“Candle In the Wind” (Elton John and Bernie Taupin)Elton John actually performed two versions of the song, both about the untimely death of two iconic women. 1.Hill Sisters – "Happy Birthday" (1893). “White Christmas” (Irving Berlin) There’s no denying the enduring power of “White Christmas.”. (Note: “Happy Birthday” has entered public domain and is no longer collecting royalties, and as such has lost its long-standing position at the top of this list.). Music channels and radio stations across the UK feature this hit repeatedly, and no one can deny singing along to the ‘ding dongs’ to get them in the Christmas spirit. When a popular act releases a hit song, it’s going to generate a lot of plays. It ultimately became the title track of the 1986 film of the same name, based off a Stephen King short story, starring Corey Feldman, River Phoenix, and Wil Wheaton. Anyone who has seen the Hugh Grant movie About a Boy will know that you could probably live comfortably if you - or even just a relative - wrote a huge Christmas song back in the day. But it’s Bing Crosby’s version from the movie “Holiday Inn” (later re-recorded for another holiday movie titled simply “White Christmas") that remains the most popular. The latter wound up more popular, topping charts globally and won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance in 1998. 's 'Last Christmas'. The best-known version was by The Righteous Brothers, and used in the 1990 Oscar-winning movie “Ghost.” Additional placements include spots in TV shows "Glee" and "American Idol.". With a classic guitar riff and catchy lyrics, it’s no … Roy Orbinson & Bill Dees- Oh, Pretty Woman. They should make you feel festive, in the same way that the 174th repeat of The Snowman … Snapping up the top spot for Christmas earners is Slade’s, Merry Christmas Everybody. The original 1934 release mostly made it’s earnings from sheet music sales. (Note: these figures were accurate as of 2015, so some may be even higher by now.). And as the unofficial soundtrack to Christmas, it’s going to be awfully difficult to unseat this one until it too enters the public domain. 9. The Pogues feat. I’m sure that makes for a jolly drive home for Christmas. Band Aid's 'Do They Know it's Christmas' is still the best-selling Christmas song in the UK, just ahead of Boney M's 'Mary's Boy Child' and Wham! Now that is a Merry Christmas for everybody involved in this track. “White Christmas” (Irving Berlin)There’s no denying the enduring power of “White Christmas.” With over 100 million copies sold, the perennial classic has countless of covers. Not bad for a track that wasn’t even meant to be a Christmas song. Any journey back to the family home is sure to feature Driving Home For Christmas blasting from the car radio. Most commonly it’s just a factor of sheer popularity. Crosby's version is one of the best selling pieces of music in history, with over 100 million copies sold worldwide to date. What is the greatest Christmas song ever? There is a bit of… The winter wonder was beaten to the top spot by Band Aid’s, Do They Know it’s Christmas in 1984, but that hasn’t stopped it becoming a firm festive favourite. As Christmas favourites get played over and over again every single December, the royalties add up. Just take a look at the top 10 royalty generating songs today. Note to self: Write a Christmas song, pronto. But just how much do certain songs make every single year? Royalty Exchange does not make investment recommendations or provide legal, tax, or financial advice. The track first released in (1986) earns over an estimated £200,000 a year in royalties. The Site is maintained for the personal use of its visitors and Royalty Exchange cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of any information presented on any of its pages. 10. Copyright © 2020 Royalty Exchange All Rights Reserved. 8. 'Merry Christmas Everybody' by Slade - £500,000, 'Fairytale of New York' by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl - £400,000, 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' by Mariah Carey - £376,000, 'White Christmas' by Bing Crosby - £328,000, 'Wonderful Christmastime' by Paul McCartney - £260,000, 'Mistletoe And Wine' by Cliff Richard - £100,000, 'Stop The Cavalry' by Jona Lewie - £120,000, '2000 Miles' by The Pretenders - £102,000. The key to a song generating consistent royalties comes down to one word… use. Between the two, it is said that his sole songwriting credit on this song alone is responsible for 25% of Sting’s lifetime publishing earnings. 1. 1. Mariah Carey’s Merriest Christmas featured on Netflix in 2015 and the songstress even becoming the face of Walkers crisps this season. By accessing the Site and any of its pages, you agree to be bound by its Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. And since then multiple superstars, including Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, and Justin Bieber, released covers of their own. - £300,000 'Wonderful Christmastime' by … Even the Grinch couldn’t stop himself cracking a smile to the lyrics of this one. But since now-Diddy never got permission for the sample, Sting sued and in the settlement now receives 100% of the remix’s publishing as well. As ‘The Most Wonderful Time of The Year’ fast approaches, echoes of ‘All I Want For Christmas’ and ‘Last Christmas’ can be heard across the UK once more. 5. We have to say, we're just amazed that Wizzard's 'I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday' didn't make the top 10! A guilty pleasure for many, Mistletoe by Justin Bieber is one of the few successful contemporary Christmas hits, which has become popular amongst many Spotify playlists in the last few years. Finally, the chart-topper reportedly brings in an estimated £1 million a year in royalties. All I want for Christmas produces one of the highest volumes of Christmas song royalties. “Unchained Melody” by Alex North and Hy Zaret)Originally written and recorded for a well forgotten movie called “Unchained” in 1955, it wound up being re-recorded by over 650 artists in 500 different languages. Whilst unable to find the exact royalties for this banger, it’s download success speaks for itself in cementing this as a true Christmas chart-topper. Over 60 years on, it is reported the timeless Christmas hit still earns an estimated £328,00 a year in royalties. The best Christmas songs should only work at Christmas. Finally, the chart-topper reportedly brings in an estimated £1 million a year in royalties. 3. So in a way he created his own cover. In addition to claiming the honor of most-played song in radio history, it also played a memorable role in the Tom Cruise megahit “Top Gun” and has been covered over 2,200 times. The pop sensation, Mariah Carey, represents the epitome of Christmas for many people. When Diana Ross pulled Boy George on stage for a, Rare video of Bob Marley singing acoustic ‘Redemption, Song’ months before his death is phenomenal, When Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta reunited after, 24 years to sing ‘You’re The One That I Want’, Gary Numan facts: 'Cars' singer's age, wife, children, Watch the trailer for the new David Bowie biopic Stardust, When Barry Gibb and Olivia Newton-John sang 'Islands in, The 20 best male singers of all time, ranked in order of, The extraordinary story of Simon & Garfunkel’s life-long. All I want for Christmas is the second top-earning Christmas song. The original was written for Marilyn Monroe. Levi’s also used it in a TV ad. “You’ve Lost That Feeling” (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Phil Spector… Adding to the festivities is the recent launch of Heart Extra Xmas radio station, dedicated to 24/7 Christmas Hits. And after controversial rap group 2 Live Crew created an unauthorized vulgar parody of it, the song found itself the focus of a fair-use lawsuit, which ultimately was decided in the Supreme Court (which 2 Live Crew won). “Yesterday” (John Lennon and Paul McCartney)In addition to the three factors that the rest of this list shares (Christmas song, cover song, and movie soundtrack), another sure-fire way to achieve a top royalty earning status is being a Beatles song. Soundtracks: When an already popular song is used in an equally popular movie or TV show, it can quickly find itself in a new tier of royalty earnings. Covers: In many cases, the original recording of a song goes nowhere, but finds new life after a different performer releases their unique interpretation of it. “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” (Haven Gillespie and Fred J. Coots)This one checks off all the boxes. Three Things The Top 10 Royalty Earning Songs of All Time Have In Common. 2019 even see’s the release of Christmas film, Last Christmas; Titled after the track and featuring the music of the late George Michael.