Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" makes an unprecedented return to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, rising from No. 2. The carol logs its sixth total week atop the Hot 100 and becomes the first song in the chart's history to have led in three distinct runs on the ranking.
The song was first released on Carey's album Merry Christmas in 1994 and, as streaming has grown and holiday music has become more prominent on streaming services' seasonal playlists, it hit the Hot 100's top 10 for the first time in December 2017, before ascending to No. 1 in both December 2019 (for three weeks) and December 2020 (two).
Carey's gift that keeps on giving (and leading) paces six holiday classics in the Hot 100's top 10, with Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" rising to No. 2 and Wham!'s "Last Christmas" returning to the tier at No. 9. Here's a deeper look at Carey's latest Hot 100 coronation with "Christmas", on Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings.
Airplay, streams and sales
Carey's "Christmas" drew 37.6 million U.S. streams (up 16%) and 26.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 7%) and sold 7,400 downloads (up 7%) in the December 10-16 tracking week, according to MRC Data.
The song spends a 13th total week at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart and rises 9-7 on Digital Song Sales; and 24-23 on Radio Songs. It also leads the multi-metric Holiday 100 chart for a 49th week, of the chart's 54 total weeks since the list launched in 2011; it has topped the tally for 34 consecutive weeks, dating to the start of the 2015-16 holiday season, and dominates as the top title on the recently-revealed Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs chart.
Since its release, the song has upped its U.S. totals to 4.3 billion in radio audience, 1.4 billion streams and 3.7 million in download sales.
No. 1 in a third separate chart run
Carey's "Christmas" first topped the Hot 100 dated December 21, 2019, and led again on the next two lists, dated December 28, 2019, and Jan. 4, 2020. The following holiday season, it returned to No. 1 on the chart dated December 19, 2020, and, after a week at No. 2 (below Taylor Swift's "Willow"), topped the January 2, 2021, dated tally.
As "Christmas" rules the latest, December 25, 2021-dated chart, it claims its sixth total week at No. 1 in its third seasonal run at the summit, becoming the first song in the Hot 100's 63-year history to lead in three distinct chart runs. The track has re-entered the survey each November or December dating to 2012.
(As "Christmas" has made four interrupted climbs to the top of the Hot 100, on charts dated December 21, 2019, December 19, 2020, January 2, 2021, and now December 25, 2021, it ties 24kGoldn's "Mood", featuring iann dior, beginning in October 2020, and Drake's "Nice for What", in 2018, as the only songs with four separate ascents to No. 1; unlike "Christmas", the latter two tracks logged their four distinct rises to No. 1 over unbroken chart stays.)
Longest span atop the Hot 100
Carey's "Christmas" now boasts the longest span from a song's first week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 to its latest: two years and four days (December 21, 2019-December 25, 2021). It passes the only other song to lead the Hot 100 over multiple runs: Chubby Checker's "The Twist", which topped the tally dated September 19, 1960, before, thanks to new popularity among adult audiences, leading the lists dated January 13 and 20, 1962, ruling again after a gap of a year, three months and three weeks. (Still, that break remains the longest between Hot 100 reigns.)
Most weeks at No. 1 for a holiday hit
With its sixth week atop the Hot 100, Carey's "Christmas" extends its record for the most time at No. 1 among holiday songs. The only other seasonal single to jingle to the apex, "The Chipmunk Song", by David Seville & the Chipmunks, spent four weeks on top beginning in December 1958.
Carey's record 85th week atop Hot 100
With "Christmas," Carey claims her record-extending 85th week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, dating to the chart's August 4, 1958, inception.
Most weeks at No. 1 on Hot 100
85, Mariah Carey
60, Rihanna
59, The Beatles
52, Drake
50, Boyz II Men
47, Usher
41, Beyoncé
37, Michael Jackson
34, Elton John
34, Bruno Mars
"Christmas" became Carey's 19th Hot 100 No. 1, the most among soloists and one away from The Beatles' overall record 20. It also made Carey the first artist to have ranked at No. 1 on the chart in four distinct decades, dating to her first week on top with her debut single, "Vision of Love", in 1990.
Further, "Christmas" is Carey's record fifth Hot 100 No. 1 to rule for six weeks or more. She one-ups Boyz II Men, Drake and Usher, each with four such leaders. Plus, it's not only fitting that "Christmas" leads the Hot 100 dated December 25, 2021, but Carey is the only artist to top the chart on multiple rankings dated December 25: her "Hero" began a four-week stay at No. 1 on the December 25, 1993, Hot 100. (This week's chart is the 10th dated December 25 in the list's history.)
(Billboard)
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