NUMBER ONE is the topic of this week's blog, as Billboard announced its chart-topping song for 2025, while a familiar song returns to the top of the weekly chart, tying a record. All this, while the SNS 100 record is broken this week as well. So let's get to it.
Billboard this past week announced it's number one song for 2025, and released its Top 100 year-end list as well. The winner is "Die With a Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. The song, released back in the fall of 2024, stayed on the charts all year, and amassed five weeks at the top. It was perfect that Billboard's chart rules in that the measuring period was from the week of October 26, 2024 to October 18 of this year as the song encompassed virtually that entire period. Why the period of eligibility is so early rather baffling. While back in the pre-SoundScan era, this was the eligibility period; which for a while got moved to the beginning of December of the prior year. But with the current technology, it should be easy to tabulate the results more quickly with a later starting date.
 |
| Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' "Die With a Smile" was named the #1 song of 2025 by Billboard |
The year was marked by stability and sameness on the chart, with very little movement from week to week. A multitude of songs were on the chart both during the entire period and often were also on the 2024 list. "Die With a Smile", for example was #62 last year, before taking the top spot in 2025. "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA was #2; it had a long reign at the top---13 weeks, more than any other song this year---but its crime was that it wasn't released until February, missing out on more than three months of chart action.
Another telltale sign of the chart's stagnation lies in the #3 and #4 songs. Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)", released during the summer of **2024** and was the runner-up "Song of the Summer" last year, and which came in at #2 in 2024, was on the chart all of 2025 and landed in the third spot. And then there's "Lose Control", Billboard's #1 song of 2024, which debuted on the charts in 2023, stayed not only on the chart all of 2024 and '25, but mostly stuck to the top ten, coming in the fourth position. The song would go on to amass 112 weeks on the chart.
Because of the little movement week after week, Billboard revised its recurrent rules, which upon beginning the new chart year for 2026 on October 25, 2025, resulted in the removal of all four songs from the chart, ensuring no repeats for next year.
Back in the day, when songs had much shorter runs, any song that was released late in the year which straddled both year-end periods, often missed the top 100 completely. One such example was Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love Babe", which hit #1 in the fall of 1974, and John Lennon's "Whatever Gets You Through the Night", also a chart topper in that period, missed the year-end lists of both 1974 and 1975. But nowadays, that is an advantage. If a song is released in the fall of the previous year, and stays on the list through 2025, it has the edge. "Ordinary", by Alex Warren, which was Billboard's "song of the summer" this year, only landed at #7 in spite of it being in the weekly top five the rest of the year. HUNTR/X's "Golden", another long-running number one, released in the summer and at the top into the fall, could only muster a #25 year-end ranking.
"Die With a Smile" also logged seven weeks at the top of Scenes 'n' Soundwaves. However, the prospect of topping my forthcoming year-end chart is dim. Only placing at #71 on my Spotify Wrapped playlist, its chances of repeating at the top of my year-end list is hampered by the song straddling years. Unlike Billboard, my measuring period is the normal January to December, and it spent four of the seven weeks at #1 last year. It came in at #13 on my list for 2024, but it should also still place high up when my Top 100 for this year is announced in two weeks.
Here is Billboard's Top 10 for 2025:
1. Die With a Smile, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
2. Luther, Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA
3. A Bar Song (Tipsy), Shaboozey
4. Lose Control, Teddy Swims
5. Birds of A Feather, Billie Eilish
6. Beautiful Things, Benson Boone
7. Ordinary, Alex Warren
8. I Had Some Help, Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen
9. Apt., Rose and Bruno Mars
10. Pink Pony Club, Chappell Roan
While aside from adding different genres to my chart, I do keep track of what's going on in the pop chart as well; all ten of these songs had charted on SNS in the top 50--including a few last year.
 |
| Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas is You" ties the record for most weeks at #1 by logging it's 19th week atop the Billboard Hot 100 |
SHE'S BAAACK: As expected, Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" vaults to the #1 position on the latest Billboard Hot 100, concurrent with last year at this time, when the song also headed to the top, sweeping that year's holiday season of four weeks. This makes it her 19th cumulative week at the top spot, which ties a record, originally set in 2019 with "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, and tied just last year by "A Bar Song (Tipsy)". The other songs which ranked five through eight move to the 2, 3 and 4 spots: "Last Christmas" by Wham! is #2, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee at #3, and "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms at #4. These were also the top four last year. However, it appears that "Last Christmas", which took the #3 spot away from Helms in 2024, is now in the runner-up position. It will be interesting what happens next week, as Mariah is poised to break the record, and record her 20th week; but with Wham!'s classic on the rise each year, can it overtake "All I Want" for at least one week? We shall definitely see.
