As previously reported, Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Plus, Wham!’s “Last Christmas hits a new No. 7 high and The Ronettes’ 1963 classic “Sleigh Ride” makes the top 10, at No. 10, for the first time.
The carols are among 37 holiday hits on the latest Hot 100 (dated Jan. 1, 2022). That’s the second-most ever in a week over the chart’s history, after 39 seasonal songs decorated the ranking a year ago this week.
Here’s a look at each holiday song on this week’s Hot 100, with many granting artists notable personal achievements, including for Frank Sinatra, Eartha Kitt, Vince Guaraldi Trio, the Eagles, Kelly Clarkson and more.
No. 1, Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
No. 2, Brenda Lee, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
No. 3, Bobby Helms, “Jingle Bell Rock”
No. 4, Burl Ives, “A Holly Jolly Christmas”
No. 6, Andy Williams, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
No. 7, Wham!, “Last Christmas”
No. 8, José Feliciano, “Feliz Navidad”
No. 10, The Ronettes, “Sleigh Ride”
(See this week’s recap of the Hot 100’s top 10 for highlights of the eight hits above.)
No. 11, Nat King Cole, “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)”
No. 12, Dean Martin, “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow”
No. 13, Kelly Clarkson, “Underneath the Tree”
[embedded content]
No. 16, Darlene Love, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
The recording, from 1963, soars 25-16 for a new Hot 100 high, a year after it reached No. 19, marking the song’s — and Love’s — first time in the top 20. She previously hit a No. 26 best with “Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home” in 1963.
No. 17, Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres and His Orchestra, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”
No. 18, Ariana Grande, “Santa Tell Me”
No. 19, Gene Autry, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
No. 20, Andy Williams, “Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season”
No. 21, Bing Crosby, “White Christmas”
No. 25, Chuck Berry, “Run Rudolph Run”
No. 28, Perry Como, “(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays”
No. 30, Michael Bublé, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”
[embedded content]
No. 33, Frank Sinatra, “Jingle Bells”
The late Chairman of the Board notches his 16th top 40 Hot 100 hit, as his version of “Jingle Bells,” originally released in 1948, re-enters the chart at No. 33. He had last ranked in the tier on the chart dated July 5, 1980, with “Theme From New York, New York,” which reached No. 32. Before that, he had last hit the top 40 in 1969 with another of his signature songs, the No. 27-peaking “My Way.” He first appeared in the top 40 in 1959 (after the Hot 100 began in August 1958) with the No. 30 single “High Hopes.”
Also notably, “Jingle Bells” is a top 40 Hot 100 hit for the first time, with Sinatra’s recording the only version of the standard (written by James Lord Pierpont and published in 1857) to have hit the chart. Among its more relatively recent history, Kimberley Locke’s take on “Jingle Bells” snowballed to No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 2006.
No. 34, Thurl Ravenscroft, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”
[embedded content]
No. 35, Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra, “Santa Baby”
A week after arriving as the acts’ first Hot 100 entry, at No. 50, it becomes their first top 40 hit, bounding to No. 35. The legendary Kitt, who entertained in multiple media, passed away in 2008, while producer, composer, conductor and arranger René died in 1993.
As with “Jingle Bells,” “Santa Baby,” which Kitt first released in 1953, is a top 40 Hot 100 hit for the first time, with Kitt’s the only version to have made the chart. Madonna, who recorded the festively flirty song in 1987, Taylor Swift (2007) and Ariana Grande (2013) have also sent recordings of the song onto the Holiday 100 chart, where Kitt’s has peaked the highest (No. 18).
No. 36, Paul McCartney, “Wonderful Christmastime”
[embedded content]
No. 37, Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Linus & Lucy”
The piano classic debuts at No. 37, marking Vince Guaraldi Trio’s second top 40 hit. The act earned its first when its only entry until this week, “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” reached No. 22 in February 1963.
The van Pelt siblings’ theme song is from Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, released in 1965 alongside the beloved TV special of the same name. The set crowns Billboard‘s recently revealed Greatest of All Time Top Holiday Albums chart. (Also see No. 48 below.)
Coincidentally, the next holiday song on the Hot 100 was co-written by (not that) Charles Brown …
[embedded content]
No. 40, Eagles, “Please Come Home for Christmas”
The Don Henley-sung carol ranks in the Hot 100’s top 40 for the first time since the 1978-79 holiday season, when it reached No. 18. Meanwhile, the group appears in the region after a break of over 27 years: “Get Over It,” the Eagles’ first single since 1980, from their reunion album Hell Freezes Over, hit No. 31 in November 1994.
No. 41, Jackson 5, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
No. 43, The Beach Boys, “Little Saint Nick”
No. 44, Justin Bieber, “Mistletoe”
No. 46, Nat King Cole, “Deck the Halls”
No. 47, Michael Bublé, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
[embedded content]
No. 48, Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Christmastime Is Here”
As the ensemble’s “Linus & Lucy” debuts at No. 37, it adds its third Hot 100 hit. It likewise was originally released on the A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack. Other acts who have sent the song onto various Billboard charts include Toni Braxton, Lauren Daigle, Josh Groban, H.E.R. and Norah Jones.
[embedded content]
No. 55, Ed Sheeran & Elton John, “Merry Christmas”
The new single jingles to No. 1 on Adult Contemporary, becoming John’s record-extending 17th No. 1 and Sheeran’s fifth.
No. 62, Taylor Swift, “Christmas Tree Farm (Old Timey Version)”
No. 63, Dan + Shay, “Pick Out a Christmas Tree”
No. 71, Camila Cabello, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
[embedded content]
No. 79, Kelly Clarkson, “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You)”
The three songs at Nos. 62, 63 and 71, all 2021 Amazon Original releases, hit new Hot 100 highs, while Clarkson’s fellow new track debuts. It’s from her LP When Christmas Comes Around…, which launched at No. 1 on Top Holiday Albums in October.
[flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” name=”my_form” ajax=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”post_title” class=”fl-input” title=”Title” value=”” required=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”category” title=”Select category”][flexi-form-tag type=”tag” title=”Insert tag”][flexi-form-tag type=”article” class=”fl-textarea” title=”Description” ][flexi-form-tag type=”file” title=”Select file” required=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”submit” name=”submit” value=”Submit Now”] [/flexi-form]
Tagged: Chart Beat, Christmas Songs, entertainment blog, Holiday Music, music, music blog