![]() “Silent Night” is a Christmas carol written in Austria in the early 1800s. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was written by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent. This moving ballad tugs at the heart strings when the protagonist sings “I’ll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams.” That's partly because in the original version, originally sung by Bing Crosby in 1943, Americans were overseas fighting in World War II.Įlvis Presley included a stellar version of the track on his 1957 album “Elvis’ Christmas Album.” The irony is that Presley spent Christmas of’ ’58 and ’59 away from home in Germany as he had been drafted by the Army. 'It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' by Andy Williams We recommend the stellar version by Chicago soul singer Jerry Butler, who released it in 1960. “O Holy Night” has been recorded by artists of all stripes, from Mariah Carey to Celine Dion. ![]() John Sullivan Dwight translated “O Holy Night” into English and gave it a progressive tone for its times with the line, “Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother.” It became popular in abolitionist circles of the times. (Adams predated the American Jewish songwriters of the 20th century who would compose many of Christmas classics we love today.) ![]() The birth of Jesus is the redemption of man and woman, rejoice on this “O Holy Night.” The classic has an interesting background as it was composed by Placide Cappeau, an atheist, and Adolphe Adams, a Jew in 1840s France. The hymn “O Holy Night” is a seasonal show stopper that stirs the soul whenever it’s played on the radio - and it moves attendees to tears at Midnight Masses, too. Songs are ranked based on cumulative chart points earned over the ranking’s five-year history.View Gallery: Asbury Park Boardwalk unveils The Giving Tree in the Grand Arcade 7, 2018 (the final holiday ranking of the season). 10, 2011, inception and the chart dated Jan. is the place to be, especially around the holidays - “All I Want for Christmas Is You” takes the top spot, and is so popular that it re-enters the Billboard Hot 100 every December.īillboard’s Top 10 Holiday Songs are based on actual performance on Billboard’s weekly Holiday 100 chart – which encompasses airplay, sales and streaming data – between its Dec. “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Brenda LeeĪt just 13 years old, Brenda Lee instantly became a rockabilly legend with the recording of this Christmas party classic - it’s even featured in seminal holiday film Home Alone as Macaulay Culkin’s pretend party soundtrack.ġ. The legendary crooner found one of his most enduring hits in this Mel Torme composition - originally written, according to Torme, as a mind-over-matter attempt to stay cool during a stifling summer day.Ģ. “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You),” Nat King Cole The country classic, featuring the guitar of Nashville legend Hank Garland, was actually written by two ad men (think Don Draper, but in Atlantic City) in 1956 - which might explain how catchy it is.ģ. The Spanglish single has become one of the world’s most popular Christmas songs - no surprise given its endless sing-a-long potential. 3 on the Holiday 100 songs chart.īurl Ives first sang the song as Sam the Snowman, narrator of the beloved 1964 stop-motion classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - since then, it’s become one of country music’s most-covered Christmas tunes. ![]() More than 50 years in, this 1963 Andy Williams staple shows no signs of fatigue: It’s currently at No. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Andy Williams The medley of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Carol of the Bells” was first released on the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s 1996 debut - since then, they’ve become a holiday powerhouse.ħ. “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24),” Trans-Siberian Orchestra The song rose to prominence thanks to Crosby’s performance in Holiday Inn, which earned it an Academy Award for best original song in 1943 and has been popular ever since: According to Guinness World Records, it’s the best-selling single of all time.Ĩ. Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it’s the best song anybody ever wrote!” is what Tin Pan Alley legend Irving Berlin is reported to have told his secretary in 1940, just before writing “White Christmas” - arguably as important to the American songbook as “God Bless America,” which Berlin, a secular Jewish-American immigrant, also wrote. “I want you to take down a song I wrote over the weekend. Since 1984, George Michael‘s onward-and-upward Christmas anthem has been a seasonal favorite, earning covers by everyone from Taylor Swift to Jimmy Eat World. Superstar Pride Notched His First Hit With 'Painting Pictures' - But Has Much More to Say
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