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Yes, it’s coming… with anticipation and dread.
Christmas time.
And with Christmas time comes Christmas music.
Radio consultancy P1 Media Group has rolled out a study of the most popular Christmas music. No doubt “America’s Top 100 Christmas Songs for 2026” can inspire a lot of debate… including a couple of classics not on the list.
Yet, there’s plenty of golden oldies along with a smattering of more recent vintage.
Founder and Partner of P1 Media Group Ken Benson said, “Christmas music continues to be one of radio’s most powerful audience magnets. The Nielsen ratings demonstrate its extraordinary ability to attract listeners, but our research also reveals an important shift. While Americans still love their Christmas classics, they’re becoming more selective about when they want the holiday season to begin.”
He addressed the limited playlist, “Listeners don’t necessarily want just one definitive version of a favorite song. Many of these classics have multiple interpretations that audiences know and love. For programmers, that creates opportunities to deliver variety without sacrificing familiarity.”
The originating online survey was performed this year, Nov. 1–2, among 400 radio listeners aged 25–54 from the top 50 U.S. radio markets. The test list was compiled using Mediabase airplay data for the 2025 holiday season.
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