Media Monitors Offers Xmas Radio Report

Media Monitors Rocks Around The Xmas Tree

MEDIA MONITORS has analyzed the songs played on 93 all-CHRISTMAS radio stations this year in 60 markets and found that BURL IVES' "Holly Jolly CHRISTMAS" is #1 once again. Last year it was #2 to NAT KING COLE's "The CHRISTMAS Song."

Meanwhile, BING CROSBY's "White CHRISTMAS" showed a steady but barely perceptible increase in airplay from fifth place in 2004, fourth place in 2005 and up to #3 this year. IVES' tune was played 3,666 times in the first 10 days of the holiday season, with COLE’s and CROSBY’s perennials close behind.

Here are the top 10:

'04      ' 05      '06             ARTIST Title
 1           2          1              BURL IVES Holly Jolly Christmas
 2           1          2              NAT KING COLE The Christmas Song
 5           4          3              BING CROSBY White Christmas
10          8          4              JOSE FELICIANO Feliz Navidad
 6           5          5              ANDY WILLIAMS The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
12          9          6              EAGLES Please Come Home For Christmas
 3           3          7              BRENDA LEE Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
 8           6          8              JOHN LENNON Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
 7           7          9              CARPENTERS Merry Christmas Darling
 9          10       10             JOHNNY MATHIS It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Other findings:

- Although the majority of songs on all-CHRISTMAS stations have non-religious (secular) lyrics, the standard CHRISTMAS carols or "traditional" music are still prevalent. The most-played traditional song is JOSH GROBAN’s version of "O Holy Night" (#16), followed by WHITNEY HOUSTON's "Do You Hear What I Hear?"(#32) and RAY CONNIFF’s version of "The Little Drummer Boy" (#49).

- HALL & OATES' version of "Jingle Bell Rock" jumped from #21 in '04 to #14 in '05 to #11 this year and for the first time is receiving more airplay than the original by BOBBY HELMS, which has dropped from #4 to #12 to #14.

- There are 55 versions of "Have Yourself A Merry Little CHRISTMAS," more than any other holiday song, airing on these all-CHRISTMAS stations. 

- JOHNNY MATHIS (45 songs), AMY GRANT (28 songs) and HARRY CONNICK JR. (20 songs) have the most number of different holiday songs being played in 2006.

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