How come there are few new Christmas carols or songs created anymore? Why do we just keep listening to all the old favorites written decades ago?

Silent Night was composed in 1818, some carols even earlier. We listen to maybe 2 dozen Christmas songs regularly... Over 200-plus years, that's about one song per decade.

I would say we are about par for the course. Christmas songs are classics, and classics aren't pumped out every year.

Why do we just keep listening to all the old favorites

Want to take a scientific approach to this? Nostalgia, as a sentimental longing for one’s past, can serve as a resource for individuals coping with discomforting experiences, particularly at a time of high stress over grievous loss felt after the passing of a loved one. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02699931.2020.1825339?journalCode=pcem20). No mention by the authors that they particularly looked at decking the halls, when constructing their study.

There seems to be some confusion about what a Christmas Carol is.

A Christmas Carol is an explicitly religious song regarding Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

The others are Christmas songs regarding 5h3 celebrations around Christmas.

Although carols are still sung, played on the radio, and sung by pop stars and carol singers, Christmas chart hits may have replaced carols as music has changed over the years. New Christmas chart hits appear each year.

Personally, I'm fond of those by Wizzard, Slade, Queen, Band Aid, Mud, David Essex, Elvis, Jona Lewie, John Lennon/Yoko Ono, The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl and Shakin' Stevens.

Almost all of those were released when I was young in the 70s and 80s. Perhaps we like the hits we enjoyed in our youth, when Christmas still had a bit of magic in it for us. Before we got old, cynical, and had to pay for it each year.

That's only one small symptom as it is illustrating the decline and disappearing of everything related too. Another example, The first some kindergartens in EU already avoid putting Christmas trees on display, because that could potentially hurt religious feelings of the many different minorities who are in sum the vast majority already. So the answer is, enjoy the old songs instead of no songs, while you still can.

Think nostalgia plays a great part, particularly for a lot of Brits with the artists that GBR48 mentioned, watching Top of the Pops for the Christmas #1. But many of those songs were old even when I was young.

I enjoy listening to ClassicFM (from the UK) these days. I hated singing carols at school. “While Shepherd’s washed their socks by night” was a way to relieve the boredom. Now however, there’s nothing like hearing “Jauchzet, frohlocket” or “In the bleak mid-winter” on Christmas morning! Still can’t sing, though.

Mean Guru Mick says "NO" to carols.

Bit like saying -

" Why do orchestras keep pumping out classical compositions from Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Bach, Strauss, Chopin et al?"

Why can't new classical pieces replace the "old stuff"?

Leave it to individuals to fathom that.

They are created, they just don't often hit the mainstream. A good recent example is Sabaton's Christmas Truce (2021). Great song - and amazing video - but I don't think it'll be on the rotation at the local mall.

www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sabaton+christmas+truce

Maybe Taylor Swift, Adele and Ed Sheeran have less talent than Mariah Carey and her ten octaves.

And the artists who came earlier of course.

My favourite Christmas song is the Pretenders one, 2000 Miles.

'Northern Lights' always makes me crave for a Cornish Montol at home.

Metal/Punk/Hard Rock xmas songs don't play in the mall. Why because they don't sound classic? Why it's only for those Pop people?

There’s many actually but the habit of listening to the same nostalgic songs or covers of them by current popular artists overrides any newly made ones by anyone not nearly as famous -insert famous singer-

I was surprised to hear the theme song from Chevy’s Christmas Vacation movie a couple of days ago at Youme Town. Sure put a smile on my face.

Oh, Eddie... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now.

Christmas means tradition to many families. You can’t create traditional sounding songs when there’s not so much quality in the music industry these days.

Why so few new Christmas carols?

Probably due to Christmas being just a holiday as the majority of people in what are still termed Christian countries have moved on from religion.

People are more interested in Christmas songs by pop stars.

No need to reinvent the wheel

Because it is a minefield and could destroy a person's career or life!

Today limit your songs and lyrics to bannal nonsense, avoid being a man saying "I love her" or "she" is beautiful, if you are a female the avoid doing the same like using "him" this could offend someone, avoid any reference to religion, Hollidays even Halloween as that could offend the religious over the pagan aspect.

All entertainment today is a minefield, why are all the movies fantasy comics based? It is safer, so if you are a song writer, a musician, etc..why paint a target on your back by writing a song with only seasonal value and could cause you trouble!

Christmas carols getting a bit of a hard time from some here. I have no time for any religion but there are some good tunes and lyrics in there even if the subject matter is nonsense.

‘In dulci jubilo’ is a landmark in composition.

‘Oh come all ye faithful’ is a prototypical footy chant.

Plenty to like.

I cringe at the thought of christmas carols. (Why aren't there any Thanksgiving Carols, anyway?) I am sick of them after 15 minutes. I've learned to tune them out but there it is, tuning them out again and again. I guess people like them, but I really get nauseated every year.

If anyone doubts what I previously said all you have to do is look at what happened to Lady Gaga and Joseph Gordon Levitt “Baby, It's Cold Outside:” and the demand to ban the song because "no means no" under pressure many places removed the original and the Lady Gaga cover.

I bet she will avoid making anymore Christmas or other remakes without fully vetting for any possibility of offending a mouse in mommy's basement!