Why Christmas Carols Are Missing from Korean Music Charts This Season

With less than ten days until Christmas, carols are noticeably absent from the music charts. Industry experts suggest that the rise of YouTube playlists has shifted music consumption habits, leading listeners to enjoy carols as part of playlists rather than individual tracks. Additionally, the recent December 3rd emergency martial law situation has contributed to a quieter holiday atmosphere.

Despite being the peak season for carols, as of December 16th, only seven carols are present in the Melon TOP100 chart. This means carols make up less than one-tenth of the chart. This trend is not unique to this year. Music critic Kim Do-heon attributes this to two main factors: changes in music consumption habits and cultural differences in carol consumption between Korea and the United States.

Kim explains, "Recently, people tend to consume music in playlist form rather than enjoying individual tracks through music streaming sites." He adds, "It's rare to find a song that acts as a meme in Korea, except for EXO's 'First Snow.'"

Indeed, the most consumed carol on the Melon TOP100 chart is EXO's 2013 release 'First Snow,' which ranks 7th as of December 16th. This song has become a winter staple and a meme associated with Christmas, largely due to its popularity as a TikTok challenge. Even down to the 20th rank, only Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' appears at 29th.

In contrast, searching for 'Christmas playlist' on YouTube yields videos with views reaching 700,000 to 800,000 within a month of posting. Considering the Christmas season hasn't fully begun, this is a rapid increase in views. A carol video posted on November 7th by the YouTube channel 'Jinmak' has reached 880,000 views, while the playlist channel 'Ttaeing' recorded 420,000 views in just 13 days. Similarly, a video on the playlist channel 'essential;' achieved 130,000 views in just five days.

Kim also notes the difference in attention to Christmas between the U.S. and Korea. "In the U.S., there's more interest and attention, so carols tend to dominate the charts during the season. In Korea, however, music is consumed more through playlists, and the interest level is relatively lower. Even if people listen to carols, they don't specifically seek out individual songs, so the seasonal impact on the charts is not significant," he explains.

The contrast is evident when looking at the Billboard Hot 100, a representative U.S. music chart. The top three and fifth positions are all occupied by carols, all of which were released at least 20 years ago. Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' from 1994 is at number one, followed by 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' from 1958 at number two, and 'Last Christmas' from 1984 at number three. This highlights the U.S.'s greater number of iconic carols and higher interest in Christmas.

This year, many industry insiders, including Kim, believe the December 3rd emergency martial law situation has made it difficult to enjoy the year-end atmosphere. Kim comments, "Given the current situation, it wasn't the right atmosphere to enjoy Christmas. However, as the Christmas season officially begins, there might be changes in the charts."

Many well-known Korean carols have yet to reach the top of the charts, such as 'Merry Merry Christmas,' 'Because It's Christmas,' and 'Must Have Love.' With Christmas just nine days away, there's hope to celebrate the holiday with carols.

Reported by Min-Kyung Lee, TenAsia 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr