‘O Holy Night’ voted the nation‘s favourite Christmas carol for ninth consecutive year

25 December 2024, 14:57

Aled Jones and Malakai M Bayoh sing ‘O Holy Night’

The nation has spoken, and once more named ‘O Holy Night’ the best-loved Christmas carol of all time!

‘O Holy Night’, a carol of French origin that has been recorded by countless singers from Luciano Pavarotti to Mariah Carey, has been voted the greatest Christmas carol of all time.

The annual vote for The Nation’s Favourite Carol took place over three weeks, and the Top 30 list was revealed on Classic FM on Christmas Day from 1-3pm by Alexander Armstrong.

Composed in 1847 by Adolphe Adam, ‘O Holy Night’ is still adored the world over, 170 years on. A tale of humanity’s redemption, the ‘Cantique de Noël’ is a much-loved favourite in our annual countdown, and is thought to have been the first carol played on the radio.

Gustav Holst’s setting of ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’, originally a poem by Christina Rossetti, was voted the nation’s second favourite, with ‘Carol of the Bells’ in third place followed by ‘Silent Night’ and Harold Darke’s setting of Rossetti’s poem.

Elsewhere in our chart, ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’ climbed four places from No.14 to No.10. ‘Angels from the Realms of Glory’ and ‘Ding Dong! Merrily on High’ were two new entries in the chart.

Explore the full Top 30 >

The Nation’s Favourite Carol - Top 30

1. O Holy Night
2. In the Bleak Mid-Winter - Gustav Holst version
3. Carol of the Bells
4. Silent Night
5. In the Bleak Mid-Winter - Harold Darke version
6. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
7. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
8. O Come All Ye Faithful
9. O Little Town of Bethlehem
10. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
11. Once in Royal David’s City
12. Joy to the World
13. Coventry Carol
14. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
15. Gaudete
16. Candlelight Carol (Rutter)
17. Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
18. Sussex Carol
19. In Dulci Jubilo
20. The Holly and the Ivy
21. Away in a Manger
22. The Three Kings
23. Good King Wenceslas
24. Star Carol (Rutter)
25. Shepherd’s Pipe Carol
26. Angels from the Realms of Glory
27. Wexford Carol
28. Gabriel’s Message
29. See Amid the Winter’s Snow
30. Ding Dong! Merrily on High

Explore The Nation’s Favourite Carol Top 30 here.