- Ariana Grande’s hit Last Christmas is named the most distracting Christmas song
- Two of Mariah Carey’s tunes, O Holy Night and All I Want for Christmas Is You, are also revealed to hinder productivity
- The classic Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree is among one of the best songs to enhance focus
With the festive period well underway, new research has revealed the Christmas songs that can reduce productivity.
Research by Spotify suggests that songs between 50 and 80 beats per minute can boost creativity and productivity by inducing an “alpha state,” leading to a more focused and alert mindset.
With this research in mind, casino experts at casinorevisor.com examined the beats per minute of Spotify’s most popular Christmas songs to determine which ones exceed this threshold most significantly and are therefore the most distracting.
Last Christmas by global pop icon Ariana Grande takes the title of the most distracting Christmas song, with 205.95 beats per minute – and it’s not the only song by the artist in the ranking, with Santa Tell Me ranking seventh at 191.90 beats per minute.
Various Christmas classics are also identified as highly distracting, with The Happiest Christmas Tree by Nat King Cole, Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin’ Stevens, and Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters having beats per minute of 205.88, 202.90, and 202.48.
Despite not making the top ten, several of Mariah Carey’s festive hits exceed the ‘alpha state’ threshold, including O Holy Night at 173.98 beats per minute and the seasonal staple All I Want for Christmas Is You at 150.27.
| Rank | Track | Artist | BPM |
| 1 | Last Christmas | Ariana Grande | 205.95 |
| 2 | The Happiest Christmas Tree | Nat King Cole | 205.88 |
| 3 | Merry Christmas Everyone | Shakin’ Stevens | 202.90 |
| 4 | Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) | Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters | 202.48 |
| 5 | Hang Your Lights | Jamie Cullum | 202.06 |
| 6 | It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year | Andy Williams | 201.63 |
| 7 | Santa Tell Me | Ariana Grande | 191.90 |
| 8 | Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24 – Instrumental | Trans-Siberian Orchestra | 186.41 |
| 9 | Caroling, Caroling | Nat King Cole | 185.32 |
| 10 | Christmas Dream | Perry Como | 184.36 |
In addition to discovering most distracting Christmas songs, the research also unveiled the best tunes to enhance focus.
2000 Miles by The Pretenders is the best Christmas song for productivity, with 66.21 beats per minute, followed by Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree at 67.20.
Interestingly, despite one of Bing Crosby’s Christmas tunes being labelled as distracting, his 1950 track Silver Bells with Carol Richards can boost productivity with 70.94 beats per minute.
| Rank | Track | Artist | BPM |
| 1 | 2000 Miles | The Pretenders | 66.21 |
| 2 | Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree | Brenda Lee | 67.20 |
| 3 | Silver Bells | Bing Crosby, Carol Richards | 70.94 |
| 4 | A Holly Jolly Christmas | Brett Eldredge | 71.96 |
| 5 | O Christmas Tree | Tony Bennett | 74.27 |
| 6 | Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season | Andy Williams | 74.35 |
| 7 | Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas | Sam Smith | 75.25 |
| 8 | Christmas Time Is Here | Vince Guaraldi Trio | 75.27 |
| 9 | Frosty The Snowman | Ella Fitzgerald | 76.82 |
| 10 | Make It To Christmas | Alessia Cara | 77.07 |
A spokesperson from casinorevisor.com has commented on the findings,
“While Christmas music is a great way to get into the festive spirit, it’s useful to examine which songs may actually be distracting, perhaps for drivers listening to the radio or office workers trying to get through day-to-day tasks.
“Those who cannot risk losing their focus over the Christmas period can, fortunately, choose to listen to the songs with slower tempos instead, including the classic Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, ensuring that you can still feel the festive cheer.”