If you've felt the sound of sleigh bells and Mariah Carey's iconic vocals creeping into shops and playlists earlier than usual, your instincts are correct. Fresh data confirms that the public's appetite for Christmas music is arriving sooner and growing stronger with each passing year.
The Data Behind the Early Festive Cheer
Analytics from Graphs About Songs provide a clear picture of this accelerating trend. On December 1, 2019, just 14 holiday tracks featured in Spotify's top 50 songs in the United States. Fast forward to the same date this year, and that figure had more than doubled to an impressive 30 songs.
The shift towards festive tunes began its ascent remarkably early this season. From November 1, five Christmas songs had already secured spots on Spotify's top 200 most-played list. By the second week of November, that number had skyrocketed to 14 festive entries in the top 200—a stark contrast to the mere three songs that charted during the same period in 2022.
Classic Hits Lead the Charge
As ever, Mariah Carey's perennial favourite, "All I Want For Christmas Is You", acted as the vanguard of the seasonal soundtrack. It was swiftly joined by other timeless classics, including Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree", Wham!'s "Last Christmas", Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock", and Ariana Grande's 2014 hit "Santa Tell Me".
Spotify's editorial lead for North American Christmas playlists, Talia Kraines, explained to the Wall Street Journal that holiday music helps "make people feel part of a collective and make them feel good." She noted that the first significant surge in streaming typically occurs on September 1, with dedicated fans starting as early as August, followed by a steady monthly climb right up to Christmas Day.
A Soundtrack for Uncertain Times
Experts suggest this yearning for festive familiarity is more than just a musical preference; it's a cultural comfort. Matt Bailey, founder of Hit Momentum, told The Journal that the traditions of the season, especially the music, provide an "emotional anchor" for people grappling with rising living costs, an unstable job market, domestic political tensions, and international conflicts.
This pattern of seeking solace in Christmas music during stressful periods is not new. Bailey highlighted that a similar early spike in streaming was observed in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The current data underscores a continued desire for nostalgic and joyful communal experiences.
The trend is also reflected in user behaviour. Kraines revealed that in the US, the creation of holiday-themed playlists surged by 60% year-on-year between October 2024 and October 2025. By December 10, the festive spirit proved so dominant that only industry titans like Taylor Swift and songs from major Netflix film releases could compete for space in Spotify's overall top 25.
