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, and even more when considering all versions. While classic carols dominate historical sales, modern hits like Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" are also among the top sellers, with Mariah Carey's track leading modern sales and streams.
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 number one Christmas song in the world?
With more than 2.3 billion global streams as of 2025, the most popular Christmas song in the digital era is Mariah Carey's “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” an upbeat favorite that first appeared on the pop superstar's 1994 holiday album, Merry Christmas.
The Top 50 Best Selling Christmas Songs From The UK.
What is the #1 best selling song of all time?
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.
“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.
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, with over 4.9 million physical copies sold after Princess Diana's passing in 1997, followed by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". It's also the fastest-selling single, moving 1.55 million copies in its first week.
What is the biggest selling Christmas song not to reach number 1?
For several decades, "Last Christmas" was the highest-selling UK single never to reach number one. It has entered the UK singles chart every year since 2007, reached number one for the first time on New Year's Day 2021, and became Christmas number one in 2023.
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 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.
What is the most beautiful Christmas song of all time?
There's no single "most beautiful" Christmas song, as it's subjective, but classics like "O Holy Night", "Silent Night", and "In the Bleak Midwinter" consistently rank high for their spiritual depth, while modern favorites like "Christmas Time Is Here" (from A Charlie Brown Christmas) and instrumental pieces by artists like Yo-Yo Ma offer ethereal beauty, with many listeners loving carols for their traditional feel and contemporary pop songs for their festive energy.
What Christmas song has earned the most royalties?
1. Slade – Merry Christmas Everybody – £500,000 per year. The number one slot goes to the 70s glam rockers from Wolverhampton. Written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, the UK's highest earning Christmas song reached number one in 1973 and features on countless Christmas party albums.
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%.
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".
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 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 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.
