Music for productivity the ultimate work playlist guide
What’s the best music for productivity? It’s a simple enough question – and finally, we
Home » Christmas Music Quiz: Questions and Answers for Your Office Christmas Party
Christmas quizzes are a staple of the festive season. From pubs to offices, they’re inescapable yet great fun, just like Christmas music itself. So, we have created our very own Christmas music quiz questions and answers to print off and hand out, including picture rounds.
Hosting a team Christmas quiz is a great treat for staff, but it also acts as a team-building exercise and can boost morale and that festive feeling. Read on to find out how and why Christmas music can benefit your workplace during the most wonderful time of the year.
On this page:
Christmas song trivia can transform your corporate events from a ‘silent night’ into a collaborative, festive experience. We’ve looked into the (Christmas) past, examined the Christmas number one list, consulted Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer and Frosty the snowman and put together the best musical quiz to help your guests have a holly jolly Christmas, from easy holiday trivia to yuletide head-scratchers.
Hit the download button for your Christmas quiz questions and answers – ready to print!
When it comes to the top played Christmas tracks released in the 21st century, Leona Lewis’ One More Sleep, emoji answer number eight, tops the airwaves. Followed by Kelly Clarkson’s, Underneath the tree and Gabriella Cilmi’s Warm This Winter.
Photo courtesy of Mike Rosenthal
It’s really special knowing that ‘One More Sleep’ brings a little joy to people’s Christmases. The song and the whole album mean so much to me. It’s really beautiful that people connect to it and as an artist that’s all I could hope for.”Leona Lewis, OBE
No one wants to feel like the Grinch stole Christmas in their office space. But how can you embrace Christmas traditions while staying on everyone’s good side?
To make Christmas work for you, take advantage of your team’s senses.
If you’re a business that values engaging customers’ or team members’ sense of smell, why not try popping some poinsettias and holly around your business or trying a diffuser? You can try a world of scents, from marshmallows on an open fire (yes, there’s a bottled version of this) to gingerbread or pine needles. There’s a festive scent that will unite your team in the Christmas spirit.
A recent study links Christmas music to a more favourable experience in stores when paired with festive ambient scents. The research found that people felt happier – and more likely to shop – in a retail environment where they could smell and hear festive cues.
Decorations can help boost the festive mood of your office. So go as big or as small as you want! A Christmas tree or some bunting across the office can help get your workers in the Christmas spirit without causing too much of a distraction.
Taste can be one sense that’s harder to harness, but if you’re a business that supplies office snacks, leaving some mince pies, mini-Christmas pudding treats or even some candy canes out can bring the holiday season to your office workers whilst engaging their sense of taste.
Like taste, touch can be one of the harder ways to make it feel like Christmas. One way you can take advantage of this sense is to make sure the office is at a comfortable warm temperature for the colder winter days, emulating a festive fireplace.
Music is a great way to add a bit of festivity to the office. A simple Christmassy playlist can introduce the festive atmosphere. We surveyed 2000 Brits* and found that Christmas music made them feel festive (69%), boosted their moods (53%) and made people feel nostalgic (43%).
But how can you make the ultimate festive playlist for your office?
If you’re looking to inject the festive spirit into your workplace, you might be interested to know that playing Christmas music in your workplace – whether it’s an office, shop, pub, salon, or café – can make a positive difference in the winter, especially since we found that 93%** of Brits listen to Christmas music during the festive period, with 39% sharing that they love the atmosphere it creates.
Here’s how to maximise your Christmassy song plays without turning your workers (or customers!) into Mr Grinch:
You may think the best Christmas music playlist would be filled to the brim with festive hits, but a bit of diversity within the playlist can give it some longevity and minimise the risk of Christmas music burnout.
Start with Christmas number one tracks. We’ve compiled a list of Most Played Christmas Tracks for you to choose from. For example, Rockabye by Clean Bandit or Perfect by Ed Sheeran.
From there, you can start to intersperse more overtly Christmas tunes in your playlist, making sure to leave a song or two between each Xmas track.
If you want to ensure your festive playlist is a hit with your colleagues, it’s always a good idea to include the most popular songs.
“But what are the most popular Christmas song choices?”, we hear you ask. Don’t worry – we’re way ahead of you.
We did the research** and the results are in – the top songs to add to your ‘Xmas playlist’ are:
Once you’ve ensured those top Christmas hits are in, you can add the other familiar favourites.
Other festive classics include Jingle Bell Rock, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Feliz Navidad, Blue Christmas and traditional Christmas carols, such as O Holy Night, and O Christmas Tree.
If you’re ready to turn on the festive tunes, don’t forget to check your music licence. If you use, play or perform music in your place of work, chances are you need this.
