USA
Billboard Report (excerpt)
Mariah Carey's carol notches 19th week at no.1
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
by Keith Caulfield & Gary Trust, Los Angeles

Mariah Carey's “All I Want for Christmas Is You” jingles all the way back to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, jumping four spots for a record-tying 19th total week atop the chart. It matches the

reigns of two hits that led over one release cycle each — Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” in 2024, and Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, in 2019 — for the longest command over the chart’s 67-year history. The carol rules the Hot 100 in a record-extending seventh holiday season. “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” on Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings, drew 33.7 million streams (up 52%) and 22.4 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 37%) and sold 3,000 downloads (up 86%) in the U.S. Nov. 28-Dec. 4, according to Luminate. The single rises 3-1 on the Streaming Songs chart for a record-extending 23rd week on top; bounds 40-21 on Radio Songs, where it has hit a No. 7 best; and soars 19-4 on Digital Song Sales at No. 6, following six weeks at the summit. Wham!’s “Last Christmas” pushes 6-2 on the Hot 100, as the 1984 release hits a new best rank, surpassing its prior No. 3 peak. It tallied 33.2

million streams (up 63%), 18.2 million in radio reach (up 14%) and 2,000 sold (up 76%) in the tracking week. Wham! — the duo of George Michael who died in 2016, and Andrew Ridgeley — posts its highest Hot 100 rank in 40-and-a-half years, since “Everything She Wants” fell to No. 2 on the June 8, 1985, chart, after three weeks at No. 1. Holiday hits adorn seven places in the latest Hot 100’s top 10. Below Carey and Wham!’s hits, Lee dances merrily 7-3 with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” The classic from 1958 totaled 30.8 million streams (up 60%), 20.5 million in airplay audience (up 34%) and 2,000 sold (up 69%) in the tracking week. The late Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” trots 8-4 on the Hot 100. The 1957 release, which has reached No. 3, drew 30.5 million streams (up 71%) and 20 million airplay audience impressions (up 26%) and sold 1,000 (up 70%). Ariana Grande’s 2014 letter to the North Pole, “Santa Tell Me,” which has hit No. 5 on the Hot 100, rises 13-8, led by 24.8 million streams (up 61%) and 7.7 million in radio reach (up 17%). Late legend Nat “King” Cole’s “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)” lifts 18-9 on the Hot 100, revisiting its peak. First recorded by Cole in 1946, the song totaled 22.6 million streams (up 70%) and 16.5 million in radio audience (up 33%) in the tracking week. Additionally, the late Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” flies 17-10 on the Hot 100. The 1963 release, which has climbed to No. 5, drew 20.7 million streams (up 70%) and 18.7 million in airplay audience (up 20%). Huntr/x’s “Golden,” from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, is the highest-charting non-holiday hit on the Hot 100, down 2-5 after eight weeks at No. 1 beginning in August. Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” falls five spots to No. 6 on the Hot 100 after spending its first eight weeks at No. 1, having tied “Anti-Hero” for her longest-leading career hit. Plus, Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” which ruled the Hot 100 for 10 weeks starting in May, descends 3-7. Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 13), up from No. 3 a week ago, collecting its eighth nonconsecutive week atop the list. The set earned 99,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the tracking week ending Dec. 4 (up 12%), according to Luminate, aided by Black Friday promotions at retail and newly available signed CDs sold through the artist’s webstore. Of The Life of a Showgirl’s 99,000 equivalent album units earned in the latest tracking week, SEA units comprise 53,000 (down 18%, equaling 69.38 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks — it holds at No. 2 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 46,000 (up 121%; it climbs 4-2 Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise less than 1,000 (down 76%). Three former No. 1s are Nos. 2-4 on the latest Billboard 200: Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem rises 4-2 (71,000 equivalent album units, down 6%), the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack steps 5-3 (66,000, down 1%) and Stray Kids’ DO IT falls 1-4 in its second week (64,000, down 78%). The Wicked: For Good soundtrack drops 2-5 in its second frame, earning 63,000 (down 49%). Michael Bublé’s former No. 1 Christmas returns to the top 10, climbing 12-6 with 58,000 equivalent album units earned (up 70%), largely driven by streaming activity (48,000 SEA units, equaling 64.86 million on-demand official streams of the project’s songs; it zooms 11-3 on the Top Streaming Albums chart). Christmas was released in 2011, spent five weeks at No. 1 in December 2011 and early January 2012 and has returned to the top 10 in every following holiday season. The set boasts Holiday 100-charting favorites like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” Bing Crosby’s Ultimate Christmas rises 16-7 on the Billboard 200 with 52,000 equivalent album units earned (up 78%). Nearly all of that sum is powered by streaming activity, as SEA units comprise 48,000 (equaling 63.55 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks). The album also rockets 14-4 on the Top Streaming Albums chart. Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving falls 7-8 on the latest Billboard 200 (48,000 equivalent album units earned, down 1%). Vince Guaraldi Trio’s soundtrack to the A Charlie Brown Christmas animated TV special is back in the top 10 for the first time in nearly three years, as it surges 18-9 with 46,000 equivalent album units earned (up 68%). It was last in the top 10 on the Jan. 7, 2023-dated chart, when it ranked at No. 10. Of the 46,000 units the album earned for the week, SEA units comprise 26,000 (up 72%, equaling 33.81 million on-demand official streams of its songs; it rises 43-13 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 20,000 (up 64% and largely owed to vinyl purchases; it jumps 10-4 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum (up 42%). The album earns its biggest sales week in three years, since it sold 23,000 copies on the Dec. 31, 2022 chart. Closing out the top 10 on the latest Billboard 200 is Tate McRae’s former leader, So Close To What, which falls 6-10 with 44,000 equivalent album units earned (down 31%).

