Mariah Carey, The Pogues and Wham!: Which Christmas hit is the biggest earner?

Mariah Carey's Christmas hit has become a festive staple since it was released in 1994. Photo / Getty Images

Nothing confirms it’s Christmas quite like hearing Wham!, Mariah Carey or Slade.

As soon as their festive tunes hit the soundwaves you know it’s time to pull out the tree, battle your way through Christmas shopping and eat a piece of chocolate for breakfast every morning for the next 24 days.

And while listening to these songs during the holidays has become almost as important as celebrating the day itself, it raises the question since these hits are so beloved, how much to the artists actually earn from them each Christmas?

UK news outlet, Independent reported that it’s difficult to find accurate numbers on how much the artists have earned from their festive songs, with the Performing Right Society protecting members’ privacy. However, one study managed to find some figures.

Carried out by Channel 5 in 2016, the outlet found Merry Xmas Everybody by Slade is the top performer, earning a whooping GBP£1m (NZ$1.9) in royalties per year.

The second biggest earner was significantly less, making £400,000 ($763,454) per year in royalties and was a tie between Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl and Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You.

Other notable earners included Bing Crosby’s White Christmas coming in as the fourth biggest earner, making £328,000 ($626,032) per year in royalties, while Last Christmas by Wham! Made it to number five on the list making a total of £300,000 ($572,590) per year.

Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney reportedly makes £260,000 ($496,245) each year and Stop the Cavalry by Jona Lewie earns £120,000 ($229,036).

Meanwhile, other festive favourites such as Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee and It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas by Michael Buble, didn’t make the list.

Instead, 2000 Miles by The Pretenders snuck its way into seventh place earning £102,000 ($194,680) and Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine wasn’t far behind earning a total of £100,000 ($190,863) each year.

The final song to land a place on the top 10 earning Christmas songs is Stay Another Day by East 17, making £97,000 ($185,137) in royalties each year.