Podcast Summary: Hit Parade | Chestnut Roasters, Part 2

Host: Chris Molanphy | Producer: Asha Saludja | Date: December 31, 2021

Episode Overview

In this special holiday episode, Chris Molanphy explores how certain Christmas songs—so-called “chestnut roasters”—have transformed the careers of their artists, often overshadowing their earlier and sometimes more chart-successful non-holiday hits. With a focus on the streaming era, the episode analyzes airplay and digital metrics to show how Christmas perennials now dominate year-end charts and shape artist legacies in surprising ways. The journey culminates with Brenda Lee, whose iconic "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" has virtually eclipsed all her other accomplishments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Modern Rise and Power of Holiday Hits

• Streaming Era Resurgence: Classic holiday songs, regardless of original chart success, are experiencing unprecedented popularity on streaming platforms, sometimes dwarfing the artists' year-round classics.
• “Chestnut Roasters”: Molanphy coins the term for artists whose biggest legacy is now their holiday song, sometimes unintentionally.

“These chestnut roasters…are potent every December on the radio and Spotify to this day.”
— Chris Molanphy (00:21)

2. Case Study: Wham! and the Enduring Power of “Last Christmas”

Timestamps: 02:01 – 09:44

• "Last Christmas" Overview: Released in 1984, it initially struggled on US charts, issued only as a B-side, peaking at #2 in the UK—but was never #1 until 2020, 37 years after release.
• Comparison to Other Hits: Wham’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Careless Whisper” outperform “Last Christmas” in annual US radio airplay—except during the holidays.
  • Radio Plays (2020):
    • “Wake Me Up…”: 60,000
    • “Careless Whisper”: 52,000
    • “Last Christmas”: 40,000 (almost entirely in Nov–Dec)
  • Spotify Streams: “Last Christmas” outpaces the other two, by 40–60%.
• “Whamageddon”: The song’s annual omnipresence spawns a viral challenge to avoid hearing it during the holidays.

“That's a whole lot of George Michael giving it to someone special.”
— Chris Molanphy (06:04)

“It is definitely conceivable that a decade or two from now, 'Last Christmas' is the song written and sung by George Michael that will be best known to Generation Alpha.”
— Chris Molanphy (09:23)

3. Chestnut Roasters vs. Regular Hits: Other Notable Examples

Timestamps: 09:44 – 25:36

a. The Waitresses

• Known for “I Know What Boys Like,” but their holiday song “Christmas Wrapping” now dominates (6:1 radio play ratio, 9:1 on streaming).

b. The Eagles

• “Please Come Home for Christmas” is spun 31,000 times yearly, streamed 52 million times—but still outperformed by “Hotel California” and “Life in the Fast Lane.”

c. 21st-Century Crooners: Bublé, Groban, Connick

• Their Christmas albums are their bestsellers, with Bublé’s “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” streaming more than his biggest non-holiday hits.

d. Ariana Grande vs. Mariah Carey

• “Santa Tell Me” is a modern perennial (600M+ streams), but dwarfed by “Thank U, Next” and “7 rings”—time will tell if it overtakes them in legacy.
• Mariah’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” already out-streams and outplays all her other hits—53,000 annual radio spins vs. 43,000 for “Always Be My Baby,” plus 248 million streams (2020), more than several of her year-round hits combined.

“Mariah Carey…is already mostly consumed at Christmas.” — Chris Molanphy (17:33)

4. The Beatles and Their Solo Careers: Christmas Hits & Mainstream Legacy

Timestamps: 19:41 – 25:36

• The Beatles never recorded a proper Christmas song; their catalog remains untouchable by holiday competition.
• John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” now receives more annual spins and streams (25,000 spins, 57M streams in 2019) than “Imagine” (20,000 spins, 54M streams).
• Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” rivals his biggest secular hits for radio plays and far exceeds them in streaming.

