IT WAS INEVITABLE: It probably doesn't take a genius to figure out that Mariah Carey is back at #1 with her 28-year-old Christmas standard, "All I Want for Christmas Is You". It's topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four seasons now, and probably will do so again for years to come. Also, Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is back at #2, as it's been the last several years; the same for Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" at #3., and Burl Ives' "Holly Jolly Christmas" at #4, all in the same positions as last year.
 |
| Mariah Carey is back at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for the fourth straight year with her 1994 "All I Want For Christmas Is You" |
While it is nice to see these holiday chestnuts still loved by seemingly all generations, the fact that they are in the same order every year raises a few eyebrows, at least in my opinion. There are so many holiday offerings out there, with several released each year. Of course, some of them are forgotten the next year, some take a few years to catch on, and then there are the perennials. While those four songs are deserving of those high chart positions (and all are in the upper reaches of my Christmas/Holiday 100 list), wouldn't it be cool if in some years, these songs were interchanged with some other ones now and then.
Nowadays (and the reason why holiday songs take over the charts this time of year), is a result of streaming. It's the new standard as to how popularity is measured. Each time a song is played on Spotify or any of the other streaming services, it counts towards tabulating the charts. Back in the days of vinyl, CD's or even digital downloads, a purchase is only counted one time; you can play the song ad infinitum on a record, CD or mp3 player, but it doesn't count.
Now, you would think that because much of this Christmas music is tabulated based on streaming from the average consumer, you would think that tastes would change all so slightly. Well, as radio station airplay also determines chart position, so does canned playlists. My wife and I have Amazon Music and we play a couple of canned playlist stations: Contemporary Holiday Favorites and Traditional Holiday Songs. We also have SiriusXM and listen to both the "Jolly Christmas" channel (14) and Traditional Holiday songs on channel 71. In both cases, we hear the same songs several times. That of course includes the above classics. I'm sure those who listened to the canned Christmas playlist on Spotify listen to those same songs as well, and each time those are streamed they count.
But there are many holiday gems that endure for decades and somehow, they never chart. For the record, I like the Mariah Carey song (even though I sometimes joke about it), but perhaps not to the point that it should be the greatest Christmas song of all time.
Still, in a way, I am glad that these songs have taken over the charts, especially the ones over fifty years old. As I had read recently, it's the only time in this day and age that everyone, regardless of their generation.
Now, if only some of these styles of music would carry over into regular pop music these days. We can dream, I guess.
Actually, Christmas songs took a step back in Billboard this week, thanks to debuts from someone named Metro Boomin'. I presume he (or she) is a hip hop artist; it's amazing how these people you never heard of just storm the charts out of nowhere, while many musicians spend years and years trying to get their foot in the door. (For the record, it is a guy who is a record producer and executive, real name Leland Tyler Wayne). He debuts at #5, #8, #22 and #23, but probably would have had even higher debuts of the Lil Baby, Drake or even Taylor Swift variety had it been released a few weeks earlier. He would have debuted #1, #4, #9 and #10 otherwise. As a result, some of the Christmas songs actually drop this week, with Andy Williams' "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' dropping out of the Top 10. But, next week, without a doubt, the holiday entries will move back up.
DEB STILL DOMINATES: Turning to the SNS 100, Deb Browning's "Here Comes Amazon" garners a second week at #1, widening its lead over the #2 song, "It Don't Get Better Than This", also by Ms. Browning and The Six Piece Suits. Rick Strickland holds at #3 with "You're the One For Me", as does Juliet Callahan's "Burning", at #4. All were former #1's and are still strong. Closing the gap are Say She She's "Trouble" at #5, Jennifer Cintron at #6, still gaining points but pushed down a notch, King Tappa at #7, and Local Natives at #8. All are within striking distance of the top in a few weeks, presumably after the holidays when "Amazon" finally falls out.
As Deb Browning still has the Top 2 songs here, she is scoring on other beach music lists: "It Don't Get Better Than This" tops Eric Bowman's Wave Countdown list this week, while her prior song, "3 More Minutes", leads both Mitch Harb's Beach Party and Ray Scott's Riptide Radio. That song, which was my Song of the Summer, is still #23 here (and there will be more great news about that song in coming weeks...hint hint!). With "Amazon" #1 here, for anyone to top lists with three different songs, is quite an accomplishment!
Finally, "All Over the World", like "Amazon" from her Here Comes Christmas album, is a Mover of the Week as it advances to #20. Sharing Mover honors with Ms. Browning is Elizabeth Chan's "Merry Merry" at #22.
The Weeknd garners the Impact award this week as "Die For You", a five-year-old track, moves 25-19. The song was originally from the Canadian singer's 2017 album Starboy. The song had moved steadily up the Billboard charts recently until the recent Christmas deluge, but, like Sia's "Unstoppable" which was also released years ago, it's getting a second life. Since I had recently "discovered" both artists in recent years, I am going along with the revival ride.
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| Tennis, a band featuring the husband-and-wife duo of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, garner the Top Debut this week with "One Night With the Valet". Tennis has had four #1 songs on Scenes 'n' Soundwaves. |
NEW MUSIC: While Christmas music has two new debuts this week, one by Sylvia Johns Ritchie, a beach music artist who recently had a top 10 duet with Doyle Wood, returned with her holiday song, "In Our Hearts This Christmas", a tribute to those troops overseas who wouldn't be home this year; and "Noel" by Chris Tomlin featuring Lauren Daigle; the big debut is "One Night With the Valet", by the husband-and-wife duo Tennis, at a lofty #38. Tennis is one of my favorite blog-era bands, garnering four number one's here between 2012 and 2020. I had been waiting for a new song by them for two years, and they delivered with this one. It's sort of along the lines of their prior songs, with the heart, soul and emotion of Alaina Moore guiding the way. While perhaps a notch below "Modern Woman", "Origins" and "Runner", it's still among their best. Including their four blog number ones, the duo also has nine top 10's and 12 top 20's, only missing the top 20 once. I wish more people would discover this band.
