These Are the 10 Most Dangerous Christmas Songs to Play While Driving

A strange, new study claims to have identified the 10 Christmas songs people should never listen to when behind the wheel. You'll never guess which is #1.

The holidays are finally here and radio stations across Central New York have flipped to all-Christmas music. Unfortunately, the abundance of bouncy and happy tunes may be causing an uptick in accidents.

Christmas Songs Can Be Dangerous?

The fact that the words "Christmas Songs" and "Dangerous" were in the same sentence instantly made me skeptical. It sounded like the ultimate clickbait article - until I heard it on one of my Amazon flash briefings and had a change of heart... because I couldn't stop laughing.

The science behind this new study is actually pretty fascinating because a Christmas song's danger-factor was based off their beats per minute, or BPM.

Studies have found songs that have 50 to 80 BPMs put a brain in what's called an "alpha state," which makes one more likely to relax and feel focused. On the opposite end of the spectrum, songs with higher BPMs are used to get the blood pumping.

Think about it: What do you do when you hear a super catchy and danceable tune? If your response was any variation of the verb "dance," then that's exactly where this study from CSGOLuck is going.

Researchers there are concerned that when the happy Christmas tunes start playing, drivers become distracted with singing along, dancing, and turning up the volume - all distractions that increase one's chances of getting into an accident.

Below are the 10 most dangerous songs one can listen to behind the wheel. Additionally, researchers also found the 10 safest Christmas songs to accompany you on your car ride home.

10 Safest Christmas Songs

I like starting with the good news, so below are the Christmas songs that will help you feel more focused and alert behind the wheel. Ergo, they'll help you find your mental "sweet spot" when traveling.

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

With that said, a big shout out to Brenda Lee for leading the Billboard Hot 100 for a second-straight week. Ms. Lee, who just turned 79 years young on Monday, first jumped atop the leaderboard last week.

The singer was just 13 when she dropped her holiday banger and waited 65 years to finally see it hit No. 1! However, she may have gotten some help with country stars Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood, who made a cameo on Ms. Lee's first official music video for her 1958 hit song.

Now with the good news out of the way, let's look at the 10 songs you definitely shouldn't listen to when behind the wheel.

Distraction Magnets

If you're an Ariana Grande stan, you might not like what this list has to say. Below are the 10 songs with beats so infectious, they steal away a driver's attention and could cause them to make a careless mistake on the road.

These are the top 10 songs you should skip if you plan on keeping your mind fresh when traveling during the holidays.

10. "Please Come Home for Christmas" - Eagles (183 BPM)
9. "This Christmas" - Christina Aguilera (183 BPM)
8. "Christmas Dream" - Perry Como (184 BPM)
7. "Caroling, Caroling" - Nat King Cole (185 BPM)
6. "Christmas Eve / Sarajevo" 12/24 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra (186 BPM)
5. "Santa Tell Me" - Ariana Grande (191 BPM)
4. "It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" - Andy Williams (201 BPM)
3. "Mele Kalikimaka" - Bing Crosby (202 BPM)
2. "The Happiest Christmas Tree" - Nat King Cole (205 BPM)
1. "Last Christmas" - Ariana Grande (206 BPM)

The lesson here is: Don't listen to Ariana Grande if you wish to live because her song is triple over what experts recommend for our brains.

Please note the prior sentence is heavily dripping with sarcasm. I know how passionate her fanbase is and the last thing I need this holiday season is for my head to be put on a spike by legions of Arianators.

This list is obviously confusing some people who are wondering why certain, bouncy songs failed to break into the top 10 - like any song from Mariah Carey.

Mariah Carey's Songs Are Seemingly Neutral Grounds

Good news for those who love "All I Want for Christmas Is You," the song isn't nearly as bad for your brain as other holiday hits.

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.

Mariah's other top 2 Christmas hits, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and "O Holy Night," also land in the distracting category. 

In all, her songs aren't bad, but they're not good either.

A rep from CSGOLuck said about these 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.

What do you think about this latest study and will it influence your holiday playlist this year?

Get our free mobile app