(And Why George Stayed Silent) 🎅
The Beatles never recorded a Christmas single as a band, but individually, two Beatles would contribute to the holiday music canon in wildly different ways: John Lennon with “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” in 1971, and Paul McCartney with “Wonderful Christmastime” in 1979. One became a protest anthem disguised as a Christmas song. The other became a synthesizer-driven earworm that people either love or hate. And George Harrison? He stayed conspicuously silent on the subject of Christmas music, which tells its own story. 🎵
The songs by John and Paul are in today’s top 20 as ranked by Billboard, and we’ll get to the exact rankings later.
John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”
“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” wasn’t primarily written as a Christmas song—it was written as a protest song that happened to use Christmas as its delivery mechanism. By 1971, Lennon and Yoko Ono had been conducting their “War Is Over! (If You Want It)” peace campaign for years, plastering the slogan on billboards worldwide. The Christmas song was an extension of that activism, a way to get the anti-Vietnam War message into radio rotation during the holiday season when stations were desperate for seasonal content. 🕊️
The song’s structure is deliberately carol-like, designed to sound traditional rather than contemporary. The children’s choir, the bells, the “War is over, if you want it” refrain presented as gentle reminder rather than angry demand—all calculated to slip past radio programmers who might be wary of overtly political content. Lennon understood that you could say radical things if you wrapped them in familiar, comforting packaging. The song basically Trojan-horsed anti-war sentiment into holiday playlists. ✌️ The line “War is over, if you want it” is both hopeful and accusatory—suggesting we collectively have the power to end war but lack the will. 🎄
How has it aged? Remarkably well. “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” has become a genuine Christmas standard, played annually alongside classics that predate it by decades. The song’s message hasn’t become dated because, unfortunately, war hasn’t become dated.
There’s a story that Lennon expressed a desire to write a Christmas standard—a song that would last beyond his lifetime and be played every December alongside “White Christmas.” Phil Spector, who produced “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” reportedly said that Lennon specifically told him he wanted to write “a Christmas song that would last forever.” Whether Lennon actually said this or it’s apocryphal, it captures his aspirations. 🎁
Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime”
Paul McCartney’s approach could not have been more different. “Wonderful Christmastime,” released in 1979, is aggressively cheerful, relentlessly commercial, and built around synthesizers that sound awfully dated. Where Lennon smuggled protest into his Christmas song, McCartney created the musical equivalent of a light-up Christmas sweater: undeniably festive, impossible to ignore, and opinion-dividing. 🎹
The song is pure McCartney, doing what he does best and worst simultaneously: crafting an incredibly catchy melody while surrounding it with production choices that make music critics wince.
“Wonderful Christmastime” has aged interestingly. Music critics have been brutal, often listing it among the worst Christmas songs ever recorded. However, it makes McCartney enormous money every year—hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in royalties, playing in shopping malls and radio stations worldwide. People may claim to hate it, but they keep playing it. 💰 The fact that it’s made McCartney ridiculously wealthy while being consistently derided by critics is very on-brand for Paul. 🔔
George Harrison’s Christmas Silence
George Harrison never wrote a Christmas song, and the reasons tell us a lot about his relationship with commercial music. By the time other Beatles were releasing Christmas songs in the 1970s, George had fully committed to Hindu spirituality and Eastern philosophy, where commercial Western Christmas holds no particular significance. Writing a Christmas song would have felt like pandering to commercial expectations, exactly what George spent his post-Beatles career avoiding. 🕉️ He wanted to write songs that expressed spiritual truth, not songs designed to play in department stores while people bought stuff. ❌ George took his spiritual beliefs seriously enough that a Christmas song would have felt like hypocrisy. 🙏
The Christmas Songs Most Popular Today: Nostalgia
The 2025 holiday season is seeing a familiar battle between 20th-century classics and modern streaming giants, but the classics, generally, are winning. Judging by the most recent data from the Billboard Hot 100 (as of December 20, 2025) which takes into account Spotify’s massive global streaming counts, Mariah Carey has officially set a new record for longevity. Despite many new releases from artists like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter this month, 80% of the top 15 are still songs from the mid-20th century.
McCartney’s song is currently at #17, and John’s is at #20. Interestingly, Lennon’s “Happy Xmas” often sees a higher “Social Engagement” score (shares and comments), while McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” typically gets higher raw streaming numbers due to its placement on upbeat party playlists.
Today’s Top 20 Christmas Songs
Here are the top 20 Christmas songs currently dominating the charts and streaming platforms:
All I Want For Christmas Is You Mariah Carey. Just became the longest-running No. 1 in Billboard Hot 100 history (20 weeks).
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree Brenda Lee. Holds the #2 spot and reached 1 billion streams earlier this year.
Last Christmas Wham! The #1 most streamed song on many UK-based playlists this season.
Jingle Bell Rock Bobby Helms. Stays consistently in the top 5 across all streaming platforms.
Santa Tell Me Ariana Grande. The highest-ranking “modern” hit (post-2010) on the global charts.
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Michael Bublé. Bublé’s version is the primary “crooner” choice for 2025 streaming.
The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You) Nat “King” Cole. A major resurgence this year on “Nostalgic” Spotify playlists.
Underneath The Tree Kelly Clarkson. Remains a staple of the “Holiday Pop” category.
It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year Andy Williams. Massive airplay growth this season compared to 2024.
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Dean Martin. A top-tier choice for background music in retail and office streams.
Sleigh Ride The Ronettes. The definitive “Wall of Sound” holiday classic for 2025.
A Holly Jolly Christmas Burl Ives. Still the favorite for family-oriented and children’s playlists.
Feliz Navidad José Feliciano. The top-ranking bilingual holiday song worldwide.
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) Darlene Love. Saw a spike in listeners following a major TV tribute this month.
White Christmas Bing Crosby. The 1947 recording remains the best-selling physical single of all time.
Run Rudolph Run Chuck Berry. This remains the top-ranking “Rock ‘n’ Roll” holiday track, often peaking in the Top 10 of digital sales.
Wonderful Christmastime Paul McCartney. The most-played holiday song from the 1970s era.
Blue Christmas Elvis Presley. Continues to be the gold standard for “Country-Christmas” crossover appeal and Americana playlists.
Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town Jackson 5. Ranked as the most popular Motown-era holiday recording for 2025 streaming.
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) John Lennon. Remains a top-tier radio staple for its message of social unity and peace.