Entertainment
Christmas hits mint millions each December — from Mariah Carey to Wham!, this is why
The holiday season is best known for Christmas music ,a soundtrack that returns each December to dominate playlists and charts globally.
This year, however, the competition has taken a dramatic turn—one that left music fans and critics buzzing.
For a long time, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You’ dominated the Christmas music scene, its opening lyrics instantly evoking the festive season.
But, this December, Wham!’s cherished classic “Last Christmas” managed to dethrone Carey’s all-time favorite from the Billboard Global 200, marking a milestone shift in the holiday dynasty.
As the festive season approaches, so does an annual takeover of playlists globally.
Because—Christmas music isn’t just nostalgic—it’s one of the most reliable minting machines in the music industry.
Streaming platforms have transformed these songs into annual revenue cycles, with plays skyrocketing every November and December.
Here are the standout performers who’ve turned Christmas season into a perennial payday, minting millions year after year.
Michael Bublé rules the Christmas charts
Michael Bublé dominates the holiday streaming charts, consolidating his status as a modern-day Christmas music legend.
His festive collection—spearheaded by the perennial favorite ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,‘ is estimated to bring in around $16 million in recent festive periods, backed by huge streaming figures and a strong presence on global playlists.
Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’
Since its release in 1994, Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ has become an annual revenue engine.
The iconic hit generates a reported $1.8 to $2.2 for Carey each Christmas season.
With lifetime royalties having surged past £44 million and continuing to grow.
Wham!’s billion-stream bonanza
With over 1.66 billion Spotify streams, Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ has earned approximately $6.6 million from the platform, making it as one of the highest-grossing festive songs in music history.
Ariana Grande’s ‘Santa Tell Me’
Ariana Grande has broken into the Christmas music elite with ‘Santa Tell Me,’ a modern holiday anthem that now earns more than £1.7 million each year, standing tall among all other Christmas hits ruled by classic artists.
Paul McCartney’s ‘Wonderful Christmastime’
Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime generates has amassed nearly £12 million over its lifetime, proving that how even low-key Christmas tracks can become enduring revenue assets.
How did Christmas songs become such consistent revenue giants?
The answer is pretty straightforward, holiday classics don’t disappear—they simply hibernate.
Thanks to streaming platforms, these tracks now live in a yearly cycle: plays soar each November and December, then drop until the next season arrives.
Gone are the days of relying only on radio or CDs. Today. Billions of streams keep the royalties flowing year after year, ensuring artists and their estates earn effortlessly, season after season.
Entertainment
Travis Kelce reveals Taylor Swift’s key advice as retirement looms
Travis Kelce has Taylor Swift’s full support as he stands at a career crossroads in his life. While deciding whether or not to retire from football, the star athlete turned to another sport and his fiancée had nothing but endless support.
The 36-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight participated in the golf game at WM Phoenix Open this week and impressed the audience with his skills.
When Kelce earned applause from all over the stadium, landing his ball only a few feet away from the hole, fans even started suggesting he switches careers to a full-time golf player.
Speaking with the press after the game, the New Heights co-host was asked if his wife-to-be had any special advice for him for the match.
“Just go and have fun, sweetie,” Kelce recalled, adding, “That’s the only advice she can give on a day like today.”
The football star seemed to be following the advice as he struck one impressive shot after another, leading the commentator to remark that Swift would be writing a song about it.
The pop superstar appears to have similar outlook at her fiancé’s retirement decision as well. While the couple seem to be ready to get married this summer, there have been reports about talks to postpone the wedding in case Kelce decides to return to the field for another year.
Entertainment
Don Henley reflects on the Eagles’ “miraculous run,” Glenn Frey, and their last chapter
The nighttime lights of Las Vegas can hide the stars, but sometimes you can still find them under one dazzling roof.
One of the greatest bands on Earth — the Eagles — are in residence at the state-of-the-art Las Vegas Sphere, led by the band’s co-founder Don Henley, along with longtime guitarist Joe Walsh and country star Vince Gill.
And whenever the Eagles perform here, they sell the place out.
