Old Favorites and New Hits Share the Stage as ASCAP Reveals Its 2025 New Classic Holiday Top 10

ASCAP unveils its 2025 New Classic Holiday Top 10 and the wider Top 25

ASCAP has released its 2025 New Classic Holiday Top 10, a list that highlights seasonal songs from roughly the past 25 years, and published a separate Top 25 chart that mixes older standards and contemporary favorites. The larger Top 25 is anchored by longstanding crowd-pleasers — with the standard “Sleigh Ride” still sitting at the very top — while the New Classic Top 10 calls out the newer songs that keep showing up on playlists and radio every holiday season.

What made this year’s announcement notable is the mix of familiar pop names and unexpected entries. Longtime holiday fixtures appear across the Top 25, but the New Classic list shines a light on more recent hits and viral moments from artists such as Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Meghan Trainor and even novelty or late-night turns like Jimmy Fallon. The result feels like a snapshot of how modern listeners blend the old and the new when they build a holiday soundtrack.

Which modern songs and artists made the New Classic Top 10 — and who else showed up

ASCAP’s New Classic Top 10 is all about seasonal songs that have emerged in the last couple of decades and that now pop up reliably when December rolls around. In place of a single tidy list of old standards, the Top 10 groups newer material that has earned steady airplay, streams and public performances over recent years.

The list includes recent holiday hits from household pop names. Kelly Clarkson and Justin Bieber are among the artists whose seasonal tracks have become repeat newcomers on playlists. Katy Perry and Meghan Trainor likewise placed modern holiday songs into heavy rotation, and Jimmy Fallon made a surprise splash with a comedy-leaning seasonal cut that listeners kept returning to. The presence of these acts underlines how contemporary pop stars can create songs that feel at home next to century-old carols.

Beyond the Top 10, ASCAP’s broader Top 25 still features the old guard — traditional arrangements and well-worn instrumental pieces that continue to draw steady performances. The coexistence of classics like “Sleigh Ride” with newer pop offerings shows how playlists and public performances now mix vintage and modern holiday sounds freely.

How ASCAP defines the ‘New Classic’ chart and why the method matters

ASCAP’s “New Classic” chart focuses on seasonal songs from approximately the past 25 years rather than on long-standing standards. That means the list is meant to capture material that is new enough to be considered contemporary, but old enough to have had time to reappear in rotation and build what ASCAP calls a track record of seasonality.

The organization compiles the chart using performance data gathered across venues where ASCAP monitors usage — from radio and streaming to live performances and public broadcasts. By watching how often a song is played each holiday season, ASCAP can spot which newer tracks are moving from one-off releases into dependable seasonal staples. That tracking matters because it separates novelty hits from songs that have staying power.

Why these seasonal rankings matter for songwriters and the music business

Landing on ASCAP’s New Classic list can mean steady benefits for creators. Seasonal songs that become annual fixtures earn recurring performance royalties each year, and that repeat income can outlast the initial release by a long time. For songwriters and publishers, a reliable holiday hit is a valuable catalog asset.

For performers and labels, being a regular on holiday playlists boosts visibility during a season when listeners are actively seeking music. That can lead to more sync opportunities, higher streaming counts, and renewed radio plays, all of which add up for careers and catalogs.

What ASCAP said and where the announcement came from

In its release, ASCAP described the New Classic list as a way to recognize contemporary seasonal songs that have become woven into the public’s holiday listening. The organization emphasized that the list reflects actual performance patterns rather than a popularity contest.

The announcement appeared via PR channels on Dec. 11, 2025. For readers who want the full list and ASCAP’s exact wording, the organization’s December release and PR distribution carry the full details and the complete Top 25 and New Classic Top 10 breakdowns.

What this year’s list says about holiday music and how we listen

The 2025 New Classic Top 10 underscores a larger trend: modern songs can become part of the seasonal fabric far quicker than they used to. Streaming, curated playlists and viral social moments help newer tracks find repeat life each year. At the same time, the persistent presence of items like “Sleigh Ride” on the wider Top 25 shows that classic arrangements and older favorites still hold strong appeal.

For listeners, the takeaway is simple: holiday music has room for both the old songs people grew up with and fresh tracks that speak to newer generations. For songwriters, publishers and performers, the message is practical — creating a memorable, seasonally themed song now can pay off for years to come, turning a holiday moment into a lasting piece of the soundtrack people return to every December.

Sources

• prnewswire.com