Mariah Carey Tops Christmas Song Earnings with $8 Million from Spotify

Mariah Carey’s holiday hit All I Want for Christmas Is You has earned more than $8 million in royalties from Spotify streams alone. The song has topped Spotify’s most-played Christmas tracks, with over 2 billion streams.

A new study from SlotsCalendar analyzed streaming data to determine earnings for the top Christmas songs, revealing that Wham!’s Last Christmas follows closely behind with $6.7 million in revenue.

Who Made It Happen: The study compiled data from Spotify’s most popular Christmas playlists, rounding down streams to the nearest 1,000 and calculating earnings based on an estimated $0.004 per stream.

Why It Matters: For artists, Christmas songs can generate consistent revenue year after year. The top 15 Christmas tracks have collectively earned tens of millions of dollars, showing the financial staying power of holiday hits.

Top Earners: Carey’s 1994 hit continues to dominate during the holidays. Wham!’s Last Christmas remains a fan favorite, earning over $6.7 million since its release in 1984. More recent songs like Ariana Grande’s Santa Tell Me have also made waves, bringing in $4.6 million.

Older classics such as Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and Bobby Helms’ Jingle Bell Rock are also high on the list, earning over $4.5 million each.

The Numbers Behind the Songs:

1. All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey: 2.01 billion streams, $8.04 million.
2. Last Christmas – Wham!: 1.69 billion streams, $6.77 million.
3. Santa Tell Me – Ariana Grande: 1.16 billion streams, $4.65 million.
4. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee: 1.14 billion streams, $4.57 million.
5. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Michael Bublé: 1.08 billion streams, $4.34 million.

Why This Should Catch Your Attention: Holiday songs have proven to be long-term money-makers for artists, with classic hits continuing to perform strongly on streaming platforms. Even newer songs, like Sia’s Snowman, have surpassed the 1 billion stream mark, showing how timeless and contemporary songs coexist.

What’s Next: With streaming platforms continuing to dominate music consumption, royalties from Christmas music are likely to grow. Analysts predict that these songs will remain staples for future generations, ensuring steady income for their creators.

Key Takeaway: Christmas music isn’t just festive—it’s big business. For artists, creating a holiday hit can lead to decades of royalties, proving that the magic of Christmas songs extends well beyond the holiday season.