a new No. 4 best on the Jan. 7 Hot 100; Sia’s “Snowman,” from 2017, surged by 26% to 39.7 million streams; and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me,” from 2014, jumped by 18.9% to 115.3 million streams.
Meanwhile, three songs released this holiday season made the top 50 in 2022 holiday on-demand streams, with all three Amazon Original exclusives and covers of classics: Lizzo’s “Someday at Christmas” (44.4 million), Lauren Spencer-Smith’s “Last Christmas” (37.6 million) and Kane Brown’s “Blue Christmas” (36.8 million).
A Christmas miracle. Meek Mill posted the bail of multiple women last week so they could spend the holiday with their families.
According to an Instagram post by his nonprofit REFORM Alliance, the 20 women were incarcerated at Philadelphia’s Riverside Correctional Facility. “The women, who were unable to afford bail, will now be able to spend the holiday season with their families and loved ones,” read the caption. “Five women were released today and will be reunited with their families, with the goal of 15 more women being released in the coming week. The women will also each receive a gift card to purchase groceries or gifts for the holidays.”
“For families impacted by the criminal justice system, the holidays can be an extremely challenging time,” said the rapper in a statement. “No one should have to spend the holidays in jail simply because they can’t afford bail, and no child should be without their parents during this time if we can do something about it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help these women be with their families and loved ones during this special time of year.”
Posting bail isn’t the only good deed Mill performed during this holiday season. Earlier in December, he visited the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice facility to spend time with kids whose families are ensnared in the criminal justice system, tossing a football around to the cheers of the assembled children.
The Philly native’s split from Roc Nation Management was also addressed by his pal — and REFORM co-founder — Jay-Z this summer in his four-minute verse on DJ Khaled’s star-studded single “God Did,” in which Hov insisted “Me and Meek could never beef.”
Check out Mill’s act of Christmas kindness below.
In 2023, Jennifer Lopez‘s new era will take flight with the release of her new album, This Is Me … Now. And in her latest newsletter, the 53-year-old singer-actress opened up about one of the songs she wrote for the set, and revealed how it inspired her and husband Ben Affleck’s blended-family Christmas celebrations.
“I wrote a song called ‘Hummingbird’ for my new album. To me, hummingbirds are messengers of love,” Lopez explained in her On The JLo newsletter. “They’re very agile — can fly forward, backward, and up and down. They’re also the fastest bird but they always have time to stop, eat something sweet and smell the roses.”
“I identify with them, but more than anything, whenever I see one, I feel like it’s a sign from God that everything is going to be OK,” she added.
The Marry Me star, who said she’d spent recent weeks “hunkering down at home” after wrapping up her newest movie Atlas, went on to say that she likes to create a different theme for each holiday she celebrates.
“I decided this year that the hummingbird would be a perfect theme,” she continued. “I wanted to have a tree in the house that was a hummingbird tree, reminding us that everything done in love and with love will always be OK.”
“We have blended families, doubled the people, doubled the fun, doubled the love, doubled the presents and tripled the chaos!!” added Lopez, whose household includes Affleck (whom she married in July), his three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner — 17-year-old Violet, 13-year-old Seraphina and 10-year-old Samuel — and Lopez’s two children with ex-husband Marc Anthony, 14-year-old twins Max and Emme.
One of the ways the “Let’s Get Loud” singer and the Oscar winner celebrated the holidays this year was by hosting a star-studded Christmas party in L.A., at which Lopez wore a Gucci dress with green and gold “hummingbird” colors, she pointed out in her newsletter.
This Is Me … Now is expected next year, though its exact release date has not yet been revealed. Lopez first announced the album — a follow-up to her 2002 record This Is Me … Then — in a late November Instagram post. She also at that time unveiled the tracklist, which lists “Hummingbird” at No. 8.
See the album announcement below:
Ariana Grande made certain that kids facing injuries or illnesses during Christmas this year still felt merry and bright. On Monday (Dec. 26), it was revealed that the 29-year-old pop star had sent presents to young patients at hospitals across Manchester, England, giving back to the city more than five years after it became the site of a horrific suicide bombing after one of her concerts.
“Thank you Ariana!” tweeted the official Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital charity account. “We were so excited to receive Christmas gifts for young patients across our hospitals from Ariana Grande.”
