A lot of these songs have been popular for decades, but music scholars and industry experts note there isn’t just one formula behind their success.
The music heard during the holiday season can encompass a wide range of genres, from choral and classical pieces that are more than a century old to radio-friendly contemporary pop songs.
And it continued to show up on the bestseller charts for years afterwards,” Starr says, adding that other songwriters took note.
Sure enough, many of the songs released after that remain holiday favorites to this day.
Though the album featured familiar covers, as expected, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” became the rare post-mid-century original holiday hit.
And as much as secular holiday music has taken over the public consciousness, Mansfield notes one shouldn’t overlook the role church can still play in bringing such music to the masses.
On top of that, streaming services have also helped certain songs stay relevant today, especially with regular radio airplay not holding as much power as it once did, Trust says.
And somehow, they still show up on playlists or get covered decades later, showing that they too have staying power that surpasses their initial novelty.
Other times, artists associated with genres not normally linked to holiday music, will attempt a new seasonal release or do a cover of something tried-and-true.
“No matter what style of music you do…
Elton John and Ed Sheeran just teamed up to release “Merry Christmas.” Earlier this month, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers released its list of the Top 10 ASCAP New Classic Holiday Songs of 2021 — all songs written and performed after 2000, with most from the past decade.
Songwriters like Elizabeth Chan — who has written more than 1,000 songs but is selective about the ones she releases — remain determined to make new holiday music that strikes a chord with listeners.
“You don’t know how people will connect,” says Chan, adding that she sometimes receives YouTube videos from people using her music for performances like ballets or figure skating tournaments.
Ultimately, there may still be room for surprise holiday hits to get added to our annual playlists — as Starr points out, there is no explicit formula that determines what listeners will latch onto next.