The bulk of Noddy’s Christmas haul comes from songwriting royalties. He co-wrote the track with drummer Don Powell, so every time “Merry Xmas Everybody” gets played on the radio, in a supermarket, or in a pub jukebox, a little digital coin drops into his account. We’re talking about a song that’s been played every single Christmas without fail since 1973—that’s over fifty years of festive income.
Think of it like this: you have a single, unkillable Christmas tree that magically grows money every December. You don’t have to water it, or untangle the lights, or worry about the cat knocking it over. Noddy just sits back, probably in a very comfortable armchair, and watches the royalties tumble down like tinsel from heaven. It’s the ultimate passive income, and it makes your side hustle selling homemade chutney look like a charity bake sale.
Estimates from music industry insiders suggest the song earns around £500,000 to £1 million in royalties every single year. Yes, you read that right. Half a million quid a year, just for a song that lasts three minutes and fifty-four seconds. That’s more than most of us will see in a decade, and he gets it annually—while we agonize over whether to buy the own-brand turkey.
The Pub Jukebox Tax
Then there’s the public performance side of things. Every time a pub, a department store, or a dentist’s waiting room plays the song, a fee gets paid to PRS for Music, which then splits it between the songwriters. So when you’re queueing for a pint and you hear “IT’S CHRISTMAAAAS!” over the speakers, you’re literally funding Noddy’s eggnog supply for January. It’s the closest we’ll ever get to being a mini-Santa to a rock legend.
‘Everybody wants to know how much I make’: Noddy Holder on Merry Xmas
Imagine your boss walks into the office Christmas party, plays the song on Spotify, and then tells you “This one’s for Noddy’s new yacht.” That’s basically how it works. Except your boss is the Prudential, and Noddy’s yacht probably has a helipad.