“It is not too extreme to say Paul McCartney has gone fully to the merry side.”
— Chris Molanphy (23:56)

5. Brenda Lee: The Ultimate Chestnut Roaster

Timestamps: 25:36 – 41:37

a. A Stellar Career Revisited

• Lee was one of the 1960s' biggest stars, spanning genres from rockabilly to country, with 55 Hot 100 chart entries and two #1 hits (not including “Rockin’”).
• Hits like “I’m Sorry,” “I Want to Be Wanted,” and “Sweet Nothings” made her a pioneer and multiple hall-of-famer.

b. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" – A Late-Breaking Blockbuster

• Recorded at age 13, it flopped twice before finally landing at #14 in 1960.
• Re-entered the Hot 100 in the streaming era (2013 onwards), surging to #2 behind Mariah Carey in 2019.

“Brenda Lee was an affirmed legend before age 60…before holiday hits rebooted the charts.”
— Chris Molanphy (38:50)

c. Current Data: The Overwhelming Christmas Takeover

• 2020 radio spins:
  • “I’m Sorry”: <600
  • “I Want To Be Wanted”: <200
  • “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”: 17,000+
• Streaming, 2020: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” = 177 million plays; about 50x “I’m Sorry” + “I Want to Be Wanted” combined.
• Lee’s Christmas hit has nearly eclipsed her entire career for modern listeners.

“Of all the statistics I’ve cited…no act presents a more stark example than Brenda Lee. In 2020…Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree was played by US DJs more than 17,000 times. On streaming…177 million times last year, about 50 times as much as ‘I’m Sorry’ and ‘I Want To Be Wanted’ combined.”
— Chris Molanphy (41:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Streaming Playlists and Automated Christmas Dominance:
  "This automated playback—picture what happens when you tell Alexa or Siri to play some Christmas music."
  — Chris Molanphy (06:31)

• On Potential for Brenda Lee’s Resurgence:
  “The streaming, sales, and airplay points separating ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ and ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ are getting close enough that Billboard staffers are starting to speculate Brenda might well mount a challenge to Mariah...by the mid-2020s.”
  — Chris Molanphy (42:00)

• Brenda Lee’s Hall of Fame Speech (2002):
  “It’s a long way from the Georgia cotton fields to the Waldorf Astoria...I owe it to Owen Bradley. And most of all, I owe it to rock and roll. I’m honored. Thank you so very much.”
  — Brenda Lee (38:25)

Key Timestamps for Reference

• 00:21 — Episode theme introduction: The rise of “chestnut roasters”
• 02:01 — Deep dive into Wham!'s “Last Christmas” and data analysis
• 09:44 — Case studies: The Waitresses, the Eagles, modern crooners, Grande, Carey
• 17:33 — Mariah Carey’s Christmas status vs her regular hits
• 19:41 — Beatles & Solo Beatles Christmas legacy
• 25:36 — Brenda Lee’s full biography and career stats
• 38:25 — Brenda Lee’s Rock Hall induction speech
• 41:02 — Data: Brenda Lee's Christmas dominance over her other hits
• 42:00 — Speculation about Brenda Lee potentially overtaking Mariah

Takeaways

• Legacy Shifts: Christmas songs are not just seasonal successes—some are becoming the signature works for artists whose once-dominant pop/country/R&B catalogs have faded for newer audiences.
• Streaming & Playlisting Power: Automated playlisting and digital streaming massively concentrate airplay and visibility for holiday hits, sometimes rewriting pop history.
• Brenda Lee, “Chestnut Roaster Supreme”: Few artists embody this shift more completely than Brenda Lee, whose “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” now defines her for modern generations.

“If even a few ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ fans become curious enough to become Brenda Lee fans, well, she would likely regard that as a blessing.”
— Chris Molanphy (41:37)

Final Reflection:
The episode thoughtfully balances nostalgia, data analysis, and pop culture insight, showing how the hits of yesteryear—especially holiday perennials—are being reborn and reassigned by new listening habits, and sometimes even giving overdue legacies a fresh twist.