The foundation also shared photos of some of the gifts sent by Ariana Claus, each of them labeled with a tag reading “happy holidays! love ariana grande.” The presents were divided among “babies, children and teenagers” across Trafford Hospitals, Wythenshawe Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital and the RMCH.
At the time of publication, Grande has not posted about her donation on social media. Billboard has reached out to her rep for comment.
The Wicked star’s Christmas surprise is just the latest way she’s honored the English city since the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, which killed 22 people and injured several hundred. The incident — later identified as a terrorist attack — took place as people were leaving the venue after Grande’s concert that night.
A couple weeks afterward, Grande and some of her famous friends organized One Love Manchester, a benefit concert for victims of the attack. In the years following, she’s gotten a tattoo of a bee (Manchester’s historic symbol) in remembrance, and released “Get Well Soon,” a song about her anxiety and PTSD struggles resulting from the bombing, with 40 seconds of silence added to the end of it, making its timestamp 5:22 — the date of the May 22 attack.
She’s also publicly spoken and posted on social media in honor of the victims several times over the years. “Manchester, my heart is with you today and always,” she wrote in a message on Instagram last year on the tragedy’s four-year anniversary.
“Although grief is ever-present and our relationship to it is constantly evolving and expressing itself in different ways every day, year round,” she also wrote. “I know that this anniversary will never be an easy one. Please know that I am thinking of you today.”
It’s the season of giving, and BTS‘ V is gifting ARMY with his cover of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”
His take on the seasonal classic arrived on Friday (Dec. 23). In the accompanying video shared on YouTube, the singer croons deeply into a microphone while casually dressed in an oversized hoodie.
Midway through the song, he pulls up the hood to cover his head and enthusiastically sings, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” emphasizing his words with small pumps of his fists. “Soon the bells will start/ And the thing that’ll make ’em ring is the carol that you sing/ Right within your heart.” When he finishes that verse, he picks up his adorable pup and snuggles him close before the pooch gives V a few sweet licks on his nose.
“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” has been covered by numerous artists. The 1951 version by Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayers and His Orchestra became a hit, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020. Another beloved take is Bing Crosby’s take from the same year is another popular cover.
Last Christmas, V also offered up a holiday tune — solo single “Christmas Tree.” The cover earned him his first solo No. 1 on a Billboard chart, landing him atop the Emerging Artists chart dated Jan. 8. The song also debuted at No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his first solo entry on the all-genre tally. As for the Holiday 100 chart, it launched at No. 55.
Watch V’s cover of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” above.
Lil Wayne is in the mood to spread Christmas cheer.
On Sunday, the “A Milli” rapper teamed up with Young Money Entertainment president Mack Maine and invited 150 children from their New Orleans hometown for some fun at Dave & Buster’s for “A Very Weezy Christmas,” which included a special visit from Santa and gifts from Wilson Sporting Goods for the lucky children in attendance.
The rapper shared a series of photos to Instagram from the wholesome outing, which features several of the kids happily posing alongside Santa and showing off their gifts. “This Christmas @mackmaine4president & I wanted to give some future hall of famers the gift of game w/ the help of @Wilson,” Wayne wrote. “Making sure they received the necessary resources so they could enjoy all the benefits of being a top tier athlete was very important to us! #HappyHolidays #WeezyChristmas.”
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“Whether it’s learning about sportsmanship, teamwork, or just using the field as a way to escape everyday stresses, we wanted to make sure these kids get to experience impactful moments,” Wayne added in a press release.
Holidays aside, Lil Wayne achieved a major achievement just before the end of the year: His 2008 hit “Lollipop,” which appeared on Tha Carter III and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, just achieved diamond status. The hip-hop hitmaker shared a video of him opening up his special plaque to commemorate the milestone and told his fand and followers via instagram that he “appreciate[s] every single one of you.”
See photos from Lil Wayne’s Christmas surprise here.
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‘Tis the season to get sexy. Lizzo took to Instagram over the weekend (Dec. 10) to share her spicy take on a popular holiday character.
