What is the Most Popular Christmas Song of All Time?

Saturday morning, I was at Merchant Centre Court in Owensboro getting ready for our weekly Cardio Tennis clinic. I won't bore you with the details of the class, but it's 90 minutes of non-stop tennis ball hitting and running, and, like we're in an aerobics class, we listen to music while we play. Our facilitator Noel (and, yes, that's coincidentally his name) suggested that we listen to a 'rockin' Christmas playlist this week. Granted, it's a little early in the holiday season, but we all agreed that it could be fun. Noel hit play and, much to my surprise and enjoyment, the first song out of the gates was "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid.

I quickly shouted out, "I love this song!" I then proceeded to proclaim what I have always thought and truly believe- that it is the BEST Christmas song of all-time. The moment I said that, I was instantly ridiculed by my fellow tennis players. One in particular, Craig (who might as well have come over and hit me in the head with his tennis racquet), basically insinuated that I had lost my mind. He said, "Of ALL the Christmas songs in the world, you think THIS one is the best??"

Okay, hear me out! Well, first, let's have a quick refresher course. Here's the song.

Do you remember the backstory of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" I do. It was co-written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and was released in late 1984. It was an international anthem designed to raise awareness about the epidemic of hunger in Ethiopia that ravaged the country in the mid 80s. I was a kid of the 80s. Those images dominated nightly newscasts. Geldof, who decided that the music industry had the power to make a difference, rounded up some of the biggest names in music across the pond- Boy George, Sting, Bono, Duran Duran, George Michael, Phil Collins, Paul Young, and more- and they recorded the song in a day.

When the single was released in the UK, it became an instant smash. It actually debuted at #1 on the British chart and stayed there for five weeks. It sold over a million copies in its first week of release. Admittedly, it didn't have quite the same chart success here in the U.S., but it did sell millions of copies. The song ended up raising roughly $8,000,000 for hunger relief efforts in Ethiopia.

Now, I understand that there are far more popular Christmas songs in the world. I am fully aware that the Guinness Book of World Records has declared Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" the best-selling Christmas song of all time. It has sold over 100 million copies worldwide.

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According to Newsweek, his version of "Silent Night" is ranked second.

Then, there's Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Though the song was initially released back in 1994, the holiday earworm has reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 each year since 2019.

I love me some Mariah and I love me some Bing. There's no arguing that they have been a part of my Christmas celebrations for much of my life. But, for me, Band Aid's the best. "Do They Know It's Christmas" is the true spirit of Christmas and giving and humanity. It challenges us all to "spread a smile of joy" and "to throw your arms around the world at Christmas time." Let's be honest. The world needs it.