Darragh's Soapbox: What's Waterford's favourite Christmas song?
Shelly Phelan and Aoife Phelan. Photo: Joe Evans
The festive season is in full swing, and one of the best ways to set the magical mood is with Christmas soundtracks.
Virgin Media Ireland recently analysed Spotify streaming data, artist earnings, and Google search volume to reveal the Christmas hits that Ireland just can’t stop listening to.
Unsurprisingly, Fairytale of New York by The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl is top of the list, with 12,100 monthly searches. The song has been streamed over 401 million times on Spotify, earning an impressive €1.4 million for the artists.
The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole is next up. Known for its signature opening line “Chestnut's roasting on an open fire” - this song is searched 6,600 times a month in Ireland. With over 504 million Spotify streams, it has brought in €1.8 million for the late Nat King Cole’s brand.
Also placing high on the list was Last Christmas, Silent Night, Jingle Bells, All I Want for Christmas is You and Somewhere Only We Know.
This week we asked the people of Waterford what their favourite festive tune is. Local reaction certainly backed up the research, with almost everyone we met saying that The Pogues' holiday classic is the greatest Christmas song ever.
said they even went to see a concert adaptation at the Gaiety Theatre.
"The Irishness of it we like," they said, "and when you hear it playing you know it’s Christmas!"
A number of others, such as , agreed that traditional songs are their preferred choice, with some saying that childhood nostalgia is what makes a seasonal tune truly special.
Others opted for more modern takes, with saying: “'All I want for Christmas Is You' is the first song that comes to mind, but ‘Snowman’ by Sia is actually a song that I listen to all year round.”
