We all have our favourite holiday songs that we look forward to every year. But, is it about time for a fresh festive sound?

The festive season has always been a golden period for music. From the shopping malls blasting festive tunes to family gatherings filled with carols, Christmas music plays a central role in shaping the holiday atmosphere. Unsurprisingly, it’s also a highly lucrative time for the music industry. Holiday classics dominate streaming platforms every December (and earlier), with artists like Mariah Carey, Wham!, and Michael Bublé enjoying a predictable seasonal boom. But as 2024 winds down, new data hints at changing listener preferences. Is it time for a fresh holiday anthem?

A look into the yearly seasonal streaming boom

Every year, Christmas music accounts for a substantial spike in global streaming numbers. Platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music experience predictable trends: November sees a slow but steady increase in festive streams, reaching a peak during the final days of December.

Mariah Carey’s 1994 classic All I Want for Christmas Is You has become the ultimate example of a perennial hit. The song holds the record for single-day Spotify streams, raking in nearly 24 million plays on Christmas Day 2023. Wham!’s Last Christmas and Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree are other regular contenders for top holiday tracks.

This repeated success underscores the sheer power of nostalgia. Listeners return to familiar songs to capture the magic of Christmases past, and it’s a trend that has kept these tracks relevant across decades.

Mariah Carey’s Christmas legacy

Mariah Carey isn’t just a pop icon – she’s the outright “Queen of Christmas.” Her single All I Want for Christmas Is You has earned her millions in royalties and cemented her status as a holiday legend. The song’s influence goes far beyond streaming. Mariah has leveraged her hit into a full-blown Christmas empire: annual holiday tours, themed merchandise, and even dedicated Christmas TV specials. Remember, the track was released 30 years ago, and people still aren’t completely sick of it. But, are they growing at least a little weary of it?

Despite her continued dominance, this year’s streaming numbers for her hit are reportedly slower to get going than usual. While it remains a festive staple, some listeners might be experiencing “Mariah fatigue” after three decades of hearing the same song each holiday season.

Are listeners ready for something new?

While classics will, of course, always have their place, could the market be ripe for fresh holiday music that reflects today’s cultural landscape?

For example, Lizzo’s Someday at Christmas and Ed Sheeran’s recent collaborations have shown that audiences are open to new interpretations of holiday themes. However, breaking through as a Christmas artist is no small feat. Even if a song becomes popular, it takes years of repeated success before it can join the ranks of enduring classics.

What makes a holiday hit?

When listening to seasonal classics, you’ll hear plenty of similarities and common occurrences. Holiday hits like Mariah Carey’s have a timeless quality. But what exactly makes a Christmas song stand out? Here are some common features of successful festive tracks:

  • Themes of nostalgia: Songs often evoke childhood memories or the warmth of family traditions.
  • Catchy, singable melodies: Think of the infectious hooks in Jingle Bells or Feliz Navidad.
  • Timeless production: Classic Christmas songs often use traditional instrumentation, like bells, strings, or choirs, which add a magical touch.
  • Relatable lyrics: The best holiday songs focus on universal themes—love, togetherness, and the joy of the season.

Modern artists who hope to create a new holiday classic should study these elements, but they also need to bring something fresh to the table. Could a contemporary Christmas hit blend these nostalgic features with modern production styles?

How to write the next big holiday hit

If you fancy throwing your hat in the ring as the next holiday superstar, why not do it? Those hefty annual royalty payouts around Christmas certainly sound appealing. Taking into account the characteristics that classic holiday favourites share, here’s how you could approach writing the next seasonal success.

Nostalgia with originality

One of the main elements that all your current favourite Christmas classics share is a sense of nostalgia. This means traditional holiday themes, imagery and language, all the things that make you remember your childhood festive season.

But, you need to keep things fresh and innovative, otherwise why should anyone listen to your song when they could listen to the one you’re copying? Inject your own personal take or experience into the song, or use modern and current topics to create a festive song that couldn’t possibly have existed before.

Focus on storytelling

To tick the nostalgia box, a hit holiday song needs to master storytelling. People connect with genuine, heartfelt stories – happy or sad. Use relatable lyrics that are original (avoid using language you think you should use, and use words you would actually say) and illustrate the theme.

Use festive instrumentation

It’s not a Christmas song without bells. Listen to these songs that aren’t Christmas songs but really feel like they are. They feature bells, choirs and harmonies, harps and glockenspiels. Notice that the lyrical content tends to be emotional and sincere as well. You don’t have to throw every single festive trope at your song, but adding a dash of seasonality through expected instrumentation helps signal that the song is a seasonal hit.

Inspire togetherness

Christmas is a time for unity, and a great holiday song can embody this sentiment by focusing on the joy of shared moments. Whether it’s singing carols, decorating a tree, or simply being with loved ones, these relatable scenarios create emotional resonance. Pair this with anthemic melodies or singalong choruses that bring listeners together, mirroring the communal spirit of the season.

Once you’ve crafted your Christmas creation, you should consider timing in terms of its release. Songs written for the holidays should be released ahead of time, giving listeners the opportunity to discover it and add it to their playlists. Mid-November is a good ballpark to aim for.

Wrapping up

Christmas music is more than a seasonal tradition; it’s a powerful driver of streams, revenue, and cultural nostalgia. While classics like Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You continue to dominate the December charts, there’s growing potential for new voices to make their mark.

Independent artists, in particular, have an opportunity to craft modern holiday hits that capture the spirit of today’s world. By blending timeless festive themes with contemporary sounds and relatable lyrics, they can appeal to both nostalgic audiences and younger listeners looking for something fresh. With the right timing and promotion, a new Christmas hit could not only become a seasonal favourite but also serve as a career-defining moment for emerging artists.