Mariah Carey’s Holiday Classic Dominates the Hot 100 as Christmas Songs Flood the Chart
Mariah Carey’s timeless anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You” continues its unparalleled reign on the Billboard Hot 100, spending a record-breaking 22nd week at No. 1. The holiday staple not only leads the chart but headlines an unprecedented seasonal takeover, with Christmas songs occupying the top 24 positions—the largest holiday presence in the chart’s history. This surpasses last year’s record, when festive tracks filled the top 16 spots.
The massive holiday surge was fueled by the chart’s tracking window covering Dec. 19–25, capturing peak Christmas listening across streaming platforms, radio, and digital sales.
Earlier this season, Carey’s classic returned to the summit for a seventh consecutive holiday run at No. 1, further cementing its status as the most successful Christmas song of all time. Originally released in 1994 on Carey’s Merry Christmas album, the track gained renewed momentum in the streaming era, entering the Hot 100’s top 10 for the first time in 2017 and cracking the top five the following year. Since 2019, it has consistently reclaimed the top spot during the holiday season, leading the chart across multiple years including 2019 through 2026.
Holiday music has long been eligible to re-enter the Hot 100 annually, but no seasonal song has matched the sustained dominance of Carey’s signature hit.
Streaming, Radio, and Sales Power the Run
During the Dec. 19–25 tracking period, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” generated 70.6 million U.S. streams, reflecting a 62% increase from the prior week. Radio airplay impressions climbed to 38.3 million, up 37%, while digital sales rose 45%, totaling 5,000 downloads, according to Luminate.
The song also continues to set benchmarks across multiple Billboard charts. It holds steady at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart for a record-extending 26th week, reaches a new peak on Radio Songs by jumping from No. 15 to No. 6, and climbs to No. 3 on Digital Song Sales after previously spending six weeks at the top.
A Historic Career Milestone
With the latest Hot 100 dated Jan. 3, 2026, Carey has now scored No. 1 hits in 22 different calendar years, the most of any artist in the chart’s history. Her run spans from 1990 through 2000, resurfaces in 2005–06, 2008, and continues annually from 2019 to 2026—all thanks to the enduring popularity of her holiday classic.
Her achievement places her far ahead of other legendary acts who have reached No. 1 across 10 separate years, including Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, and Madonna.
Chart Methodology
The Billboard Hot 100 ranks songs using a blend of U.S. streaming activity (audio and video), radio airplay, and sales data. Sales figures include physical and digital purchases from major retailers, excluding direct-to-consumer transactions. All chart data is reviewed and verified by Luminate, Billboard’s independent data partner, to ensure accuracy before publication.
As the holiday season continues to drive listening habits, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” once again proves that Christmas doesn’t just come once a year—it comes with chart history attached.
