Mariah Carey makes chart history as “All I Want For Christmas Is You” becomes the longest-running No. 1 ever on the Billboard Hot 100

Mariah Carey has rewritten Billboard history once again.

Her perennial holiday classic, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” has officially become the longest-running No. 1 song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, reaching its 20th total week at the top of the chart, Billboard confirmed Monday.

With this latest achievement, the song surpasses the previous record holders — Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Lil Nas X’s genre-defying smash “Old Town Road” — which each held the No. 1 position for 19 weeks. Carey’s song had tied those records last week before moving ahead to stand alone atop the all-time list.

Given the song’s annual resurgence during the holiday season, industry analysts expect the record-setting total to continue growing not only through the remainder of this year but in future Decembers as well.

Originally released in 1994, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has evolved from a seasonal favorite into one of the most enduring pop songs ever recorded. Despite its immediate popularity upon release, the track did not reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 until 2019 — 25 years later — when the rise of streaming platforms fundamentally changed how holiday music performed on the charts. That breakthrough marked the longest climb to No. 1 in Hot 100 history, further cementing the song’s unique place in pop culture.

The chart this week highlights the overwhelming dominance of Christmas music during the holiday period. Eight seasonal tracks appear on the Hot 100, led by Carey at No. 1. Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which itself topped the chart in 2023, holds the No. 2 position. Wham!’s “Last Christmas” sits at No. 3, followed by Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” at No. 4. Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” rounds out the top five.

Carey acknowledged the milestone with her trademark humor on social media. On Monday, she revisited a 2019 post in which she symbolically passed a torch to Lil Nas X when “Old Town Road” surpassed her 1996 collaboration with Boyz II Men, “One Sweet Day,” for the longest-running No. 1 at the time. This time, Carey shared an updated image of herself holding the torch alone — a playful nod to her reclaiming and extending the record.

While Carey’s status as the undisputed “Queen of Christmas” continues to grow, her accolades will not be limited to the holiday season. She is set to receive the MusiCares Person of the Year honor from MusiCares during Grammy Week. The annual benefit gala is scheduled for January 30, 2026, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

More than three decades after its release, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” continues to defy industry expectations, demonstrating the lasting power of a modern holiday classic — and securing Mariah Carey’s place at the very top of the Billboard record books.