Last week's (and the past couple of months for that matter) "big three" are in positions four, five and six, but, perhaps because of their appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, HUNTR/X's "Golden" moved past Taylor Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia" into the five spot. Taylor is #6, with Alex Warren at #7 with "Ordinary".
Three more holiday songs complete the top 10. Ariana Grande's "Santa Tell Me", which maintains fifth best from last year, at #8, Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" at 9, and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams at #10. Eight of the next ten are holiday faves as well, a couple of them poised to hit new highs in 2025: Kelly Clarkson's "Underneath the Tree" is #11, two short of last year's #9 peak; Michael Bublé's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas", is #14, also two short of its peak of #12, and Darlene Love's classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is, at #18, three short of its previous peak of #15.
On the short side of the coin, songs that were well-entrenced in the top 10 in the past are struggling. Burl Ives' "A Holly Jolly Christmas" at #16 is well off its #4 peak, and Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad" once at #6 in the past, is only at #17.
Many other holiday songs re-enter this week, most are the usual suspects, but refreshingly there are songs that enter that rarely chart. Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande's duet of "Santa Can You Hear Me" (#40), Dean Martin's "Baby It's Cold Outside" (#48), Darlene Love's "Winter Wonderland" (#49) and Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas", the 1970 song oft covered by many over the years, is gaining steam at #50. All of these songs were previously on the chart seven weeks or less, so it's nice that they're getting their due.
And finally, we have a new Christmas song entering, at #86, that being Gwen Stefani's "Shake the Snow Globe" (which is also the Top Debut on SNS, more on that below). New holiday songs can enter at any chart position, as opposed to the returnees, which can only enter if in the top 50.
 |
| North Tower's "Pretty Lady" breaks the blog record for most weeks at #1 on the SNS 100, garnering a ninth week at the top. |
A NEW AND "PRETTY" RECORD: While Billboard's number one record was tied, my blog chart's was broken for number one supremacy: North Tower's "Pretty Lady" holds on for a record ninth week in the top spot. That breaks the record of eight, set by The Black Keys' "Fever", set in 2014. "Pretty Lady" is still red hot on beach lists; it achieved its eight chart #1 this past week and this week is still topping the charts on seven of them. I have never seen such a chart blitz since I religiously followed Carolina beach music a few years ago. This is great to see since this is an excellent song. I loved the original by Lighthouse in 1973; now a whole new group of listeners in this region is seeing what an awesome song this is. A big thanks to North Tower for unearthing this forgotten gem and make it the go-to song in the Grand Strand this fall.
But can the song go double digits at the top? The song just barely eeks out "Getaway Car" by Deb Browning and Michael Fite, which holds at #2 for a fourth week, but it's just a point away behind North Tower. And there's fierce competition arriving as well. Anna Lavigne's "Dark Angel" maintains its bullet at #3, and The Jay Vons--going for their third number one in 2025, moves 6-4 with "Keep on Moving", and Durand Jones and the Indications' "Don't You Know" goes 7-5. Any five of these songs could top SNS next week.
Three new songs enter the Top 10: Starbuck's disco-style remake of its 1977 Top 40 hit, "Everybody Be Dancin' II is at #8; St. Paul and the Broken Bones' retro-soulish "Sushi and Coca-Cola", #9; and the latest by Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson, "Every Road", moves 19-10.
While Taylor Swift relinquished the top spot on Billboard this week, she gets the Impact award this week for "The Fate of Ophelia" (21-14), Deb Browning is back solo in the top 20 with her newest holiday song, "Santa Are You Coming to Atlanta?", the first yuletide song to arrive in the top 20 this year (30-18); Internet collective SupaPurple's "Levers of the World" (24-19), and femme trio Say She She returns with "Disco Life" (32-20).
