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Everything Else Since 1995
Since Mariah Carey released "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 1994, no new Christmas music has been able to become a staple of the holiday season. However, there have been a few minor hits since. Here are some of the notable Christmas songs released since 1995. All images courtesy of Wikimedia -
Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
In 1996, Trans-Siberian Orchestra released their first album, "Christmas Eve and Other Stories". The lead single, "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" was a medley centered around the traditional Christmas carol "Carol of the Bells". The song was certified gold and peaked as high as #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997 and 1998. -
Macarena Christmas (Los Del Rio)
The best-selling single of 1996 and the second best-selling single of the 1990s in the United States was "Macarena" by Los Del Rio. To capitalize off of the success of that song, the duo released a Christmas remix of the song that same year. While the song hit #5 on the charts in Australia, it only went as high as #57 in the United States, and did not come close to matching the success of the original. -
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays (NSYNC)
After their first album in 1997 sold over 10 million copies in the United States, NSYNC released a Christmas album the following year with 11 original Christmas songs. The most successful of the bunch was "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays," which was the only single released from that album. The song reached the top 40 on the pop charts in 1998. -
The Christmas Shoes (NewSong)
In 2000, Christian rock group NewSong released their most successful single, "The Christmas Shoes," which hit #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2000. Despite the moderate success, the song, which is about a boy trying to pay for shoes, was widely criticized. In 2012, NBC voted "The Christmas Shoes" as the worst Christmas song of all-time. -
My Only Wish (Britney Spears)
In 2000, Britney Spears released a Christmas single for the album "Platinum Christmas". While the song did not achieve much success in the United States, it achieved international success, selling over 600,000 copies in South Korea and being certified gold (30,000 units) in Denmark. -
Where Are You Christmas? (Faith Hill)
In 2000, the live-action adaptation of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" grossed over $260 million at the box office. The centerpiece of the album's soundtrack was "Where Are You Christmas?" by Faith Hill. The song, which was originally supposed to be performed by Mariah Carey, hit #65 on the Billboard Hot 100 -
Believe (Josh Groban)
In 2004, "The Polar Express" was released, grossing over $300 million worldwide. The leading single off of the soundtrack to that movie was "Believe" by Josh Groban. While the song did not make much of an impact on the charts, only charting as high as #112 on the Billboard Hot 100, it received critical success, and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 77th Academy Awards. -
Christmas Lights (Coldplay)
In 2010, Coldplay released "Christmas Lights," which debuted at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 after strong digital sales. While the song quickly fell off the charts in the United States and is not heard on Christmas radio stations today, the song was successful in Italy, where it was certified gold (15,000 copies). -
Mistletoe (Justin Bieber)
In 2011, Justin Bieber released "Mistletoe," which went as high as #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, was certified double platinum in the United States, and currently has over 248 million views on YouTube. This was the only single released by Bieber off of his 2011 Christmas album "Under the Mistletoe," which contained six original songs. -
Underneath the Tree (Kelly Clarkson)
In 2013, Kelly Clarkson released "Underneath the Tree," the leading single off of her Christmas album "Wrapped in Red". While the song hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, it only managed to hit as high as #78 on the Billboard Hot 100. -
Santa Tell Me (Ariana Grande)
In 2014, Ariana Grande released three original Christmas songs. The most successful of the bunch was "Santa Tell Me," which peaked at #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold in Denmark (30,000 copies sold).
