The people have spoken: with the red haze of those last, desperate days of Christmas shopping descending, we’ve polled the populace on how stressed they feel about… Christmas songs. And apparently, the last thing anyone wants to hear whilst out shopping is Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmas Time (so don’t click that link unless you’re one of the 12.5% of people who find it ‘Mildly Relaxing’).

Other songs that are considered ‘stressful’ by shoppers include Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” (which peaked at 21 in the UK Singles chart just two months ago) and of course, Cliff Richard’s “Mistletoe & Wine”. Just missing out on a position of the podium of Christmas infamy were the candy-cane sickly “There’s No One Quite Like Grandma”, the terminally over-played “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and Shakin’ Stevens’ “Merry Christmas Everyone”. So avoid them if you possibly can!

It’s not all bad news for Christmas tune-makers though. 60% of people surveyed said that Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” had a positive effect on their mood, making them feel more relaxed (and perhaps, less likely to shove in a thirty minute queue at a packed department store). Dean Martin’s “Winter Wonderland” was also looked on favourably, as was Bing’s “Little Drummer Boy” duet with David Bowie.

But either way, it appears that everyone hates at least one Christmas tune. So, party planners and shopping centre playlist selectors: remember the following infographic and avoid needless stress!

And as a treat… play us out Paul!

Written by admin