Also entering is Red Hot Chili Peppers' "The Drummer", a great, rhythmic song which should top the previous "Tippa My Tongue" and Dacey's "Stepmom".
This blog is a bit late, but there will be one more blog to come out this week, dated December 18 which will be my annual recap of the year and the final SNS 100. I'm debating about publishing my Christmas Top 100 (as I have done a video this year counting them down, which you can access it here):
Christmas Top 100 - 2022 Edition
Then of course will be my Top 100 of the year. As for next year, I am still contemplating continuing the SNS 100 for another year. But I will let you all know!
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
December 11, 2022
|
This
Week |
Last
Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks
on List |
|
1 |
1 |
NUMBER ONE:  Album: Here Comes Christmas (2 weeks at #1) |
5 |
|
2 |
2 |
Deb Browning and Six Piece
Suits - It Don't Get Better Than This |
9 |
|
3 |
3 |
10 |
|
|
4 |
4 |
16 |
|
|
5 |
7 |
7 |
|
|
6 |
5 |
12 |
|
|
7 |
6 |
6 |
|
|
8 |
8 |
5 |
|
|
9 |
9 |
11 |
|
|
10 |
12 |
6 |
|
|
11 |
11 |
11 |
|
|
12 |
17 |
6 |
|
|
13 |
19 |
9 |
|
|
14 |
10 |
14 |
|
|
15 |
13 |
Doyle Wood and Sylvia Johns Ritchie - Not Tonight (I Have a
Heartche) |
14 |
|
16 |
16 |
12 |
|
|
17 |
14 |
12 |
|
|
18 |
15 |
13 |
|
|
19 |
25 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  Albun: Starboy |
9 |
|
20 |
43 |
CO-MOVER OF THE WEEK:  Album: Here Comes Christmas |
3 |
|
21 |
38 |
5 |
|
|
22 |
44 |
CO-MOVER OF THE WEEK:  Album: 12 Months of Christmas |
4 |
|
23 |
22 |
30 |
|
|
24 |
18 |
23 |
|
|
25 |
29 |
8 |
|
|
26 |
28 |
Carolina Coast Band ft Rhonda McDaniel - The Thing About You● |
24 |
|
27 |
20 |
12 |
|
|
28 |
27 |
30 |
|
|
29 |
23 |
12 |
|
|
30 |
36 |
7 |
|
|
31 |
26 |
13 |
|
|
32 |
37 |
7 |
|
|
33 |
30 |
16 |
|
|
34 |
45 |
4 |
|
|
35 |
24 |
9 |
|
|
36 |
21 |
13 |
|
|
37 |
33 |
11 |
|
|
38 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  Album: Pollen |
1 |
|
39 |
34 |
11 |
|
|
40 |
31 |
12 |
|
|
41 |
55 |
4 |
|
|
42 |
64 |
3 |
|
|
43 |
32 |
16 |
|
|
44 |
52 |
4 |
|
|
45 |
54 |
4 |
|
|
46 |
65 |
2 |
|
|
47 |
49 |
7 |
|
|
48 |
57 |
4 |
|
|
49 |
35 |
13 |
|
|
50 |
39 |
29 |
|
|
51 |
51 |
6 |
|
|
52 |
58 |
6 |
|
|
53 |
42 |
10 |
|
|
54 |
40 |
11 |
|
|
55 |
48 |
16 |
|
|
56 |
75 |
2 |
|
|
57 |
63 |
5 |
|
|
58 |
86 |
2 |
|
|
59 |
41 |
13 |
|
|
60 |
88 |
2 |
|
|
61 |
46 |
9 |
|
|
62 |
50 |
23 |
|
|
63 |
71 |
3 |
|
|
64 |
47 |
14 |
|
|
65 |
70 |
3 |
|
|
66 |
60 |
Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - In My '64 |
23 |
|
67 |
59 |
34 |
|
|
68 |
68 |
8 |
|
|
69 |
53 |
5 |
|
|
70 |
56 |
10 |
|
|
71 |
77 |
3 |
|
|
72 |
81 |
2 |
|
|
73 |
76 |
10 |
|
|
74 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
75 |
80 |
3 |
|
|
76 |
61 |
Orbis Max with Tim Izzard and
Martin Holt - Infatuated With Your Love |
11 |
|
77 |
66 |
17 |
|
|
78 |
83 |
3 |
|
|
79 |
62 |
18 |
|
|
80 |
69 |
16 |
|
|
81 |
74 |
5 |
|
|
82 |
91 |
2 |
|
|
83 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
84 |
73 |
6 |
|
|
85 |
72 |
20 |
|
|
86 |
87 |
6 |
|
|
87 |
79 |
30 |
|
|
88 |
78 |
25 |
|
|
89 |
67 |
10 |
|
|
90 |
82 |
4 |
|
|
91 |
93 |
12 |
|
|
92 |
85 |
26 |
|
|
93 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
94 |
90 |
5 |
|
|
95 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
96 |
89 |
9 |
|
|
97 |
96 |
25 |
|
|
98 |
101 |
9 |
|
|
99 |
84 |
10 |
|
|
100 |
100 |
9 |
|
|
Songs
with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week. ●
Songs with
25 or more plays on iTunes/iPods ▲ Songs with 50 or more plays.
|
|
Holiday
Songs
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