Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas' tops charts

Already a critically acclaimed hit upon its release in 1994, Mariah Carey's iconic Christmas song has climbed to number 1 on the US Billboard charts for the second year running, and is now at the top of charts in Germany as well. The enduring appeal of the song pays off, too: By 2017, it was estimated to have earned $60 million (€49 million) in royalties.

Wham!'s "Last Christmas" — when "I gave you my heart" — has been one of the most popular songs in the world. Until recently, the hit released in 1984 was the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century in the UK. This year, it's back at the top of Germany's charts, right after Mariah Carey's hit.

Melanie Thornton's "Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)" is yet another one of those songs that's a regular Christmas favorite in Germany, where the American singer started her career performing in night clubs. Thornton lost her life in an air crash in 2001, and the song was posthumously released, just two days after her death.

Unfortunately, many of us won't be driving home for Christmas this year. But the longing that creates might also contribute to the popularity of this 1986 song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea. "Driving Home for Christmas" is number 4 in German charts this year.

Another festive hit with jingle bells and saxophone: Shakin' Stevens or Shaky's 1985 song has been gaining more fans in recent years and is now one of the top 10 most-played Christmas songs in Germany.

Canadian singer Michael Bublé's rendition of the popular song is one of the top 10 holiday songs in Germany. First written in 1950 by Meredith Willson, the versions sung by musicians like Perry Como and Bing Crosby are also classics.

The song released in 1979 was Paul McCartney's first solo hit after he formed the band Wings. Love it of hate it, like most other songs on this list, "Wonderful Christmastime" is a part of the holiday soundtrack.

This 1971 peace song was performed by John Lennon, his wife Yoko Ono and the Harlem Community Choir. According to the official German song charts, "Happy Xmas (War is over)" has become even more popular in the last few years, rising to number 10 in 2020.

Another song combining temporary love stories and Christmas bliss, Ariana Grande's "Santa Tell Me" from 2014 has been quite popular in Germany, featuring in Spotify's top 10 Christmas hits.

German singer Rolf Zuckowski's "In der Weihnachtsbäckerei" (At the Christmas bakery) is a song about baking cookies — and making a big mess — during the holidays. The song is one of the few German titles in the Christmas season charts.