Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
For Holidays, Americans Prefer Christmas Carols Over Billboard Hits
By admin
Published 6 years ago on
December 21, 2018

Share

LOS ANGELES — Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 holiday hit in 60 years, but Americans still prefer hearing carols such as “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells,” a new poll shows.
With Christmas next week, 12 percent of Americans named “Silent Night” as their favorite holiday song followed by “Jingle Bells” at 8 percent, according to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The open-ended question showed that “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a fan favorite among holiday films, followed closely by a mix of recent comedies and classics.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 holiday hit in 60 years, but Americans still prefer hearing carols such as “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells,” a new poll shows.
Nine percent of respondents listed the 1946 Frank Capra classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” as their favorite film. Jimmy Stewart plays a conscientious family man who faces a seemingly insurmountable debt and attempts to end his life, but is stopped by a guardian angel on Christmas Eve.
“It’s a story of redemption,” said Michael Germana, 65, who called the film his favorite. The California native is also among the 21 percent of adults 60 and older who choose “Silent Night,” which was first performed 200 years ago.
“It’s a song of inclusion,” Germana said. “There’s no strife.”
Americans under 30 are more likely than those older to name “Jingle Bells” (12 percent) and Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” (7 percent) as their favorite.
Carey’s song only trails the 1958 song “The Chipmunk Song” by David Seville as the highest-charting hit on Billboard. Other popular songs on Billboard charts include Kenny G’s “Auld Lang Syne” and “This One’s for the Children” by New Kids on the Block.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” was named by 3 percent of adults overall, while “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” which has drawn criticism in the #MeToo era and led some stations to stop playing it, was named by 5 percent.

More Contemporary Choices When It Came to Film

There were more contemporary choices among respondents when it came to film. Seven percent chose 1983’s “A Christmas Story” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” but most people didn’t specify whether they preferred the 1966 animated television special or the 2000 live-action adaption starring Jim Carrey. A computer-animated version, “The Grinch” has earned more than $239 million domestically since its early November release.
Six percent selected the 2003 comedy “Elf” starring Will Ferrell, the Chevy Chase-led “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and “Home Alone,” a 1990 box office hit starring Macaulay Culkin as the burglar-thwarting Kevin McCallister.
Also listed as a favorite by 2 percent of respondents: the 1988 Bruce Willis action film “Die Hard.”
Overall, 70 movies or Christmas specials and 107 songs were cited as holiday favorites by poll respondents.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Five Weeknight Dishes: Seven Ingredients or Fewer, Because Summer

Kings County Sheriff Announces Retirement After Nearly 30 Years in Law Enforcement

13 hours ago

General Mills to Remove Artificial Colors From All Its US Cereals and Foods

13 hours ago

‘Who’s Running the White House?’ Trump Brings Back ICE Raids on Farms, Restaurants

U.S. immigration officials on Tuesday walked back limits on enforcement targeting farms, restaurants, hotels and food processing plants just...

12 hours ago

12 hours ago

‘Who’s Running the White House?’ Trump Brings Back ICE Raids on Farms, Restaurants

13 hours ago

Granite Park Eviction Lawsuit Heads Toward Trial

Mark Kismet, 50, who is considered at-risk went missing on Friday, June 6, 2025, in Clovis near Harlan Ranch is still missing according to the Clovis Police Department on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Clovis PD)
13 hours ago

Missing Clovis Man Found Dead. No Foul Play Suspected

Kings County Sheriff Dave Robinson announced he will retire on November 24, 2025, ending a nearly 30-year career and prompting the county to consider options for his replacement. (Kings County SO)
13 hours ago

Kings County Sheriff Announces Retirement After Nearly 30 Years in Law Enforcement

13 hours ago

General Mills to Remove Artificial Colors From All Its US Cereals and Foods

14 hours ago

US FDA to Shorten Review Time for Drug Developers Under New Voucher Program

14 hours ago

Physician Warns Fresno County Supervisors About Jail’s Medical Provider, Private Equity Co.

14 hours ago

Houthi Official Says Group Will Intervene to Support Iran Against Israel

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend