Billboard Launches Seasonal Holiday Songwriter & Producer Charts

Xander Zellner
·3 min read
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Billboard expands its charts offering by introducing the Holiday 100 Songwriters and Holiday 100 Producers charts (dated Dec. 3), based on weekly activity on the seasonal Holiday 100.

The Holiday 100 chart ranks the top seasonal songs of all eras via the same formula used for the Billboard Hot 100, blending streaming, airplay and sales data, and runs during the holiday season (December-January). The Holiday 100 Songwriters and Producers charts will run during the same seasonal period as the Holiday 100.

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Billboard’s weekly songwriter and producer charts are based on total points accrued by a songwriter and producer, respectively, for each attributed song that appears on a specific chart. The Holiday 100 Songwriters and Producers charts join Billboard’s 26 other songwriter and producer rankings, covering all “Hot”-named genre charts. These encompass the Hot 100 and the country, R&B/hip-hop, R&B, rap, rock & alternative, rock, alternative, hard rock, Latin, Christian, gospel and dance/electronic genres.

On the inaugural Holiday 100 Songwriters chart, Johnny Marks (who died in 1985 at age 75) rules thanks to seven songwriting credits on the Holiday 100. His seven placements encompass multiple recordings of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (which leads his haul at No. 2), “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Here’s a look at all seven of Marks’ songwriting credits on the latest Holiday 100:

Rank, Artist Billing, Title (co-writers in addition to Marks)
No. 2, Brenda Lee, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
No. 4, Burl Ives, “A Holly Jolly Christmas”
No. 17, Gene Autry, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
No. 27, Chuck Berry, “Run Rudolph Run” (Marvin Brodie)
No. 40, Burl Ives, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
No. 44, Michael Bublé, “Holly Jolly Christmas”
No. 82, LeAnn Rimes, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”

Thanks to holiday hits annually re-entering the Hot 100, Marks has also topped the all-genre Hot 100 Songwriters chart in each of the past three years, dating to the launch of Billboard’s songwriter and producer charts in 2019.

Rounding out the top five on Holiday 100 Songwriters, Meredith Willson places at No. 2, thanks to four charting versions of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”; George Michael follows at No. 3, thanks to Wham!’s “Last Christmas”; Irving Berlin ranks at No. 4, via “White Christmas” and “Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season”; and Mariah Carey starts at No. 5 powered by “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Lee Gillette (who died in 1981 at age 68) leads the inaugural Holiday 100 Producers chart, thanks to six production credits on the Holiday 100, led by Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)” at No. 7 and Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” at No. 9.

Here’s a look at Gillette’s six production credits on the latest Holiday 100:

Rank, Artist Billing, Title (co-producers in addition to Gillette)
No. 7, Nat King Cole, “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)”
No. 9, Dean Martin, “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow”
No. 18, Nat King Cole, “Deck the Halls”
No. 48, Dean Martin, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
No. 55, Nat King Cole, “O Come All Ye Faithful”
No. 91, Nat King Cole, “Joy to the World”

Rounding out the top five of Holiday 100 Producers, Owen Bradley is No. 2 (“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Jingle Bell Rock”); Robert Mersey, No. 3 (“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season,” “Silver Bells,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?” “The First Noel”); Phil Spector, No. 4 (“Sleigh Ride,” “Christmas [Baby Please Come Home],” “Happy Xmas [Was Is Over],” “Winter Wonderland”); and David Foster, No. 5 (multiple covers recorded by Michael Bublé).

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