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- Dangerous Christmas Songs
Dangerous Christmas Songs
Updated: Thursday, 1 June 2023
With December here, we’re all about to get reacquainted with Christmas tunes – whether we’re Driving Home for Christmas or putting presents Underneath the Tree. But, if you’re listening to Christmas songs in the car, it could be influencing how you drive in ways you’re not aware of. To find out more, we analysed over 100 Christmas belters to find the most dangerous tracks.
If dangerous songs interest you then you might enjoy our study of the most Dangerous Driving Songs.
To calculate the results, we used the tempo and energy of a song to determine how fast, loud and noisy a song feels. For safer driving, it’s suggested that you should listen to music that mimics the human heartbeat, with a BPM between 60-100. High BPM and energy songs were ranked by us as less safe, because studies have shown music with a BPM higher than 120 can result in speeding and other traffic violations. See our breakdown of the most dangerous songs below:
The most dangerous Christmas songs to drive to
Kelly Clarkson’s 2013 hit Underneath the Tree ranks as the most dangerous Christmas song to drive to, with a BPM of 160, putting it at the same speed as Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off, and OutKast’s Hey Ya. Great for running, but not for driving!
In second place was Wizzard’s festive classic, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. First released in 1973, it’s a staple song guaranteed to get everyone hyped for the big day. Rounding out the top three was another classic, Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano, which was released in 1970.
| Rank | Song | Artist | BPM | Energy | Total danger score/10 | 1 | Underneath the Tree | Kelly Clarkson | 160 | 0.812 | 7.90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday | Wizzard | 139 | 0.903 | 7.68 |
| 3 | Feliz Navidad | Jose Feliciano | 149 | 0.831 | 7.62 |
| 4 | Step Into Christmas | Elton John | 140 | 0.828 | 7.29 |
| 5 | Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End) | The Darkness | 124 | 0.921 | 7.25 |
| 6 | Run Rudolph Run | Chuck Berry | 152 | 0.711 | 7.05 |
| 7 | Wombling Merry Christmas | The Wombles | 130 | 0.847 | 7.04 |
| 8 | Merry Xmas Everybody | Slade | 126 | 0.869 | 7.03 |
| 9 | I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus | The Jackson 5 | 129 | 0.818 | 6.84 |
| 10 | Santa Claus Is Coming to Town | The Jackson 5 | 147 | 0.660 | 6.58 |
The least dangerous Christmas songs to drive to
Our study revealed that the safest Christmas songs to drive to are mostly carols, from Carol of the Bells to Silent Night. However, it’s good news for fans of Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby, as their Christmas classics feature heavily in the top 10 safest songs.
| Rank | Song | Artist | BPM | Energy | Total danger score/10 | 1 | Carol of the Bells | Mykola Dmytrovych, John Williams | 60 | 0.106 | 0.37 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Christmas Time is Here | Vince Guaraldi Trio | 75 | 0.145 | 1.12 |
| 3 | Santa Baby | Eartha Kitt | 85 | 0.103 | 1.23 |
| 4 | O Christmas Tree | Tony Bennett | 86 | 0.982 | 1.24 |
| 5 | O Little Town of Bethlehem | Elvis Presley | 99 | 0.0406 | 1.37 |
| 6 | Medley: Caroling, Caroling / The First Noel / Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / Silent Night | Perry Como | 87 | 0.134 | 1.48 |
| 7 | The Christmas Waltz | Peggy Lee | 81 | 0.172 | 1.49 |
| 8 | The First Noel | Frank Sinatra | 85 | 0.153 | 1.52 |
| 9 | I’ll Be Home for Christmas | Bing Crosby | 84 | 0.185 | 1.67 |
| 10 | Silent Night | Carpenters | 89 | 0.174 | 1.78 |
Top tips for driving safely throughout the festive season
Alongside getting your Christmas playlist right, there are other things you can do to make your driving safer during the festive period:
- At Christmas, it’s easy to predict the busy periods. Avoid driving on a Friday evening where possible, and if you’re visiting family, why not travel down the evening before, instead of Christmas Eve.
- Be careful the morning after – during this time of year, drink driving is magnified. If you’ve been drinking alcohol, you might not be safe to drive the morning after. If you need to think about whether you’re fit to drive, you’re most likely not safe to.
- Road conditions can be difficult as the weather gets colder, so check the weather forecast before you drive. Make sure you check your lights before you drive off, too – you’ll need them in poor visibility.
- Make sure to get your car prepared for the winter months as the cold can often unearth issues you don’t want.
- Keep presents hidden away from view – lock them in the boot, and unpack them as soon as you get to your destination.
- Although not driving related, Christmas is a time for spending to buy gifts for loved ones. Make sure Christmas doesn’t ruin your credit score and do your best to keep it steady moving into the new year.
Methodology
Songs were analysed for BPM and energy based on Spotify API data.
Songs deemed as “dangerous” were based on the application of research into how music can influence driving using a BPM >120 BPM and an energy score >0.8. However, these were not directly tested.