Record Of The Month
As the first salvo from her new album, Lux, Spanish reggaeton and flamenco artist Rosalíá has uncorked a dazzling opus featuring Björk, Yves Tumor and a full-on symphony orchestra.

United Kingdom
Music Week Report (excerpt)
'The Fate Of Ophelia' rules a fourth week
Monday, December 8, 2025
by Alan Jones, London
 
It’s official – The Fate Of Ophelia is now the longest-reigning No.1 of Taylor Swift’s glittering career, securing its fourth straight week, and seventh week in total, atop the chart on consumption of 46,495 units (1,300 digital downloads and 45,195 sales-equivalent streams). Swift’s previous top title,

Anti-Hero, spent six straight weeks at the top in 2022. She has also reached No.1 with Look What You Made Me Do (two weeks, 2017), Is It Over Now (Taylor’s Version) (one week, 2023) and Fortnight (feat. Post Malone, one week, 2024). Fifteen of her 17 weeks at No.1 have come in the 2020s, putting her level with Olivia Rodrigo and behind only Ed Sheeran and Sabrina Carpenter (23 weeks apiece) for most weeks at No.1 this decade. Even as it remains at No.1, The fate of The Fate Of Ophelia is sealed – it secured the lowest tally for a No.1 for 18 weeks in the latest frame, and has suffered declining streams for three weeks in a row, which means it will hit ACR next week, halving streaming’s contribution. It would have lost out to the rising tide of Christmas titles anyway, and is fortunate to still be No.1 this week, as its consumption in the week is below the unadjusted totals for four other songs. Also, even though it is Swift’s top song as determined by most weeks

at No.1, it is placed at No.36 in her canon with overall consumption of 618,076 having just gone platinum. Where Is My Husband! (2-2, 40,890 sales) by Raye is Swift’s nearest challenger again this week, but is itself in decline, and cannot resist the advance of advent, which sees five seasonal songs decorating the Top 10 this week. Last Christmas (9-3, 35,796 sales) by Wham! continues to lead the challenge but is now joined in the Top 10 by All I Want For Christmas Is You (13-4, 32,217 sales) by Mariah Carey, Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (23-6, 27,704 sales) by Brenda Lee, Underneath The Tree (24-9, 23,376 sales) by Kelly Clarkson and Santa Tell Me (28-10, 22,244 sales) by Ariana Grande. Likely to be swept aside a week hence but hanging on to Top 10 status at the moment are Olivia Dean’s triumvirate: So Easy (To Fall In Love With You) (3-5, 29,104 sales), Rein Me In (with Sam Fender, 5-7, 26,876 sales) and Man I Need (4-8, 26,399 sales). Overall singles consumption is up 2.89% week-on-week to 32,021,251 units, their highest level for 29 years and 2.05% above same week 2024 consumption of 31,379,348 units. Paid-for sales are up 9.52% week-on-week at 277,706, 3.62% below same week 2024 sales of 288,143. Nine weeks after it debuted at No.1, The Art Of Loving returns to the chart summit for Olivia Dean. Powered by the ongoing success of its singles – five of which have made the Top 40 to this point – The Art Of Loving increases consumption week-on-week for the fourth time in a row for the 26-year-old Londoner, improving 12.91% to 20,588 units (1,787 CDs, 4,906 vinyl albums, 23 cassettes, 172 digital downloads and 13,700 sales-equivalent streams) as it snatches the title back. None of the six new entries which stormed the Top 10 last week are able to maintain their presence there, and with no high-debuting new albums to replace them, there are five re-entries in the top tier, plus Rebel (13-9, 7,010 sales), the debut album by Liverpool rapper EsDeeKid, which reaches a new peak for the fifth week in a row. Aside from Dean, the holdovers are The Life Of A Showgirl (3-2, 12,050 sales) by Taylor Swift, Man’s Best Friend (7-3, 9,856 sales) by Sabrina Carpenter and So Close To What (4-5, 8,819 sales) by Tate McRae. Already certain to emerge as the No.1 album of the year, The Life Of A Showgirl increases its cumulative consumption to 603,072 units, becoming the 10th album by Taylor Swift to go double platinum for sales in excess of 600,000 copies. Swift also had the No.1 album of the year – for the first time – in 2024 with The Tortured Poets Department. She reaches another milestone this week, with 2019 No.1 Lover becoming her fourth million-seller, with consumption in the week of 1,962 units raising its cume to 1,000,216. Of the Top 10 returnees, the most notable is Christmas, Michael Bublé’s 2011 seasonal set, which rockets 24-4 (9,417 sales). No.1 in 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024, it has now spent 63 weeks in the Top 10, it has made the Top 20 in each of the 15 years in which it has charted, missing the Top 10 only in 2015, when it reached No.12. With overall consumption of 3,468,566 units, Christmas is Bublé’s most successful title. In the 737 weeks since its release it ranks fourth in total consumption behind only Divide (4,478,515 units) and X (4,025,007 units) by Ed Sheeran and 25 (4,137,882 units) by Adele. Mention of Sheeran brings us to his two Top 10 re-entries this week, namely +-=÷× Tour Collection (11-6, 7,630 sales) and Play (23-10, 6,475 sales). The latter album, which debuted at No.1 11 weeks ago, is responding to the release of a new super deluxe edition – so far only digitally and on vinyl – which expands the track count from 13 to 27, including five new songs. Also filling the void to stage Top 10 returns are: 50 Years: Don’t Stop (14-7, 7,232 sales) by Fleetwood Mac and The Highlights (12-8, 7,079 sales) by The Weeknd. Overall album sales are up 3.22% week-on-week at 2,856,168 units, 1.17% above same week 2024 sales of 2,823,031. Physical product accounts for 567,322 sales, 19.86% of the total.