Further down, it's all about the holiday songs, as last week's Top Debut, Diane Keaton's posthumous release "First Christmas" takes Mover honors (74-37). Sir Prize, Lady A, Marlisa Kay Small, Starbuck and The Hounds of Winter also make key moves.
DEBUTS: Once again, it's all holiday entries, led by Gwen Stefani's "Shake the Snow Globe" at #67. Gwen performed the song at the Rockefeller Center's tree lighting last week, and the song was also featured in the new Christmas movie Oh.What.Fun. Apparently, this is an Amazon music exclusive, not available on Spotify, Apple or anywhere else. While it appears to be a standalone single, it also appears on Gwen's holiday album You Make It Feel Like Christmas in a new deluxe version with the song added for 2025. It's also on the movie's soundtrack album. A cool, uptempo song with a production reminiscent of Nile Rodgers, successfully captured by Spencer Stewart. Stewart along with two others, wrote the song with Ms. Stefani. Definitely a fun time going on here, in contrast with some of the more serious, somber songs that came out this season.
A dark horse this season is the next highest debut, "Silver and Gold Christmas" by Primal Sky. This one sounds very uptempo and retro, sort of what a pop song from the 1960's would sound like. A good time vibe here. Added last week to Adult Contemporary stations, should do very well here, sort of in my wheelhouse.
It wouldn't be a holiday season without the violins coming from Lindsey Sterling. Her entry for 2025 is "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch", and features Sabrina Carpenter on vocals. This one is unique, very bouncy and jazzy, a cool departure from the original version by Thurl Ravenscroft.
From the beach music genre comes a holiday entry from Rivermist, featuring the "original Carolina Girl", Terri Gore, accompanied by the Rivermist Children's Choir, "This Holy Night", a spiritual outing with vocals trading off between Ms. Gore, and Rivermist's Greg Adair. The middle of the song is where the children chime in with "Jesus Loves Me". Paired with Marlisa Kay Small's "It Wasn't Really Christmas, Until You", it proves that the real meaning of the holiday is alive and well.
BUBBLING UNDER: Favorites from recent years, permeate the Tremors list. Rivermist's duet with Sylvia Johns Ritchie from last year, along with Michael Bublé and Carly Pearce, and Kelly Clarkson, return to the list after charting last year, and Deb Browning's parody "Here Comes Amazon", a #1 from 2022, come back to the list.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
December 7, 2025
|
This Week |
Last Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks on List |
|
1 |
1 |
NUMBER ONE:  (Single Release) (9 Weeks at #1) |
14 |
|
2 |
2 |
9 |
|
|
3 |
3 |
7 |
|
|
4 |
6 |
6 |
|
|
5 |
7 |
6 |
|
|
6 |
4 |
10 |
|
|
7 |
5 |
11 |
|
|
8 |
11 |
8 |
|
|
9 |
14 |
14 |
|
|
10 |
19 |
4 |
|
|
11 |
10 |
9 |
|
|
12 |
18 |
8 |
|
|
13 |
13 |
HUNTR/X
- Golden |
15 |
|
14 |
21 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  Album: The Life of a Showgirl |
8 |
|
15 |
9 |
12 |
|
|
16 |
8 |
12 |
|
|
17 |
12 |
15 |
|
|
18 |
30 |
4 |
|
|
19 |
24 |
7 |
|
|
20 |
32 |
5 |
|
|
21 |
25 |
8 |
|
|
22 |
26 |
13 |
|
|
23 |
27 |
10 |
|
|
24 |
23 |
Johnny O and the
Pocket Rockets - Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love) |
10 |
|
25 |
29 |
5 |
|
|
26 |
20 |
16 |
|
|
27 |
16 |
