Dec 12 | By Laura Schmitz
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall the most popular Christmas carol of all?
Montana’s top pick is “Winter Wonderland,” which is fitting since the state itself is a real-life winter dreamland. California kicks back to “Feliz Navidad” the most, while West Virginia, home to the Blue Ridge Mountains, routinely rocks out to Elvis’s “Blue Christmas.”
Between Justin Bieber’s seasonal album, “Under the Mistletoe” or Mariah Carey’s rendition of “All I Want for Christmas is You,” there’s a number of modern-day Christmas jams that can get anybody to rock around the Christmas tree.
But year after year, people go back to the classics. Despite modern-day riffs of Christmastime carols, the most popular Christmas songs are the originals—such as Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and the 1953 version of “Santa Baby.”
Which Christmas classic carol does your state love the most? Read on to see the jingle your home state’s streaming on repeat.
How We Got Our Rankings
We looked at the twenty-three Christmas songs people are streaming the most on iHeartRadio and Spotify. From there, we analyzed each song’s Google search volume by state.
Festive Facts
- With sixteen states backing “Jingle Bells” as their favorite Christmas carol, the classic won by a landslide. The tune has been around since 1857, but it was originally composed for a Thanksgiving church service.
- Brenda Lee, the voice behind “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” recorded the jingle when she was only 13 years old.
- New Mexico, Texas, California, and Arizona have the highest Latino and Hispanic population. Coincidentally, they all crown “Feliz Navidad,” the upbeat Spanish hit, as their top pick.
- Some of the most famous Christmas songs were actually written by Johnny Marks, a Jewish songwriter that specialized in Christmas melodies. His greatest hits include “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Holly Jolly Christmas.”
- Craving chestnuts roasting on an open fire? If you’re in America, you’re in luck. The US is one of the few nations that can grow chestnuts.
- The reason the original versions of Christmas songs are played more often than their pop counterparts is because people prefer to stick to what they know. Christmas classics have a nostalgia factor modern-day spins just can’t beat.
To Wrap Things Up
What was your state’s favorite holiday tune? Was it the same jingle you stream all 25 days of Christmas?
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| State | Each State's Favorite Christmas Song |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! |
| Alaska | Happy Xmas (War is Over) |
| Arizona | Feliz Navidad |
| Arkansas | Jingle Bells |
| California | Feliz Navidad |
| Colorado | Jingle Bells |
| Connecticut | All I Want for Christmas is You |
| Delaware | Sleigh Ride |
| Florida | Feliz Navidad |
| Georgia | Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! |
| Hawaii | Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas |
| Idaho | The Christmas Song |
| Illinois | Santa Baby |
| Indiana | Jingle Bells |
| Iowa | Holly Jolly Christmas |
| Kansas | Jingle Bells |
| Kentucky | Jingle Bells |
| Louisiana | Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town |
| Maine | White Christmas |
| Maryland | Feliz Navidad |
| Massachusetts | Jingle Bells |
| Michigan | Silver Bells |
| Minnesota | Jingle Bells |
| Mississippi | Mary, Did You Know? |
| Missouri | Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! |
| Montana | Winter Wonderland |
| Nebraska | Jingle Bells |
| Nevada | Jingle Bell Rock |
| New Hampshire | Frosty the Snowman |
| New Jersey | It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year |
| New Mexico | Feliz Navidad |
| New York | It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year |
| North Carolina | Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! |
| North Dakota | Jingle Bells |
| Ohio | Jingle Bells |
| Oklahoma | Jingle Bells |
| Oregon | Last Christmas |
| Pennsylvania | Jingle Bells |
| Rhode Island | All I Want for Christmas is You |
| South Carolina | Jingle Bells |
| South Dakota | Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree |
| Tennessee | Jingle Bells |
| Texas | Feliz Navidad |
| Utah | It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas |
| Vermont | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer |
| Virginia | Sleigh Ride |
| Washington | Last Christmas |
| West Virginia | Blue Christmas |
| Wisconsin | Jingle Bells |
| Wyoming | Jingle Bells |
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