How Much Do You Earn from Christmas Songs? And Noddy Holder and Mariah Carey Are Laughing All The Way To The Bank
Yes, Christmas songs help spread the holiday spirit, but they can also be a little lucrative for those who make them. Wealthy festive classics earn millions in royalties each year — the gift that keeps on giving if you happen to write one of those Christmas songs everyone loves.
Wham! Still on top: ’Last Christmas’ by
This year, Wham! The late George Michael’s 1986 hit Last Christmas was again crowned the UK’s Christmas No. 1. Belonging to Warner Chappell Music, the song still pulls in a whopping £470,000 a year in royalties. The song just keeps gifting an estate the size of George Michael’s.
The Christmas of Mariah Carey’s Fortune
It is indeed the time of the year when Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You is played already everywhere. The festive classic has apparently netted the singer a whopping £55 million since its 1994 release. Mama Mariah is surely about her annual Christmas gift.
Noddy Holder’s Seven-Figure Windfall
Merry Christmas Everybody by Slade, from 1973, is another festive favourite you can always count on. Lead singer Noddy Holder makes approximately £1 million a year from the song, according to reports. Holder — now 78 – cynically describes the song as his “pension plan.”
More Songs of the Season that Make Big Bucks
Other Christmas classics that earn significant yearly royalties include:
Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday – £200,000
Fairytale of New York – The Pogues – £400,000
White Christmas by Bing Crosby – £328,000
Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney — £260,000
New Artists Continue to Jump on the Holiday Bandwagon
The success of these holiday behemoths motivates fresh blood to attempt penning the next seasonal smash. If their songs hit the right note with audiences, the financial rewards can be huge.
Which is great for us, but even better for the artists collecting big, fat, holiday-season checks. Everyone gets old and in the festive spirit!
