Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ Dominates Down Under
Mariah Carey isn’t called the queen of Christmas for nothing. The U.S. pop veteran lives up to her nickname as her enduring holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” rings in Christmas as the No. 1 single in Australia.
Carey’s 1994 release bags a second consecutive week at the top Down Under, and a fifth year at No. 1 during the Christmas week, ARIA reports.
Although it’s peak summer in Australia, a time when Aussies head to the beach en masse, those wintry yuletide classics dominate playlists in these parts, a fact that’s reflected by both main ARIA Charts.
Four of the top 10 singles on the chart published Dec. 23 are Christmas numbers, including Wham’s “Last Christmas” (up 6-3), Michael Bublé’s “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (up 11-5), Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (up 12-7) and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (up 15-8), while Bobby Helms’ ‘50s tune Jingle Bell Rock lifts 19-14. Also, Xmas singles from Kelly Clarkson, Andy Williams, The Ronettes, Band Aid, Sia, John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band and Burl Ives impact the top 40.
The highest debut belongs to British rapper Central Cee, whose sentimental song “Let Go” bows at No. 15. The song, which samples the 2008 track “Let Her Go” by English singer-songwriter Passenger, recently cracked the top 10 in the U.K. It’s the only new release to impact the Top 40 on either of ARIA’s main surveys.
Over on the ARIA Albums Chart, Taylor Swift’s platinum-certified 2022 juggernaut Midnights holds at No. 1, ahead of SZA’s sophomore album SOS and Michael Bublé’s Christmas, respectively, while Christmas-themed albums from the Bocelli family, Paul Kelly, Jimmy Barnes, Mariah Carey, and Vika & Linda appear further down the list.
Lars Brandle
Billboard