The Eagles’ “miraculous run”
“I guess we’re kind of a staple,” Henley said. “Our first record came out in ’72. Fifty-three years of playing for people. So it’s… you know, it’s been a miraculous run.”
And it got even more miraculous last month, when one of those Eagles albums from the 1970s — “Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)” — was certified quadruple diamond, the first to sell more than 40 million copies, cementing its place as the best-selling album of all time.
“‘Greatest Hits’ is kind of a misnomer. It should just be called their best songs because every song on that album was not a great hit. You know? There are a couple of songs on that album that didn’t break the top 30. But they’re good songs. Desperado, for example, was never released as a single. Not by us, nor by Linda Ronstadt,” Henley said.
Henley adds that the album wasn’t really their idea; it was basically pushed on them by the record company. But the band “didn’t have any way to stop them,” Henley joked.
“We complained. Oh, yeah. It’s documented,” he laughed.
Legacy of late bandmate Glenn Frey
Henley said writing Desperado with his late bandmate Glenn Frey was the first time the pair collaborated as songwriting partners. He added that they clicked instantly, and Frey quickly earned the nickname “the lone arranger.”
“Because he was so good at arranging songs,” Henley explained.
Frey died 10 years ago at age 67, but his legacy is larger than life.
Before the show, fans can take a literal walk down memory lane at a place called the Eagles’ Third Encore — an almost life-sized model of the key places in the band’s history, including a mock-up of L.A.’s Troubadour nightclub, which includes a real working bar.
But Henley’s pre-show routine isn’t quite the same as it used to be. Instead of taking a shot of tequila, he’s doing crunches as a warm-up.
“I don’t do voice exercises because they don’t help. I sing from my core, so keeping my abdomen in shape makes me sing better,” he said, adding with a laugh, “I don’t have a six-pack or anything, but there’s one under there somewhere.”
Deacon Frey fills in for his late father
One of the emotional highlights of the show is the moment where Frey’s son, Deacon, takes the stage in his father’s spot, often with his father’s guitar, and sings his father’s songs.
“I burst with pride. I almost got tears in my eyes the other night when he was filling in for Joe,” Henley said.
Henley said he wasn’t sure performing without Frey was feasible, but the band agreed to continue only if Deacon could join them.
A father of three himself, Henley has always had a rich life outside the band, and he recently co-produced a PBS documentary with filmmaker Ken Burns about Henry David Thoreau.
“There are so many parallels to what he was seeing during his time and what we’re seeing now. As Mark Twain said, ‘History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.’ And I think that’s what’s happening now,” Henley said.
What’s next?
The Eagles are keeping the music alive with a few more live shows this summer and an extended run in Las Vegas into April, featuring cutting-edge technology that didn’t exist when they first started making music.
“The sound system is like nothing on the planet. There are about 167,000 speakers in that dome,” Henley said of the Sphere.
The Eagles’ tour is called “The Long Goodbye,” but Henley says this time he means it.
“You know, I think this year will probably be it. I’ve said things like that before, but I feel like we’re getting toward the end. And that will be fine, too,” Henley said.
After more than 50 years of playing, Henley says he has to psych himself up to perform the Eagles’ classics each night.
“After a while, you learn to make friends with the songs,” he says. “It’s not about us. It’s about what they mean to the people we’re playing them for. You have to play every night with your heart in it.” Henley adds, “Music is medicine. And people need some medicine right now.”
Entertainment
Beatrice, Eugenie’s official royal roles: Major details revealed
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s royal future once again became talk of the town after they made it to the headlines due to their parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson’s, controversial ties with Jeffrey Epstein.
Following the latest secrets exposed in the Epstein files, the former Duke and Duchess of York not only brought negative light on the royal family but also on their daughters.
Now, a royal expert, Jennie Bond, has shed light on the chances of Beatrice and Eugenie getting official royal roles in the future.
Speaking with Mirror, she said, “I don’t think there’s any question of the Princesses being given official roles.”
The royal commentator added, “They will no doubt continue their occasional public appearances supporting the monarchy, at garden parties or charitable events, but the emphasis is still very much on keeping the number of working royals to a minimum.”
Jennie extended support towards the Princesses, saying that they have a “fair bit of sympathy” for them.
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