Ruven Afanador for Billboard
Christmas is over, but the gifts keep on coming for Mariah Carey.
Her song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” stays atop the Billboard Hot 100 for a third week, on the chart dated January 4, 2020. According to Billboard, that makes Mariah the first artist ever to hit number one on the Hot 100 in four different decades.
There are eight artists who’ve hit number one in three different decades, but the success of Mariah’s 1994 hit has boosted her to a whole new level. Those other artists, by the way, are Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Usher.
“Christmas” is Mariah’s 19th number-one hit, giving her the most among solo artists. Only the Beatles have had more, with 20.
Mariah’s also part of a history-making top four on the Hot 100 this week: All four songs are Christmas tunes. Not only that, but they’re all Christmas songs that were released decades earlier.
At number two, it’s Brenda Lee‘s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”; at number three, it’s “Jingle Bell Rock,” by Bobby Helms; and at number four, it’s “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” by Burl Ives.
Billboard notes that for many years, holiday songs weren’t even eligible to chart on the Hot 100. But in recent years, rules have changed, and strong streaming performances by holiday hits have sent them higher on the charts than ever before.
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