Christmas tightens its grip on the charts as records fall, rules shift, and the road into 2026 opens up.
Mariah Carey breaks the all-time Hot 100 record with a 20th week at #1 for “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” pushing her career total to 99 weeks at the summit with more still in play. Holiday classics dominate the Hot 100 and Billboard 200, and competition remains fiercer than ever as multiple songs fight for position at the very top.
We also break down Billboard’s upcoming rule changes, increasing the weight of streaming across both charts — and what that means for hit longevity, radio-driven songs, album bombs, and legacy acts heading into the new year. Plus, we check in on new releases from 21 Savage and Pooh Shiesty, early momentum around Tyla’s “CHANEL” as a 2026 hit contender, and the latest RIAA milestones for Mariah Carey and Morgan Wallen.
Records broken. Rules rewritten. And a chart landscape that feels wide open as 2026 approaches. 🎄📈