“100% THAT GRINCH,” she captioned a video in which she’s dressed as The Grinch, rocking a green wig and matching smokey eye, along with a bondage-style jumpsuit, with fur and chains all down the bodice. In the clip, she twerks along to the chorus of Shelby Swain’s “Mrs. Grinch,” in which she raps, “I’m a bad b—-, Mrs. Grinch / I’m a real one, I don’t f— with them / All wrapped up in designer, from n—-s I don’t got time for / Mrs. Grinch, Mrs. Grinch.” Swain also created Lizzo’s hair look for the Grinch transformation.
Lizzo is set to step in for previously announced performers Yeah Yeah Yeahs on next weekend’s Saturday Night Live as the final musical guest of 2022, as the band had to cancel because guitarist Nick Zinner is still recovering after contracting pneumonia last month. When the “About Damn Time” singer joins host Austin Butler on the Dec. 17 episode, it will mark the third time the pop-rap star has performed on the show.
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“SURPRISE,” Lizzo wrote on her Instagram on Dec. 11 announcing the news. In April, the three-time Grammy winner pulled double duty on Saturday Night Live, hosting and performing the self-love anthem “Special” and “About Damn Time.”
The holiday season is upon us, and one song has stood the test of time throughout the festive months.
José Feliciano‘s “Feliz Navidad,” originally released in 1970, celebrates the most wonderful time of the year in both English and Spanish. The repeating chorus, “Feliz Navidad / Próspero año y felicidad,” means “Merry Christmas, a prosperous year and happiness.”
If you need a guide to follow along with José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad,” find the lyrics below:
Feliz NavidadFeliz NavidadFeliz NavidadPróspero año y felicidad
Feliz NavidadFeliz NavidadFeliz NavidadPróspero año y felicidad
I wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasFrom the bottom of my heart
I wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasFrom the bottom of my heart
Feliz NavidadFeliz NavidadFeliz NavidadPróspero año y felicidad
Feliz NavidadFeliz NavidadFeliz NavidadPróspero año y felicidad
I wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasFrom the bottom of my heart
I wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasFrom the bottom of my heart
Feliz NavidadFeliz NavidadFeliz NavidadPróspero año y felicidad
Feliz NavidadFeliz NavidadFeliz NavidadPróspero año y felicidad
I wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasFrom the bottom of my heart
I wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasI wanna wish you a Merry ChristmasFrom the bottom of my heart
Feliz NavidadFeliz NavidadFeliz NavidadPróspero año y felicidad
Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Jose Feliciano
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023, presented by ABC and dick clark productions, returns to Puerto Rico for its second annual Spanish-language countdown, Billboard can exclusively announce today (Dec. 8).
La Isla del Encanto will host the coveted New Year’s celebration at the DISTRITO T-Mobile in the Puerto Rico Convention Center, with the night’s first countdown kicking off at 11 p.m. ET on December 31st. Puerto Rican actress and producer Roselyn Sanchez returns as co-host and the Boricua superstar Farruko has been confirmed to perform a medley of hits.
“We will have an enchanting night and are so very pleased to share our beautiful Island and welcome 2023 with a bang!” Sanchez said in a press statement. “What a blessing to be a part of the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve tradition from my home island of Puerto Rico that represents and means so much!” Farruko added.
Last year’s inaugural Spanish-language countdown from Puerto Rico coincided with the celebration of the 500th anniversary of San Juan’s founding and featured global Reggaeton star Daddy Yankee with a hometown performance in his native San Juan.
“We are very excited to again host Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on our Island to lead the countdown in welcoming 2023. Puerto Rico’s participation in this high-caliber event celebration will allow us to continue projecting to the world everything we have to offer as we head into our peak tourism season,” said Pedro Pierluisi, Governor of Puerto Rico. “We will again be front and center on national television to promote Puerto Rico’s beauty, culture and attractions and continue driving our booming tourism industry and economic development”
Sanchez and Farruko join the previously-announced lineup, which includes 18-time host Ryan Seacrest and co-hosts Liza Koshy, Jessie James Decker, Ciara, Billy Porter, and D-Nice, as well as artists Aly & AJ, Armani White, Bailey Zimmerman, Ben Platt, Betty Who, Billy Porter, Ciara, Dove Cameron, Finneas, Fitz & The Tantrums, Halle Bailey, Lauren Spencer Smith, Maddie & Tae, Nicky Youre, Shaggy, TXT, and Wiz Khalifa.
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023 airs live on Saturday (Dec. 31) starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.