The best-selling Christmas song of all time is "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, recognized by Guinness World Records as the best-selling single ever, with over 50 million copies sold worldwide, making it a historical leader in sales. While modern hits like Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" dominate streams, Crosby's classic remains the top physical seller.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby is not only the best-selling Christmas single in the United States, but also the best-selling single of all time since the advent of recorded music, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.
The top 5 Christmas songs vary by chart (sales, streams, popularity), but consistently feature Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," Wham!'s "Last Christmas," and classics like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," often joined by modern hits like Ariana Grande's "Santa Tell Me" and The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York", reflecting both enduring traditions and streaming-era dominance.
What is the most popular Christmas song in the UK?
The most popular Christmas song in the UK is consistently cited as "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, often topping surveys as the nation's favourite festive tune, while Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and Wham!'s "Last Christmas" vie for the most-streamed spots, alongside other classics like Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" and Wizzard's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday".
Kylie Minogue has scored this year's Christmas number one, deposing Wham!'s Last Christmas, which topped the chart in 2023 and 2024. The pop star achieved the feat with her single XMAS, an irrepressibly jaunty anthem about "the presents underneath the tree" and kissing someone special "out in the snow".
The Top 50 Best Selling Christmas Songs From The UK.
What is the #1 song of all time?
There's no single "number one song of all time" because it depends on the criteria (sales, streams, cultural impact, critical acclaim), but Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is often cited as the best-selling single ever by sales, while Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" holds records for streaming/digital certifications, and critics' lists (like Rolling Stone's list) favor songs like Aretha Franklin's "Respect" or Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone".
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, which reached the number-one spot at Christmas 1975 and 1991, is the only record to have reached the top twice. “Mary's Boy Child” is the only song to be Christmas number one for two artists – Harry Belafonte in 1957 and Boney M.
"Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John is the best-selling single in the UK. The best-selling single in the UK is "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle in the Wind 1997", a double A-side released by Elton John following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Which of these is the best-selling Christmas number 1 of all time in the UK having sold with over 3.8 million copies?
The proceeds directly supported Ethiopian famine relief, making it the best-selling single in the UK at the time, with over 3.8 million copies sold. Although later surpassed by Elton John's "Candle In The Wind '97," another charity single, the impact of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" remains significant.
The most played Christmas song is consistently Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You", topping streaming charts globally, followed closely by classics like Wham!'s "Last Christmas" and The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York", though traditional standards like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and newer hits by Michael Bublé and Ariana Grande also rank high. "Fairytale of New York" is often cited as the most-played track of the 21st century in the UK by performance rights organizations.
On release, "Last Christmas" spent five consecutive weeks at number two on the UK singles chart. It was beaten to Christmas number one by the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid, on which Michael also performed. Wham! donated their royalties to relief efforts for the Ethiopian famine.
The Christmas song that has been #1 the longest on the Billboard Hot 100 chart is Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which achieved a record-breaking 20 weeks at the top, surpassing other hits like Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" and Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)". This 1994 classic has returned to No. 1 for multiple holiday seasons, accumulating its weeks over several years.
The best-selling single of all time is widely considered to be Bing Crosby's "White Christmas", with estimated sales exceeding 50 million copies, though figures predate modern certifications. For the modern era (post-1950s charts), Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" is the top seller, with 33 million copies sold. In digital sales, Xiao Zhan's "Spotlight" holds the record for downloads, while Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" is the highest-certified digital single.
What is the best-selling Christmas song of all time in 2025?
"White Christmas" is a 1942 Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the world's best- selling single with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.
The best-selling Christmas song of all time is "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, recognized by Guinness World Records as the best-selling single ever, with over 50 million physical copies sold worldwide, and its total sales (including covers) exceeding 100 million. For modern digital sales, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is the top earner, dominating streaming charts.
Without further ado, here's a list of the top 20 Christmas songs which have captured hearts across generations and set the perfect mood for the holiday season:
1) All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey.
🎄 The oldest Christmas hymns with surviving texts date to the 4th century, with 'Jesus Refulsit Omnium' ('Jesus, Light of All the Nations'), written by St. Hilary of Poitier, and 'Corde natus ex Parentis' ('Of the Father's Love Begotten') which was composed by Roman Christian poet Prudentius.
The longest-running UK Number 1 song ever is Frankie Laine's "I Believe" (1953), with 18 non-consecutive weeks at the top, while Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (1991) holds the record for the longest unbroken run at 16 consecutive weeks. More recently, Drake's "One Dance" (2016) and Wet Wet Wet's "Love Is All Around" (1994) both spent 15 consecutive weeks at Number 1, showing how hard it is to beat these older records in the streaming era, notes BBC News.
Here are the best-selling British and Irish artists of all time: The Beatles – 178 million units. Led Zeppelin – 111.5 million units. Elton John – 78 million units.
@kylieminogue is this year's christmas number one with 'xmas' 🫶 listen to @jackxsaunders count down the uk's official christmas number 1 on bbc sounds.
