Christmas is the only holiday with such a large range of music as a part of family traditions and celebrations. Every culture, ethnicity, and nationality that celebrates the holidays has songs that are important to them and fill their hearts with joy. Just for fun, here is a countdown of 10 of the most popular and most often played Christmas songs:
10. Must Be Santa by Hal Moore and Bill Fredericks was introduced in 1960 by Mitch Miller and is actually based on a German drinking song.
9. Jingle Bell Rock sung by Indiana native Bobby Helms first introduced this tune in 1957 and it became one of the first Rockabilly holiday songs recorded, sweeping the billboards every year it’s reintroduced.
8. Baby, It’s Cold Outside originally thought romantic, has recently been termed risqué or misogynistic and symbolic of a man not understanding the word, “No!” The version sung by Dean Martin, however, with its soft chorus of women’s vocals, is still a sweet holiday favorite for many Dean Martin fans.
7. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year sung by Andy Williams was originally associated with a Staples’ commercial!
6. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus was first sung in 1952 by 13-year-old Jimmy Boyd. The song, also, was first thought to be risqué and was condemned by the Roman Catholic Church of Boston for the song’s association with kissing and the godly holiday. Today, the version by the pop group Jackson 5 is played with great popularity every holiday season all across the globe.
5. Feliz Navidad, written and performed by Puerto Rican singer José Feliciano, is so popular that even today it’s heard during any New York holiday grocery shopping trip!
4. Let It Snow was first recorded during the hottest day of July in 1945 by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. However, with the coolest swags in musical history, Frank Sinatra’s 1950s version became a huge hit.
3. Bing Crosby’s White Christmas takes third place in the hit parade. While White Christmas is the best-selling song of all time, the best-selling holiday record goes to A Christmas Song with over 50 million sold.
2. Silent Night, was written in Austria on Christmas Eve in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber. Legend has it that, when the church organ broke, Gruber took out his guitar and this beautiful song was born.
1. A Christmas Song. Warm and comfy, Nat King Cole’s version was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 1974. It is the single most remade Christmas tune of all time and was originally written in 1944 by Mel Tormé and a friend during a summer heat wave. I wish you all a Holly Jolly Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
By: Diana Blidy