12 |
|
|
28 |
15 |
13 |
|
|
29 |
17 |
13 |
|
|
30 |
31 |
7 |
|
|
31 |
34 |
5 |
|
|
32 |
35 |
6 |
|
|
33 |
22 |
13 |
|
|
34 |
41 |
5 |
|
|
35 |
40 |
9 |
|
|
36 |
43 |
5 |
|
|
37 |
74 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:  (Single Release) |
2 |
|
38 |
39 |
9 |
|
|
39 |
54 |
3 |
|
|
40 |
28 |
18 |
|
|
41 |
50 |
4 |
|
|
42 |
52 |
4 |
|
|
43 |
47 |
7 |
|
|
44 |
38 |
9 |
|
|
45 |
42 |
9 |
|
|
46 |
44 |
9 |
|
|
47 |
64 |
3 |
|
|
48 |
46 |
8 |
|
|
49 |
53 |
7 |
|
|
50 |
61 |
4 |
|
|
51 |
33 |
14 |
|
|
52 |
36 |
14 |
|
|
53 |
57 |
7 |
|
|
54 |
37 |
The
Tams - My True Love● |
21 |
|
55 |
60 |
5 |
|
|
56 |
83 |
2 |
|
|
57 |
48 |
24 |
|
|
58 |
49 |
18 |
|
|
59 |
66 |
3 |
|
|
60 |
67 |
4 |
|
|
61 |
45 |
17 |
|
|
62 |
70 |
4 |
|
|
63 |
76 |
3 |
|
|
64 |
72 |
3 |
|
|
65 |
59 |
6 |
|
|
66 |
93 |
2 |
|
|
67 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  Albums: You Make It Feel Like Christmas (2025 Edition) |
1 |
|
68 |
73 |
25 |
|
|
69 |
90 |
2 |
|
|
70 |
51 |
12 |
|
|
71 |
75 |
6 |
|
|
72 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
73 |
81 |
3 |
|
|
74 |
86 |
Pentatonix and
Frank Sinatra - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm |
3 |
|
75 |
84 |
3 |
|
|
76 |
56 |
8 |
|
|
77 |
88 |
3 |
|
|
78 |
55 |
11 |
|
|
79 |
62 |
18 |
|
|
80 |
68 |
24 |
|
|
81 |
97 |
2 |
|
|
82 |
89 |
11 |
|
|
83 |
69 |
6 |
|
|
84 |
101 |
1 |
|
|
85 |
--- |
Lindsey Sterling
ft Sabrina Carpenter - You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch |
1 |
|
86 |
58 |
12 |
|
|
87 |
87 |
4 |
|
|
88 |
102 |
1 |
|
|
89 |
63 |
Barry Duke and
Sharon Woodruff - Sometimes Love Is Not Enough |
14 |
|
90 |
79 |
5 |
|
|
91 |
80 |
29 |
|
|
92 |
94 |
The
Swingin' Medallions - Hit Me With Them Horns |
4 |
|
93 |
65 |
13 |
|
|
94 |
98 |
2 |
|
|
95 |
71 |
19 |
|
|
96 |
96 |
10 |
|
|
97 |
100 |
2 |
|
|
98 |
--- |
Rivermist ft
Terri Gore and the Rivermist Children's Choir - This Holy Night |
1 |
|
99 |
82 |
5 |
|
|
100 |
78 |
26 |
|
|
101 |
104 |
|
Tremors:
101. Straight No Chaser, Christmas Is Different
102. Michael Buble and Carly Pearce, Maybe This Christmas
103. Sylvia Johns Ritchie and Rivermist, Down Home Christmas
104. Kelly Clarkson, You For Christmas
105. Steve Cheek, All I Want For Christmas Is a Real Good Tan
106. Deb Browning, Here Comes Amazon
Tremors: Songs which have steady
or increasing points but not enough to chart on the SNS 100.
Murmurs:
Jim Quick, R. Mark Black, Allie Privette - Wait For Me*
Murmurs: Songs which are in the queue for future adds onto the Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist.
|
Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week
|
Holiday Songs
●Songs garnering 25 plays on Spotify (“Scrobbles”) according to Last.Fm (effective October 2024) ▲ Songs garnering 50 plays.
Songs on the SNS 100 are included on the following public Spotify playlists
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves Top 40: Contains songs in positions 1-40 on the SNS 100
Scenes 41-100 and Newbies Songs in Positions 41-100 on the SNS 100 plus new additions
Scenes Recurrents: Songs which had been in the top 20 and/or songs on the chart 25 weeks or more, that have dropped off the SNS 100.
(Rob Sheldon is a music fan who has followed music trends the past 60 years, and covers new and classic music, specializing in pop, rock, alternative, beach, soul and country genres). He can be contacted at rsheldonx4804@gmail.com
