But watch how the fish drink in the river. All I want for Christmas is you. Or a rock of bells. There is no Christmas without Christmas carols and since the beginning of December the most famous songs have been played in the streets of the city, in shops and in homes. A few years ago there was no shortage of the traditional Christmas carol album. Now, in most families, playlists are listened to. Something with Christmas Songs on Spotify. But not all countries live the same way, and while in some parts of the world the Christmas spirit is unmistakably music, in others songs seem to take a back seat in the days leading up to Christmas.
“Popular, mainly religious song that is sung at Christmas.” This is how the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) defines the word Christmas carol. It is difficult to put a date at the beginning of famous songs, but some historians point out that they arrived in Spain in the 15th century. What started as a catchy chorus, ended up being used by the Church to spread its message. Most of the songs were about the birth of the Baby Jesus and, over time, about the Magi or the Star of Bethlehem.
This is how Christmas carols gradually became popular and reached other parts of the world such as Latin America. Now, for many people, little remains of this evangelistic message. Especially that the Christmas songs of Frank Sinatra or Michael Bublé. And, of course, historical songs like All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey. It’s already the most listened to in history and the queen of Christmas songs on Spotify during the holidays. It can even be an indicator to analyze the Christmas spirit.
In Explica.co, we analyzed the most listened to Christmas songs on Spotify during the second week of December, a few days before Christmas Eve and Christmas. Many countries have already placed the most Christmas in their Top 5. We predict that while we really love the fish in the river, Spain is not one of them.
Mariah Carey is still the queen of Christmas songs on Spotify
Let’s start with the United States. Unsurprisingly, Mariah Carey takes first place in the Top 200 in the second week of December. All I want for Christmas is you more than 8,500,000 views during this time. They are followed by Rockin ‘Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee, Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms and It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams. Fifth place is occupied by Ariana Grande with her Santa Claus Tell Me.
Mariah Carey is also the Queen of the Spotify Christmas Song List in Canada. Last Christmas, by Wham !, is on its heels and this hit list is joined by Michael Bublé and it’s starting to look a lot like Christmas.
But on the continent, it’s not all about the Christmas spirit. We have arrived in Mexico, where not only are the triumphant Christmas carols among its northern neighbors not on the most listened to list, not even local Christmas carols have a place. Most listened to a few days after Christmas It’s Dákiti, from Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez, with over 9 million views. Karol G and two other Bad Bunny songs, including Yesterday evening with Rosalía, at the top of the top 5. No trace of Silent Night.
The same phenomenon occurs in Colombia, where the spirit of Christmas could not give up the reggeatonero in them. We have to go to Europe to listen to the Christmas carols again. Great Britain is on the trail of the United States and Canada. Here again, Carey is the queen of the most listened to and is followed by the same songs as in the other two countries. If we continue in the countries of northern Europe, the trend continues. Ireland, Germany and Belgium have also first position to Mariah CareyBut as we head south, Christmas carols on Spotify take a back seat.
In Spain we also like “All I want for Christmas is you”
This is the case with Spain. Dákiti, by Bad Bunny, is the most popular song in recent days and to the list is added Tú Me Dejaste De Querer, by C. Tangana y la Húngara. Not a trace of Christmas songs on the list. The same goes for our neighboring country, Portugal, as well as for Italy and France. But, according to data from last year, the picture does not change despite the fact that Christmas Eve is getting closer and closer. At the holidays of last year in Spain the most listened song was Tusa, by Karol G and Nicki Minaj, during Christmas Eve week until the end of the year. Even in the height of Christmas, we don’t let Christmas carols be on the most listened to list.
However, that doesn’t mean we haven’t succumbed to Mariah Carey’s voice. Despite the fact that in Spain all I want for Christmas is you, is not one of the most listened to, has been listened to over 790,000 times, more than in other countries such as Belgium which is part of its top 5 but which has been reproduced about 335,000 times.
Christmas songs put us in a good mood
This Christmas is different. The coronavirus pandemic will not allow us to experience them as before, but the Christmas carols are not taken from us by anyone. It’s a time that can even heighten the Christmas spirit even more. This is what happened in the United States. The country leads by far the most reproductions of Carey’s success – also because it has a much larger population than any country in Europe. But last year was different.
In the second week of December 2019, Americans listened to Arizona’s Roxanne Zervas over 9 million times and in their ranking of the top five songs listened to, there isn’t a single Christmas song. All i want for christmas is you was in position 13, although the reproductions were over 6 million.
You can listen to them more or less regularly, but Christmas carols and carols are essential at this time of year. Several studies confirm this. For over 80% of people in the United States, this type of music makes that they enjoy the holidays more and that they feel in a better mood. It’s also a marketing strategy, and putting Christmas carols in a store has been proven to make people buy more.
In Spain we may not have any Christmas hits topping our charts. But that doesn’t mean these songs aren’t heard. And not only the international ones, but also our traditional themes such as El burrito sabanero, Campanas de Belén or Campana sobre campana. It doesn’t all have to be Mariah Carey.
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