Christmas Song Royalty Calculator

Crooners of yesteryear make oodles of cash through royalty cheques. None more so than those who pen festive tunes. A Christmas gift you may say! But how much do they actually earn? Our team of intrepid researchers have spent many hours studying all manner of Royalty based statistics (including mechanical royalties, performance rights, synchronisation and even print music) combined with radio, online and TV data to produce an algorithm to power the Prezzybox Christmas Song Royalty Calculator....

Trivia: The song's music video was the last time that George Michael was filmed without a beard.

Last Christmas

by Wham!

Written by George Michael

Released in 1984

Highest UK Chart Position #2 (1984)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: The pipe band were so drunk by the time they turned up for the filming they were more bladdered than The Pogues and refused to appear unless they were given more booze!

Fairytale Of New York

by The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl

Written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan

Released in 1987

Highest UK Chart Position #2 (1987)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: The howl at the start was recorded during some of Noddy Holder's vocal exercises.

Merry Xmas Everybody

by Slade

Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea

Released in 1973

Highest UK Chart Position #1 (1973 and 1989)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: A cover by child star Olivia Olsen was used at the climax of the 2003 holiday feel-good film Love Actually.

All I Want For Christmas Is You

by Mariah Carey

Written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff

Released in 1994

Highest UK Chart Position #2 (1994)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: Many believe 2000 Miles is the distance between two lovers, but Hynde actually wrote it for Jimmy, the group's original guitar player, who died the year before.

2000 Miles

by The Pretenders

Written by Chrissie Hynde

Released in 1983

Highest UK Chart Position #15 (1983)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: The music video was shot in Lapland and when the song was released in 1985, it gave Shakin' Stevens his 4th and final UK chart topper.

Merry Christmas Everyone

by Shakin' Stevens

Written by Bob Heatlie

Released in 1985

Highest UK Chart Position #1 (1985)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: The song was actually written as an anti-war protest with the video set in the WWI trenches. The only mention of Christmas is the line, I wish I was at home for Christmas.

Stop The Cavalry

by Jona Lewie

Written by Jona Lewie

Released in 1980

Highest UK Chart Position #2 (1980)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: Most of this song was recorded and mixed over a 24-hour period on Sunday, Nov 25, 1984. Sting and Simon LeBon recorded theirs beforehand, but everyone else came that day.

Do They Know It's Christmas?

by Band Aid

Written by Bob Geldoff and Midge Ure

Released in 1984

Highest UK Chart Position #1 (1984)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: This song was written by Tony Mortimer of East 17 about his brother Ollie committing suicide and was never meant to be released as a Christmas single.

Stay Another Day

by East 17

Written by Tony Mortimer

Released in 1994

Highest UK Chart Position #1 (1994)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: The air conditioning down to its coldest setting while Wizzard were recording the song to help create a wintry feel.

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday

by Wizzard

Written by Roy Wood

Released in 1973

Highest UK Chart Position #4 (1973)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: Cliff altered the original lyrics to add a more religious message, before this it was a song in the short film The Little Match Girl (2006).

Mistletoe and Wine

by Cliff Richard

Written by Jeremy Paul & Leslie Stewart

Released in 1988

Highest UK Chart Position #1 (1988)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: In 2014, NPR asked Brenda Lee what the correct direction was to rock around the Christmas tree. Her response: South.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

by Brenda Lee

Written by Johnny Marks

Released in 1962

Highest UK Chart Position #6 (1962)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: An official music video for this Christmas classic didn't exist until 2009!

Driving Home for Christmas

by Chris Rea

Written by Chris Rea

Released in 1988

Highest UK Chart Position #14 (2017)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: This song was written as a protest against America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

by John Lennon and the Harlem Community Choir

Written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Released in 1971

Highest UK Chart Position #2 (1980)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Trivia: The song can be heard in the 1998 film Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!

Wonderful Christmastime

by Paul McCartney

Written by Paul McCartney

Released in 1979

Highest UK Chart Position #6 (1980)

Watch the video on YouTube

Reveal Royalties

Images sourced from Google Images

* Whilst our boffins are super clever and know their pop, this is still our opinion and our own calculation based on an algorithm that we have devised. Whilst we think it's pretty accurate there's a significant chance that it's completely wrong! Don't shoot the messenger...