Mariah Carey’s "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (1994) is generally considered the highest-earning modern Christmas song, generating millions in royalties annually, with over $7.3 million in streaming earnings alone. However, "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby holds the all-time record for best-selling single.
What is the highest earning Christmas song of all time?
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, and exceeding 100 million when all versions are counted. Written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 film Holiday Inn, its enduring popularity, especially during wartime, solidified its place as a global phenomenon, still holding records decades later.
The number one Christmas song of all time, based on sales and cultural impact, is generally considered to be "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, the best-selling single ever, with over 50 million physical copies sold worldwide. In modern times, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is a dominant holiday anthem, topping charts and streaming services yearly, making it the biggest digital Christmas hit.
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.
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".
During the 21st century many Christmas chart-toppers have been either by reality television contestants or charity singles. The Christmas number one is announced by BBC Radio 1 on the Friday before Christmas. The most recent Christmas number-one single is "XMAS" by Kylie Minogue.
The biggest selling single of all time in the UK is "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John, a tribute to Princess Diana, with sales exceeding 4.9 million copies, making it the fastest-selling single and top-selling in UK history. It holds the record over Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (1984) and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".
What is Britain's favourite Christmas song? Beyond carols, The Pogues' Fairytale of New York is the nation's favourite Christmas song, being number one for 19% of Britons with a top pick. Wham!'s Last Christmas comes in second with the votes of 13%.
“White Christmas” went on to become the top-selling single of all time. According to Guinness World Records, by 2012 it had sold some 50 million copies worldwide. It won the Academy Award for best original song in 1943, and two years later it appeared on Crosby's holiday-themed album Merry Christmas.
Every December, Mariah Carey's “All I Want for Christmas Is You” doesn't just dominate playlists -- it dominates the business of Christmas. Over 30 years after its release, the festive favorite continues to generate millions annually, reinforcing Carey's long-held title as the Queen of Christmas.
Wham! donated all their royalties from the single to the Ethiopian famine appeal to coincide with the fund-raising intentions of Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?", the song which kept them out of the top spot.
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.
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.
🎄 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.
"Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran was the UK's most streamed song from July 2017 until November 2022, when it was overtaken by Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved".
There's even a dispute over the exact title. Yet “It's a Small World,” also known as “It's a Small, Small World” and “It's a Small World (After All),” is very likely the most played song in music history — nearly 50 million times.
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.
IT'S✨OFFICIAL✨ Kylie Minogue's XMAS is 2025's Official Christmas Number 1🤩 This is Kylie's first ever Christmas Number 1, and her eight Number 1 single of all time 👑 Kylie, the festive throne is all yours!
