ASCAP IS FEELING ESPECIALLY JOLLY


Break out the eggnog—the Top 25 ASCAP Holiday Songs of 2020 have arrived.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” takes the #1 spot as the most-played holiday song this year, while the bilingual classic “Feliz Navidad,” by José Feliciano, returns to the Top 25, celebrating 50 years as a holiday staple.

Carey shared a special message on ASCAP’s Instagram: “I’m deeply grateful … and just so thankful that [“All I Want for Christmas Is You”] is still bringing joy to so many people around the world, and I know that we need that more than ever right now.” Feliciano also sent holiday greetings to fans, seen here.

Additionally, songwriter Johnny Marks’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'' remain favorites on the seasonal chart, which comes as no surprise; they’ve been covered for decades by artists as diverse as Meghan Trainor, Alan Jackson, Destiny’s Child, Lady A and, most recently, Justin Bieber.

“It’s never too early for holiday music. And now more than ever, the world needs to be reminded of the hopeful spirit of the season and the cherished memories that these classic songs inspire,” said ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams.

The Top 25 most-played ASCAP holiday songs of 2020 were all written or co-written by ASCAP songwriters and composers. Their inclusion is determined by analysis of streaming and terrestrial radio data.

Pour yourself a glass, or five, of holiday cheer and check out the holly jolly list below.

  1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff (1994)
  2. “It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Meredith Willson (1951)
  3. “A Holly Jolly Christmas” by Johnny Marks (1962)
  4. “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish (1948)
  5. “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne (1945)
  6. “Jingle Bell Rock” by Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe (1958)
  7. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Johnny Marks (1958)
  8. “Last Christmas” by George Michael (1984)
  9. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Edward Pola and George Wyle (1963)
  10. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin (1944)
  11. “Winter Wonderland” by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith (1934)
  12. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” by Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie (1934)
  13. “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin (1941)
  14. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Johnny Marks (1949)
  15. “The Christmas Song” by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells (1946)
  16. “Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)” by Oakley Haldeman and Gene Autry (1947)
  17. “Home for the Holidays” by Robert Allen and Al Stillman (1954)
  18. “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano (1970)
  19. “Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season” by Kay Tompson and Irving Berlin (1942)
  20. “Santa Baby” by Joan Javits, Anthony Springer and Philip Springer (1953)
  21. “Frosty the Snowman” by Steve Nelson and Walter E. Rollins (1950)
  22. “Jingle Bells” by James Lord Pierpont; Frank Sinatra version arranged by Gordon Jenkins (ASCAP, 1958)
  23. “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson and Greg Kurstin (2013)
  24. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” by Dr. Seuss and Albert Hague (1966)
  25. “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande and Savan Kotecha (2013)

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