Mariah Carey is in charge of the Hot 100 again this week, as “All I Want for Christmas Is You” surges to the top of the tree once more.
The holiday hit returns to the summit on the most important and competitive songs tally in America every December, and as it does, the track adds to its ever-expanding count of frames spent at No. 1. As Carey and her classic regain control of the list, she matches one of the biggest pop stars on the planet–and likely only for a short time.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” has now spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Carey’s tune is now tied with “As It Was” by Harry Styles as the sixth-longest-ruling leader ever on the chart.
Styles scored the hit of his career–his solo career, at least–when he released “As It Was” in early 2022. The song debuted atop the tally, and it fell from, and then returned to, the throne multiple times throughout that year. “As It Was” ended up collecting its 15 frames on top across five separate stints, ending its run in October.
Since “As It Was” established itself as one of the sturdiest No. 1s in the history of the Hot 100, two singles have spent even more time atop the list. In 2023, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” broke the former One Direction singer’s record as the longest-ruling leader by a solo male musician when it added a sixteenth turn in first place.
This year, both Styles and Wallen were also beaten. Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” topped the Hot 100 for 19 weeks throughout 2024. It looked like the country newcomer was about to beat the all-time top showing, instead of only matching it, but now that “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is in charge, it might be too late for such a feat.
At the moment, both “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” are tied as the longest-leading No. 1s in the decades-long tenure of the Hot 100, with 19 weeks on top apiece. A pair of tracks are matched with “Last Night,” as both “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber and “One Sweet Day” by Carey and Boyz II Men led the tally for 16 frames.
It’s likely that “All I Want for Christmas Is You” will hold at No. 1 for at least one more week this year, and perhaps a few more frames, before interest in the holiday wanes and the Hot 100 is crowned again by a non-seasonal cut. Carey will almost certainly match her own longest reign in a few days, and then she may beat it, passing Styles for good.