Hospital Radio: Who's the queen of Christmas music?

I have been receiving lots of information about new Christmas music, and can confirm we will be playing Christmas music on Torbay Hospital Radio starting 1st December.

We don’t like to get ahead ourselves, although I appreciate some of the shops started it a month ago. Anyway, it will be nice to add some new stuff to our library, it can get a bit monotonous playing the same old stuff over and over again. That’s not to say I do not enjoy a good old Christmas singalong, it’s just you can get too much of a good thing.

So, here’s one to be looking forward to this festive season. Kylie Minogue has a brand new Christmas album out in this year called ‘Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped)’,  it’s being released next week. It’s a special 10thanniversary edition of her original 2015 festive record, refreshed with new tracks and limited edition formats.

This version adds four brand new songs to her festive catalogue, alongside the new material, the album features her beloved renditions of classics such as Santa Baby and It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

 Is this Kylie’s bid for the “Queen of Christmas” crown, taking over from  Mariah Carey in festive pop culture. The album combines nostalgia with fresh sparkle — ideal for fans who want both the festive classics and something new. But is there another would be for the queen of Christmas? I would say yes, how about  Kelly Clarkson or Ariana Grande?

Fans are often split between classic voices and modern pop stars, but surely there is a place for both. You may recall that  Mariah Carey tried to trademark “Queen of Christmas” but others argued the title belongs to all artists who contribute to the season. That sounds fair to me.

I have checked the current rankings and Mariah is a pretty tough act to follow and she is still hanging onto her crown, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” drew 9.9 million streams in the first week of November 2025, re‑entering the US charts earlier than ever.

She is  still the undisputed leader, with decades of dominance and annual chart returns. That said  Ariana Grande’s Santa Tell Me is charting globally and her festive EP Christmas & Chill continues to trend, and she’s hosting the hugely influential Saturday Night Live Christmas special with Cher this December.

As for Kelly Clarkson, her hit Underneath the Tree surged to number 10 on the UK singles chart in 2024, more than a decade after release. She is already in the streaming charts and it’s not even December yet. Not forgetting Kylie and her single XMAS, which is a top contender for UK Christmas No. 1, second only to Wham’s “Last Christmas” in the betting odds.

I’m not a betting man, but if I was I would watch out for Mariah and Wham because they already both in the official single streaming chart, last week at number 24 and 25. It is difficult to look beyond them.

I will look at the “King of Christmas” next week but If you want to try something new, you could do worse than Mal Pope’s new Christmas record which brings back the fun of all of those classics whilst also reminding us of the true meaning of the season.

“Shine your light” does that with a rousing choral chorus that helps us to remember those who are less fortunate, and the message of the song is that whatever our circumstances Everyone Deserves a Christmas. 

Talking of which it’s not too late to help us at the radio station. Why not buy a ticket in our Christmas draw, there are some fabulous prizes, just visit our website torbayhospitalradio.com. We raise all our own funds so this is an important event for us.

It could take your mind off the thorny question of who is the “Queen of Christmas?” Even if secretly we actually know it is Mariah.