The early results are in for the top spins of the holidays, and “Sleigh Ride” leads the way, nosing out “Winter Wonderland” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”
The results were compiled by ASCAP’s Mediaguide using song-tracking technology, and reflected airing from Oct. 1 (yes, the season starts earlier than ever on radio these days) to Nov. 26.
Mediaguide heard “Sleigh Ride” played 43,000 times on monitored stations, most often as performed by Leroy Anderson. “Winter Wonderland” followed at 38,000 (most often the Eurythmics) and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” at 32,000 plays, most often by Andy Williams.
The list is below, including authors and the most-heard versions. (The rankings however do include all versions, not just those by the listed performer.)
1. “Sleigh Ride” — played 43,168 times
Written by Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
Performed by Leroy Anderson
2. “Winter Wonderland” — played 38,415 times
Written by Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
Performed by Eurythmics
3. “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” — played 32,616 times
Written by Edward Pola, George Wyle
Performed by Andy Williams
4. “Jingle Bell Rock” — played 31,020 times
Written by Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe
Performed by Bobby Helms
5. “White Christmas” — played 26,929 times
Written by Irving Berlin
Performed by Bing Crosby
6. “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” — played 26,288 times
Written by Meredith Willson
Performed by Bing Crosby
7. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” — played 23,871 times
Written by Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
Performed by The Carpenters
8. “Frosty the Snowman” — played 22,193 times
Written by Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins
Performed by The Ronettes
9. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting…)” — played 21,402 times
Written by Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
Performed by Nat King Cole
10. “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” — played 20,478 times
Written by Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram
Performed by Amy Grant