The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 requires businesses to secure permission from relevant copyright holders (i.e. the people who make your music), to play it in public. TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS is the best route. It allows you to legally play music for employees and customers in your place of work – and covers radio, TV, digital devices and even live performances.
If you’re not sure whether you need a licence, get in contact.
Call us 0800 051 5076.
If you’re not covered, get a quote.
Our leadership coach Deborah Green explains the complexities behind playing festive tunes within the professional workplace.
“As someone who’s worked in various office environments, I find the role of Christmas music for morale during the festive period to be quite complex. It’s a divisive issue – some love it, others find it grating. While it can create a jolly atmosphere and prompt reflection on the year, it can also be a source of stress or sadness for those facing financial pressures or missing loved ones.”
Although Christmas may be seen as a jolly holiday by many, the holiday season may have adverse meaning for some, Deborah says.
“Not everyone celebrates Christmas, so imposing the music can feel exclusionary. I believe offering it as an option rather than forcing it on everyone is the best approach. Ultimately, it’s important to consider the diverse perspectives and preferences of everyone working in the business when deciding how to incorporate festive elements in the workplace.”
So, when is it time to usher in a Merry Christmas through music? We surveyed** 500 Brits and discovered that most people want to start hearing Christmas songs in early December (36%).
However, most people also noticed businesses play Christmas music from the start of November (42%) or even October (21%).
A meagre 3% of Brits still want to listen to Christmas music in late December, post-Christmas Day. A safe bet is stopping the overtly Christmassy tunes after 25th December, but there is a wealth of seasonal tunes and that don’t namecheck the celebration, so will have more longevity from Boxing Day onwards.
So, what does this mean for Christmas music in the office?
As an office manager, picking the best music for productivity during the most wonderful time of the year can be a difficult balance. Our festive survey** revealed that Brits want to hear a Christmas song every other track when you have a playlist going, so you can continue using pop music and lo-fi for productivity – the genres revealed to be the best in our productivity playlist .
Deborah Green explains how employers can balance the festive mood to encourage productivity during what the ONS deems the least productive season of work.
“If I were a business leader, I’d start by clearly communicating expectations about work requirements, client visits and office presence. It’s important to set boundaries – allowing for some festive activities and lunches – but ensuring core work still gets done.
“I’d encourage prioritising the most important tasks and clients rather than trying to do everything.” Deborah adds. “Recognising that different employees approach the season differently is key. Some may be relaxed, while others feel pressure to meet year-end targets, or may feel pressure from home and work.”
“Ultimately, it’s about finding a middle ground that maintains productivity while allowing for some holiday spirit and flexibility.”
Now you’re armed with the ultimate musical quiz questions (and the Christmas quiz answers!), you can use them to elevate your office celebrations.
If your workplace isn’t hosting a traditional office Christmas party this year, you can use it at other Christmas time activities. A team Christmas dinner is a great opportunity to ask trivia questions while you tuck into your turkey. Alternatively, Christmas Jumper Day – a Save The Children initiative – is a great occasion to get festive. You can quiz colleagues, host a Secret Santa or even set up a scavenger hunt.
Whatever festive route you choose, make sure you’re covered by a music licence and you’ll have a Wonderful Christmastime.
* A survey commissioned by PPL PRS of 2000 UK respondents by Attest in November 2022
** A survey commissioned by PPL PRS of 500 UK respondents by Attest in November 2023
What’s the best music for productivity? It’s a simple enough question – and finally, we
One of the oldest genres of music that is still widely listened to today is
Most of us enjoy listening to music in various aspects of our lives – but
Set up a new music license for your business or organisation.
Get TheMusicLicenceWe use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Cookies are also used for ads personalisation.
