Most-Played Christmas Songs Are Non-Religious And Pre-1971

New York Daily News' David Hinckley looks at the annual Media Monitor track of radio Christmas music content:

* When it comes to holiday music on the radio, we like it upbeat, light and familiar.
* In following 50 all-holiday stations in the 50 top markets last year, Media Monitors found none of the 10 most-played recordings were religious and none were more recent than 1971.
* Media Monitors notes that contemporary artists get a lot of airplay, from Kelly Clarkson to Madonna and Mariah Carey, but that none yet has produced the one recording that can crack the top 10.
* The top 10 songs themselves, Media Monitors noted, tend to be at least midtempo and lyrically upbeat.
* Some popular holiday songs didn't crack the top 10 because there isn't one definitive version.
* "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," for instance, was represented by 52 versions. The song with the second most versions, 46, was "Winter Wonderland."
* The most-played artists were, in order, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Harry Connick Jr., Ray Conniff Singers and Mannheim Steamroller.
* The most-played traditional Christmas song was "Do You Hear What I Hear."