Brodsky (2001) “The effects of music tempo on simulated driving performance and vehicular control” ‘Transportations Research’ Part F 4 pp.219-241.
With December here, we’re all about to get reacquainted with Christmas tunes – whether we’re Driving Home for Christmas or putting presents Underneath the Tree. But, if you’re listening to Christmas songs in the car, it could be influencing how you drive in ways you’re not aware of. To find out more, we analysed over 100 Christmas belters to find the most dangerous tracks.
To calculate the results, we used the tempo and energy of a song to determine how fast, loud and noisy a song feels. For safer driving, it’s suggested that you should listen to music that mimics the human heartbeat, with a BPM between 60-100. High BPM and energy songs were ranked by us as less safe, because studies have shown music with a BPM higher than 120 can result in speeding and other traffic violations. See our breakdown of the most dangerous songs below:
The most dangerous Christmas songs to drive to
Kelly Clarkson’s 2013 hit Underneath the Tree ranks as the most dangerous Christmas song to drive to, with a BPM of 160, putting it at the same speed as Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off, and OutKast’s Hey Ya. Great for running, but not for driving!
In second place was Wizzard’s festive classic, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. First released in 1973, it’s a staple song guaranteed to get everyone hyped for the big day. Rounding out the top three was another classic, Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano, which was released in 1970.
| Rank | Song | Artist | BPM | Energy | Total danger score/10 | 1 | Underneath the Tree | Kelly Clarkson | 160 | 0.812 | 7.90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday | Wizzard | 139 | 0.903 | 7.68 |
| 3 | Feliz Navidad | Jose Feliciano | 149 | 0.831 | 7.62 |
| 4 | Step Into Christmas | Elton John | 140 | 0.828 | 7.29 |
| 5 | Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End) | The Darkness | 124 | 0.921 | 7.25 |
| 6 | Run Rudolph Run | Chuck Berry | 152 | 0.711 | 7.05 |
| 7 | Wombling Merry Christmas | The Wombles | 130 | 0.847 | 7.04 |
| 8 | Merry Xmas Everybody | Slade | 126 | 0.869 | 7.03 |
| 9 | I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus | The Jackson 5 | 129 | 0.818 | 6.84 |
| 10 | Santa Claus Is Coming to Town | The Jackson 5 | 147 | 0.660 | 6.58 |
The least dangerous Christmas songs to drive to
Our study revealed that the safest Christmas songs to drive to are mostly carols, from Carol of the Bells to Silent Night. However, it’s good news for fans of Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby, as their Christmas classics feature heavily in the top 10 safest songs.
| Rank | Song | Artist | BPM | Energy | Total danger score/10 | 1 | Carol of the Bells | Mykola Dmytrovych, John Williams | 60 | 0.106 | 0.37 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Christmas Time is Here | Vince Guaraldi Trio | 75 | 0.145 | 1.12 |
| 3 | Santa Baby | Eartha Kitt | 85 | 0.103 | 1.23 |
| 4 | O Christmas Tree | Tony Bennett | 86 | 0.982 | 1.24 |
| 5 | O Little Town of Bethlehem | Elvis Presley | 99 | 0.0406 | 1.37 |
| 6 | Medley: Caroling, Caroling / The First Noel / Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / Silent Night | Perry Como | 87 | 0.134 | 1.48 |
| 7 | The Christmas Waltz | Peggy Lee | 81 | 0.172 | 1.49 |
| 8 | The First Noel | Frank Sinatra | 85 | 0.153 | 1.52 |
| 9 | I’ll Be Home for Christmas | Bing Crosby | 84 | 0.185 | 1.67 |
| 10 | Silent Night | Carpenters | 89 | 0.174 | 1.78 |
Top tips for driving safely throughout the festive season
Alongside getting your Christmas playlist right, there are other things you can do to make your driving safer during the festive period:
- At Christmas, it’s easy to predict the busy periods. Avoid driving on a Friday evening where possible, and if you’re visiting family, why not travel down the evening before, instead of Christmas Eve.
- Be careful the morning after – during this time of year, drink driving is magnified. If you’ve been drinking alcohol, you might not be safe to drive the morning after. If you need to think about whether you’re fit to drive, you’re most likely not safe to.
- Road conditions can be difficult as the weather gets colder, so check the weather forecast before you drive. Make sure you check your lights before you drive off, too – you’ll need them in poor visibility.
- Make sure to get your car prepared for the winter months as the cold can often unearth issues you don’t want.
- Keep presents hidden away from view – lock them in the boot, and unpack them as soon as you get to your destination.
- Although not driving related, Christmas is a time for spending to buy gifts for loved ones. Make sure Christmas doesn’t ruin your credit score and do your best to keep it steady moving into the new year.
Methodology
Songs were analysed for BPM and energy based on Spotify API data.
Songs deemed as “dangerous” were based on the application of research into how music can influence driving using a BPM >120 BPM and an energy score >0.8. However, these were not directly tested.
Brodsky (2001) “The effects of music tempo on simulated driving performance and vehicular control” ‘Transportations Research’ Part F 4 pp.219-241.
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