New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The winter holidays are "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" for Americans, and the trove of beloved ASCAP holiday songs have traditionally been the soundtrack of the season. Of course, traditions need a little sprucing up every now and then to stay relevant to our times. As we unbox the 2015 holiday season, ASCAP songwriters are shaking the snow from the trees with a new crop of original songs, warming up the radio charts alongside the classics of yesteryear.
Here are this year's 10 most-performed new, original ASCAP holiday songs, across terrestrial and satellite radio. All were first released in 2013 and 2014. Like a snowflake, every one is different -- but they're all on their way to becoming future holiday classics. Don't be surprised if you end up humming a few of these on your next holiday shopping trip or family get-together.
TOP 10 NEW ASCAP HOLIDAY SONG FAVORITES OF 2015*
"Song Title" - Recording Artist (ASCAP Songwriters)
1. "Underneath the Tree" -
Kelly Clarkson (Kelly Clarkson / Greg Kurstin)
2. "
I'll Be Home" -
Meghan Trainor (Meghan Trainor)
3. "Wrapped in Red" -
Kelly Clarkson (Kelly Clarkson / Ashley Arrison / Aben Eubanks / Shane McAnally)
4. "This Holiday Night" - Margo Rey (Margo Rey / Barrett Yeretsian)
5. "
Santa Tell Me" -
Ariana Grande (Ariana Grande / Ilya (STIM) / Savan Kotecha)
6. "Christmas in Blue Chair Bay" -
Kenny Chesney (Brett
James /
David Lee Murphy / Kenny Chesney)
7. "Text Me Merry Christmas" -
Straight No Chaser &
Kristen Bell (David Javerbaum / Adam Schlesinger)
8. "What God Wants for Christmas" -
Darius Rucker (Frank Rogers /
Darius Rucker / Monty Criswell)
9. "
Fa La La" -
Elizabeth Chan (Elizabeth Chan)
10. "Blame It on the Mistletoe" - Kendall
Schmidt (Joshua Kissiah Cumbee / Kendall
Schmidt / Afshin Salmani)
There's no denying the great ASCAP seasonal songs of the past, which continue to dominate terrestrial and satellite radio playlists no matter what the year. Here's a list of the Top 20 most-performed evergreen recordings in 2015 so far, including the newest entry in the list, "All I Want for Christmas Is You," co-written by ASCAP writer-producer Walter Afanasieff with Mariah Carey.
TOP 20 ASCAP HOLIDAY SONG CLASSICS OF 2015**
"Song Title" (ASCAP songwriters)
1. "
Sleigh Ride" (Leroy Anderson / Mitchell Parish)
2. "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (Meredith Willson)
3. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (Fred Coots /
Haven Gillespie)
4. "
Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard / Richard B. Smith)
5. "
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne)
6. "
Jingle Bell Rock" (Joseph Carleton Beal /
James Ross Boothe)
7. "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" (Johnny Marks)
8. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (Johnny Marks)
9. "Do You Hear What I Hear" (Gloria Shayne Baker (SACEM) / Noel Regney (SACEM))
10. "Frosty the Snowman" (Steve
Nelson / Walter E. Rollins)
11. "
The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé / Robert Wells)
12. "
Last Christmas" (George Michael)
13. "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (Walter N. Afanasieff / Mariah Carey)
14. "
White Christmas" (Irving Berlin)
15. "
Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine Davis / Henry Onorati / Harry Simeone)
16. "Have Yourself a Merry
Little Christmas" (Ralph Blane / Hugh Martin)
17. "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" (Johnny Marks)
18. "Carol of the Bells" (Mykola Leontovych /
Peter Wilhousky)
19. "Home for the Holidays" (Robert Allen / Al Stillman)
20. "
Feliz Navidad" (José Feliciano)
*According to Mediabase's "Recurrents" holiday songs chart, tracking new recordings from 2014 and prior on terrestrial & satellite radio, as of 12/6/15
**Data compiled by rolling up multiple recordings on Mediabase's "Gold" holiday songs chart, tracking all Gold-selling recordings on terrestrial & satellite radio, as of 12/6/15
