Christmas is just a day away, so it doesn’t come as a huge shocker that holiday songs are dominating the Billboard Hot 100 this week. Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande are among the acts to make it to the top 10, making history as the first artists to do so with holiday songs released this century.
Holiday songs occupy nine out of ten spots in the top ten on the Hot 100 chart this week, with “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars being the only exception. Mariah Carey returned to No. 1 with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” for its 17th week on top, which set a new record for the longest-running chart-topping single of her career.
This week also marked the arrival of two modern holiday hits to the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Ariana Grande hit No. 9 with “Santa Tell Me”, over a decade after it was released as a bonus track on her holiday EP Christmas Kisses. She’s followed by Kelly Clarkson, who made it to No. 10 with “Underneath the Tree”, her first song to soar this high since “Piece by Piece” hit No. 8 in 2016.
These are the only holiday songs released during the 21st century to enter the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The record for the most recently released seasonal song to reach the top ten had previously been held by Kenny G’s take on “Auld Lang Syne,” released in 1999.