Christmas Song Phenomenon: Relevant Every December Even Though It's Not a Religious Song

Illustration of Christmas song (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The phenomenon of repetition always happens in December, where Christmas songs such as "Last Christmas" from Wham! or "All I Want for Christmas Is You" from Mariah Carey remain relevant decades after their release.

Interestingly, many of the greatest Christmas songs are actually non-denominational and not written for the benefit of Christian worship.

Songs like "Let It Snow" or "Winter Wonderland" focus more on evoking seasonal feelings than religious rituals, which makes their audience reach much wider and more inclusive.

"The biggest Christmas songs are not really denominational," said Carianne Marshall, COO of Warner Chappell Music, quoting the Billboard YouTube channel, Friday, December 19.

"Do you think of 'Winter Wonderland', you know, the title doesn't even contain the word Christmas at all. The songs just evoke feelings, and I think that's really interesting," added Marshall.

One of the main pillars of the Christmas music economy is licensing for commercials and films. The synchronization team usually starts working far in advance, even since summer, to get explanations about Christmas commercials.

Sometimes, a non-Christmas song like "What a Wonderful World" or "Hallelujah" can become a 'holiday song' because it is often used in year-end campaigns.

In addition, simple techniques such as adding sleigh bells to a regular pop song are often done so that the song can be marketed as a holiday theme song.

For songwriters, having one successful Christmas hit means having a very consistent income every year.

Even though it only jumped in December, this income is very predictable like the coming of Christmas itself. This is what makes the Christmas song catalog a very valuable asset in the modern music industry.