By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
__cfruid | session | Cloudflare sets this cookie to identify trusted web traffic. |
_GRECAPTCHA | 5 months 27 days | This cookie is set by the Google recaptcha service to identify bots to protect the website against malicious spam attacks. |
AWSALBCORS | 7 days | This cookie is managed by Amazon Web Services and is used for load balancing. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement | 1 year | Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
CookieLawInfoConsent | 1 year | Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. |
elementor | never | This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time. |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
__cf_bm | 30 minutes | This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management. |
__zlcmid | 1 year | This cookie is used by Zendesk live chat and is used to store the live chat ID. |
bcookie | 2 years | LinkedIn sets this cookie from LinkedIn share buttons and ad tags to recognise browser ID. |
lang | session | This cookie is used to store the language preferences of a user to serve up content in that stored language the next time user visit the website. |
li_gc | 2 years | This cookie, set by LinkedIn, is used to store consent of guests regarding the use of cookies for non-essential purposes. |
lidc | 1 day | LinkedIn sets the lidc cookie to facilitate data center selection. |
lpv{accountid} | 30 minutes | This LPV cookie is set to keep Pardot from tracking multiple page views on a single asset over a 30-minute session. For example, if a visitor reloads a landing page several times over a 30-minute period, this cookie keeps each reload from being tracked as a page view. |
visitor_id{accountid} | 10 years | This cookie is set for visitors by the Pardot tracking code. The visitor cookie includes a unique visitor ID and the unique visitor identifier for your account. For example, the cookie name visitor_id1245 stores the visitor ID 1010101010. The account identifier, 12345, makes sure that the visitor is tracked on the correct Pardot account. The visitor value is the visitor_id in your Pardot account. |
visitor_id{accountid}-hash | 10 years | The visitor hash cookie contains the account ID and stores a unique hash. For example, the cookie name visitor_id12345-hash stores the hash “855c3697d9979e78ac404c4ba2c665533”, the account ID is 12345. This cookie is a security measure to make sure that a malicious user can’t fake a visitor from Pardot and access corresponding prospect information. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_ce.cch | session | This cookie, set by CrazyEgg, is used to check if cookies can be added. |
_ce.s | 1 year | This cookie, set by CrazyEgg, is used to track a recording visitor session unique ID, tracking host and start time. |
cebs | session | Crazy Egg - Used to track the current user session internally. |
cebsp | session | Crazy - Egg - Used to determine if a survey should be shown. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
__racnt | session | We use Ruler Analytics to measure our marketing activities. This includes tracking page visits and traffic sources we receive. Calls may also be recorded for monitoring and training purposes. For opt-out information please Contact info@ruleranalytics.com or visit https://www.ruleranalytics.com |
__racplx0 | 30 days | We use Ruler Analytics to measure our marketing activities. This includes tracking page visits and traffic sources we receive. Calls may also be recorded for monitoring and training purposes. For opt-out information please Contact info@ruleranalytics.com or visit https://www.ruleranalytics.com |
__rafm | session | We use Ruler Analytics to measure our marketing activities. This includes tracking page visits and traffic sources we receive. Calls may also be recorded for monitoring and training purposes. For opt-out information please Contact info@ruleranalytics.com or visit https://www.ruleranalytics.com |
__rasel0 | 30 days | We use Ruler Analytics to measure our marketing activities. This includes tracking page visits and traffic sources we receive. Calls may also be recorded for monitoring and training purposes. For opt-out information please Contact info@ruleranalytics.com or visit https://www.ruleranalytics.com |
__rasesh | 2 years 9 months 23 days | We use Ruler Analytics to measure our marketing activities. This includes tracking page visits and traffic sources we receive. Calls may also be recorded for monitoring and training purposes. For opt-out information please Contact info@ruleranalytics.com or visit https://www.ruleranalytics.com |
__ratel0 | 30 days | We use Ruler Analytics to measure our marketing activities. This includes tracking page visits and traffic sources we receive. Calls may also be recorded for monitoring and training purposes. For opt-out information please Contact info@ruleranalytics.com or visit https://www.ruleranalytics.com |
_ce.gtld | session | Used by Crazy Egg to identity the top level domain. |
_ga | 2 years | The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors. |
_ga_7YJ8ZZ6DPB | 2 years | This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. |
_gat_UA-99249120-1 | 1 minute | A variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. The pattern element in the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to. |
_gcl_au | 3 months | Provided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services. |
_gid | 1 day | Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. |
AnalyticsSyncHistory | 1 month | Used to store information about the time a sync with the lms_analytics cookie took place for users in the Designated Countries. |
CONSENT | 2 years | YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. |
pardot | past | The pardot cookie is set while the visitor is logged in as a Pardot user. The cookie indicates an active session and is not used for tracking. |
UserMatchHistory | 1 month | Linkedin - Used to track visitors on multiple websites, in order to present relevant advertisement based on the visitor's preferences. Users can opt out of tracking activity directly on the LinkedIn website. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_fbp | 3 months | This cookie is set by Facebook to display advertisements when either on Facebook or on a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising, after visiting the website. Users can opt out of tracking activity directly on the Facebook website. |
bscookie | 2 years | This cookie is a browser ID cookie set by Linked share Buttons and ad tags. |
fr | 3 months | Facebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin. Users can opt out of tracking activity directly on the Facebook website. |
IDE | 1 year 24 days | Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile. |
test_cookie | 15 minutes | The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. |
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | 5 months 27 days | A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. |
YSC | session | YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. Users can opt out of tracking activity directly on the YouTube website. |
yt-remote-connected-devices | never | YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. Users can opt out of tracking activity directly on the YouTube website. |
yt-remote-device-id | never | YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. Users can opt out of tracking activity directly on the YouTube website. |
yt.innertube::nextId | never | This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. Users can opt out of tracking activity directly on the YouTube website. |
yt.innertube::requests | never | This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. Users can opt out of tracking activity directly on the YouTube website. |