Holiday music is back on the radio: Here's where you can find it

Holiday music is already in full swing (for better or for worse depending on who you ask). 

Fans of Christmas and holiday tunes can now turn on the radio for the best holiday channels on the road or at home. 

Here’s a look at where you can find holiday music on SiriusXM radio.

Holiday music on SiriusXM channels

Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Radio (Ch. 15)

Country Christmas (Ch. 606)

Holly (Ch. 79)

Rockin Xmas (App only)

Hallmark Radio (Ch. 105)

Holiday Traditions (Ch. 71)

Jolly Christmas (App only)

Christmas Spirit (App only)

Cool Jazz Christmas (App only)

Holiday Instrumentals (App only)

Holiday Pops (App only)

Holidays with Anne Murray & Friends (App only)

Jingle Jamz (App only)

Jolly Christmas (App only)

Kids Christmas (App only)

Mannheim Streamroller Channel (App only)

Navidad (Ch. 626)

Noel Incontournable (App only)

Real Jazz Holiday (App only)

Smokey’s Holiday Soul Town (App only)

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Radio (App only)

Top trending Christmas songs

Dig deeper:

As the holiday season kicks into high gear, this also means Christmas songs are becoming more popular.

According to Google results, over the past month in the U.S., the top trending Christmas songs were "O Holy Night," followed by "Deck the Halls" and "The Little Drummer Boy."

1. "O Holy Night"
2. "Deck the Halls"
3. "The Little Drummer Boy"
4. "Away in the Manger"
5. "Underneath the Tree"

Soundtrack Your Brand, which has retail clients in over 50 countries, said the most-streamed Christmas artist in retail in 2023 was singer-songwriter Michael Bublé, followed by Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and Mariah Carey.

The single-most streamed Christmas tune was "This Christmas," a classic 1970s hit written by Donny Hathaway. Other top 10 holiday songs played by the brand’s retail clients included "Sleigh Ride," "White Christmas" and "Santa Baby."

‘Defrosting’ Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey holiday hits also surge in popularity during the holidays. 

The connection between "defrosting steak" and Mariah Carey has become a popular internet running joke and meme, referencing that the singer "hibernates" or remains frozen in a block of ice all year until November, when her hit song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" starts playing everywhere, signaling the start of the Christmas season. The moment she "defrosts" is a cultural signifier for the transition from Halloween directly into the holiday season

Last month, half of the U.S states searched for "Mariah Carey" more than "steak." States like California, Texas and Florida searched more for the term Mariah Carey, while states like New York, Michigan and Washington searched more for the term steak. South Dakota was not a part of the analytics.

When should stores start playing Christmas music?

Big picture view:

Macy’s, a leading department store in the U.S. in terms of sales, said in 2023 that its stores begin playing some holiday music during the second week of November, according to Scott Devine, Macy’s vice president of visual marketing. 

"We start with 50% holiday music and then switch to 100% holiday music on Black Friday until Christmas Day," DeVine said in a statement to FOX Television Stations. 

RELATED: When should stores start playing Christmas music? Here's how retailers decide

Macy’s divides the songs into two categories, either "bright/ festive" or "warm/ nostalgic" – with the goal of creating "a customer experience that truly captures the spirit of the season," Devine added.

Previous research has suggested that nearly 80% of customers notice the music being played in stores – which plays a key role in creating the ideal holiday shopping atmosphere at a business. 

Industry experts say music is as important to customer experience as the design, aesthetics and amenities help to evoke emotion, build brand loyalty, and even keep the customer in the store longer. 

A survey conducted by Soundtrack Your Brand found that about half of shoppers in the U.S. and U.K. were in favor of in-store Christmas music. 

American shoppers, however, were found to be "significantly" more fond of Christmas music in stores than British shoppers, according to the report. 

What they're saying:

Participants of the survey, which included more than 2,000 shoppers and retail staff across both countries, weren’t necessarily against the playing of Christmas music – but felt the songs were just too repetitive.

"People are quite simply of the opinion that Christmas music, while piped into a commercial setting, is far too repetitive," Soundtrack Your Brand said in its report of the 2022 survey results. "The survey shows that retailers should refrain from having a limited selection of Christmas songs and think about introducing more variety."

ConsumerU.S.HolidaysEntertainment