The Most Dangerous Christmas Songs To Drive To

Festive Driving Time

christmas-songs

With the festive season just upon the horizon, it won’t be long before we start to hear the familiar melodies of Christmas songs. Though designed to instill a warm, festive feeling, some songs can have the potential to do the opposite and cause increased risk of dangerous driving.

A recent scientific study revealed that songs with beats per minute (BPMs) over 120 are linked with increased dangerous driving, inflating the risk of road accidents.

Chill has analysed the BPM of some of the world’s most iconic Christmas songs to discover the most dangerous ones to drive to.

The Most Dangerous Christmas Songs To Drive To


#1 Frosty the Snowman

The light-hearted Christmas jingle ‘Frosty the Snowman’ is a favourite amongst children, telling the story of a “jolly happy soul”. However, the study revealed that the song can have the opposite effect, with its BPM of 172 being linked to more stressful temperaments in drivers.

christmas-songs-snowman

#2 All I Want for Christmas is You

One of the most popular Christmas songs of modern times, Mariah Carey’s power-ballad ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ is the third most dangerous Christmas song to drive to, our study revealed.

A Christmas karaoke staple, you may enjoy belting out the festive tune, but the BPM of 150 may cause more serious issues when driving.

christmas-songs-kissing

#3 Feliz Navidad

The Spanish Christmas song ‘Feliz Navidad’ is another festive favourite that has the potential to cause dangerous driving. With a BPM of 149, José Feliciano’s yuletide jingle is the fourth most dangerous Christmas song to drive to, according to our study.

christmas-songs-feliz

#4 Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town

With various versions from the likes of The Supremes, Bruce Springsteen and Michael Bublé, ‘Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town’ is one of the most treasured festive anthems of all time. But with a BPM of 147, the famously upbeat Jackson 5 version could cause a range of driving issues.

christmas-songs-santa

#5 Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Our study revealed that Frank Sinatra’s Christmas classic ‘Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!’ is the fifth most dangerous Christmas song to drive to, with a BPM of 143. Despite being one of the most beloved Christmas songs in the world, its high BPM is over the ‘safe’ limit of 120, meaning that it could cause people to drive more aggressively.

christmas-songs-music

The 10 Most Dangerous Christmas Songs To Drive To

Rank Song Artist BPM
1 Frosty the Snowman Gene Autry 172
2 All I Want for Christmas Is You Mariah Carey 150
3 Feliz Navidad José Feliciano 149
4 Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town Jackson 5 147
5 Happy Xmas (War is Over) John Lennon & Yoko Ono 146
6 Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Frank Sinatra 143
7 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Gene Autry 142
8 I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day Wizzard 140
9 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Judy Garland 137
10 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus Jackson 5 129

The 10 Safest Christmas Songs To Drive To

Rank Song Artist BPM
1 Fairytale of New York The Pogues 78
2 Santa Baby Eartha Kitt 84
3 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Julie Andrews 87
4 Wonderful Christmastime Paul McCartney 95
5 It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Michael Buble 95
6 Last Christmas WHAM 108
7 Winter Wonderland Dean Martin 111
8 The Little Drummer Boy Bing Crosby 113
9 One More Sleep Leona Lewis 113
10 Do They Know It's Christmas Band Aid 115

Whatever festive jingle you choose to listen to this Christmas, always remember to drive responsibly to make sure the holiday season is ‘merry and bright’.

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Methodology

Chill analysed a range of Christmas number ones, and songs which featured in ‘most iconic Christmas song’ articles. The beats per minute (BPM) of each song was then recorded, with the songs being ranked from the highest BPM to the lowest.

The basis of the study used findings from South China University of Technology which discovered that songs with a BPM of 120 are linked to more dangerous driving behaviours due to the cardiovascular, physiological and psychological impact.

Discover the study in further detail.