The 10 Most Distracting Christmas Songs for Driving

• Study reveals the most distracting Christmas songs to play while driving, including two Ariana Grande hits
• Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” and Chris Rea’s “Driving Home for Christmas” are both potentially dangerous for drivers
• The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” ranks among the best for concentration

Drivers are being warned about playing Christmas hits in the car, as they could affect your focus and potentially cause an accident.

A new study by CSGOLuck reveals which tracks are the most distracting and potentially dangerous to listen to when driving.

Spotify research has found that music between 50 and 80 beats per minute puts your brain into an ‘alpha state,’ rendering you more relaxed, focused, and receptive. Tunes with more beats per minute become distracting as the brain works harder to process the sound.

Researchers sourced the 200 top Christmas songs on Spotify and analyzed their beats per minute to determine which will help put you in the sweet spot or drain your focus.

These are the 10 most distracting Christmas songs to play in the car. And it’s bad news for Ariana Grande fans.

10 Most Distracting Christmas Songs

1. Last Christmas – Ariana Grande (206 BPM)
2. The Happiest Christmas Tree – Nat King Cole (205 BPM)
3. Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens (203 BPM)
4. Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) – Bing Crosby (202 BPM)
5. Hang Your Lights (Edit) – Jamie Cullum (202 BPM)
6. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams (201 BPM)
7. Santa Tell Me – Ariana Grande (191 BPM)
8. Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24 – Trans-Siberian Orchestra (186 BPM)
9. Caroling, Caroling – Nat King Cole (185 BPM)
10. Christmas Dream – Perry Como (184 BPM)

Ariana Grande’s “Last Christmas” is the most distracting, with 206 beats per minute, over triple what experts recommend for our brains. It’s not the only Ariana song on the list, as “Santa Tell Me,” her most-streamed Christmas hit, ranks fifth.

Some of the most popular Christmas songs, including “It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Perry Como, Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” and “All I Want For Christmas” by Mariah Carey, all rank on the distracting list at over 100 BPM. Carey’s other top two Christmas hits, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and “O Holy Night,” also land in the distracting category. Chris Rea’s ‘”Driving Home For Christmas” ranks among the most disruptive, placing 14th at 180 BPM.

10 Best Christmas Songs for Driving

1. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee (67 BPM)
2. Silver Bells – Bing Crosby (70 BPM)
3. A Holly Jolly Christmas – Brett Eldredge (72 BPM)
4. O Christmas Tree – Tony Bennett (74 BPM)
5. Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season – Andy Williams (74 BPM)
6. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Sam Smith (75 BPM)
7. Frosty The Snowman – Ella Fitzgerald (77 BPM)
8. Fairytale of New York (Feat. Kirsty MacColl) – The Pogues (78 BPM)
9. The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) – Nat King Cole (79 BPM)
10. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) – Elvis Presley (79 BPM)

Most of the best festive tunes to boost productivity are jazzy Christmas classics from the ‘40s to ‘60s. Sam Smith’s and Brett Eldredge’s covers are the only modern songs on the list.

The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York,” one of the most-streamed Christmas songs, is high on the list, with 78 BPM.

A spokesperson from CSGOLuck commented on the findings:

“Christmas music brings some needed holiday cheer to cold and dark winters. However, our study shows you should be careful about what you play in the car, as it could distract and affect your concentration. Data shows you shouldn’t play danceable songs if you’re trying to focus on the road, as the tempo is too fast for our brains to process when driving. On the other hand, gentler tracks played as background music are best and can even help you concentrate