EXCLUSIVE: 'Fairytale of New York' Royalties Secrets Laid Bare — Including the Massive Amount Earned Every Year by The Pogues
The Pogues' continue to see money roll in for their huge Christmas song.
Dec. 19 2025, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
The Pogues remain one of the most lucrative fixtures of the modern Christmas season, with their 1987 single Fairytale of New York continuing to generate vast annual royalties nearly four decades after its release.
RadarOnline.com has the details of the astonishing amount of cash generated by the folksy festive duet, written by Jem Finer, 69, and the late Shane MacGowan, who died aged 65 in November 2023, and performed with English singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, who died aged 41 in a tragic accident in 2000.
Still Reeling in Cash After All These Years
The Pogues released 'Fairytale' of New York in 1987 and turned it into a Christmas classic.
First released in 1987, the song was recorded as part of the band's third album and has since become a seasonal staple across radio, streaming platforms, and public spaces in the U.K. and beyond.
Industry estimates suggest the track still earns hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, driven by its annual resurgence every December.
Recent 2025 estimates suggest the track pulls in approximately $800,000 AUD (around $535,000 USD) in royalties every single year.
Music copyright lawyer Brad Banias said: "I'd expect a 10-20 percent royalty rate split between the band, songwriters MacGowan/Finer, and Kirsty MacColl's estate."
Banias added experts believed the total could "exceed $670,000" if the song were ever to claim the U.K. Christmas number one spot.
Public interest has surged again after Shane MacGowan died in November 2023.
Written following a challenge to produce a Christmas song that avoided sentimentality, Fairytale of New York vividly weaves the story of a fractured relationship between an older couple in New York City.
MacGowan voices the male character, while MacColl delivers the female part, with the duo trading bitter lines as Christmas Day approaches.
Despite its bleak narrative, the song struck a powerful chord with listeners. Commercially, the track has repeatedly fallen short of the coveted top chart position.
Upon its original release, it peaked at number two, held off by the Pet Shop Boys' cover of Always On My Mind.
In late 2023, following MacGowan's death, a public campaign briefly pushed the song into the top five, but it was ultimately outpaced by Wham!'s Last Christmas.
A Tragedy and 'Cover-Up' Allegations
The BBC aired a censored version of the song in 2020 due to lyric concerns.
Along with MacGowan's death after a lifetime of hard living, the 25th anniversary of MacColl's shocking death continues to overshadow the song.
MacColl was killed by a speedboat off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico, on December 18, 2000, while protecting her two sons.
Her ex-husband, producer Steve Lillywhite, has publicly accused billionaire Guillermo Gonzalez Nova of orchestrating a crash "cover-up" to avoid a lawsuit.
Lillywhite claims deckhand Jose Cen Yam was paid to be the scapegoat, paying a mere $90 fine for the accident.
"A lot of people still think there's more to the story," one legal insider said. "Her death is still considered by many a mystery."
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Fairytale of New York remained one of the most profitable holiday songs of all time.
The song's longevity has not been without controversy regarding its lyrics, which prompted the BBC in 2020 to broadcast a censored version on Radio 1.
MacGowan defended the original wording, stating the characters were not "supposed to be nice people."
Despite the grit, public affection remains unshakable. In recent polls, Fairytale of New York was ranked as Britain's favorite Christmas song, finishing well ahead of Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You.
As of late 2025, Lillywhite is reportedly promoting a new version of the track featuring a mash-up of live performances, ensuring the "secular carol" remains a fixture for years to come.
