The most popular Christmas songs on the radio? This cool infographic — citing data from ASCAP — says Rocking Around the Christmas Tree, Jingle Bell Rock and Blue Christmas were tops from 2000-2009. But hey, where is Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt…. and how about Bruce Springsteen doing Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, which I’m thinking is ’90s? Also, I don’t think it’s a “Massive Project to Carefully Recreate the Christmases of Baby Boomers’ Childhoods” — I think we just like playing music… we like Christmas… and the best Christmas songs came from this era! Thanks to xkcd.com for this rockin’ graphic.
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Most favorite: I Want A Hippopatumus For Christmas!
Christmas as a kid was a time for dreams and hopes and this takes me back to that state of mind. Very peaceful and dreamy:)
I like all the old ones from the 40s, 50s and 60s…. Perry Como, Andy Williams — love them!
I will now use this forum to vent…. Is there anyone else who absolutely HATES all the “new” versions of songs, where everyone feels obligated to take one note and turn it into 14? I believe they call this doing “runs.” Makes me have the runs. (Sorry, that was gross, and uncalled for.) But it seriously makes me NUTS!
Instead of “Siiiiii -lent Night,” it’s “Si-ih-ih–ih- ayyyyyyyy-uh- lent Ni-iy-iy–iy-iy-iy – t.”
I have to change the station when they play one of those.
OK — now I feel better!
Those are called runs ? I think ruins is more appropriate ! I am with you Chris, I can’t change the station fast enough.
My kids’ favorite is Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey.
Absolutely the swingingest Xmas tune is The Holiday Season by Kay Thompson (under-appreciated talent powerhouse who played Maggie Prescott and also created the Eloise books — more at Wikipedia for those of you so inclined.)
Here is Andy Williams performing it in a mash-up with Irving Berlin’s Happy Holiday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2pQbphEipc
Lyrics to The Holiday Season (Happy Holiday) :
Happy Holiday
Happy Holiday
While the merry bells keep ringing
May your every wish come true
Happy Holiday
Happy Holiday
May the calendar keep bringing
Happy Holidays to you
It’s the holiday season
And Santa Claus is coming back
The Christmas snow is white on the ground
When old Santa gets into town
He’ll be coming down the chimney, down
Coming down the chimney, down
It’s the holiday season
And Santa Claus has got a toy
For every good girl and good little boy
He’s a great big bundle of joy
He’ll be coming down the chimney, down
Coming down the chimney, down
He’ll have a big fat pack upon his back
And lots of goodies for you and me
So leave a peppermint stick for old St. Nick
Hanging on the Christmas tree
It’s the holiday season
With the whoop-de-do and hickory dock
And don’t forget to hang up your sock
“Cause just exactly at 12 o’clock
He’ll be coming down the chimney
Coming down the chimney
Coming down the chimney, down!
Happy Holiday
Happy Holiday
While the merry bells keep ringing
Happy Holidays to you
Happy Holiday
Happy Holiday
May the calendar keep bringing
Happy Holidays to you
To you
Happy Holiday
PS: Kay Thompson played Maggie Prescott in “Funny Face”
Favorite Christmas Song:
“The Christmas Song” (a.k.a. Chestnuts Roasting…..) as sung by Nat King Cole.
I was born in 1970 but know quality when I hear it. When this song comes on you can just feel yourself slow down to enjoy the holidays. Thousands of years from now when they uncover the artifacts that represent the best of the 20th Century, this would have to be included!
If it Doesn’t Snow on Christmas by Gene Autry, or really anything by Gene Autry
Mele Kalikimaka, especially by Bing Crosby and the Andrews sisters, is one that makes me smile.
xkcd is a comic, so this is sarcastic— not a serious infographic.
Run DMC-Christmas in Hollis. Probably won’t find many here to agree with me on that though. Haha!!
xkcd is indeed a comic, but Randall Munroe, who writes it, does several of these infographics on different topics throughout the year, and they are always well-researched. He may draw sarcastic conclusions from the factual information (as he does here!) but he presents the facts. Check out his “Map of Online Communities 2010″ (the internet depicted as a world map):
http://xkcd.com/802/
or his recent “Money”:
http://xkcd.com/980/
I’m a longtime fan of XKCD, I totally buy the premise of the comic, and Ian proves the point. Christmas in Hollis is a very fun Christmas Song, so is Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses and lots of other more recent songs. But none of them can touch the older songs (which I also like) for widespread radio play, because they aren’t relevant to the Boomer demographic. There are just so many Boomers that they skew everything to their tastes.
“Faritale of New York”
Not one of my favorites and maybe that’s why it didn’t make the list…1949′s “All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth”. For some reason, my Grandmother love it though.
I loved
“I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus”. Mm mmm mmm mmm mm mmm mm mm mmmm mmm mmm. I’m going to be humming that all day.lol
Baby it’s cold outside by Blossom Dearie and Bob Dorough http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TioWJltl2wU
My fave is “Silver Bells.” I love it. I’m also a big fan of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (Dean Martin version), “Jingle Bells” (Sinatra version ONLY), and “Santa Baby” (Eartha Kitt version ONLY – yeah I’m picky.) I can’t believe that the annoying, cloying, overplayed “All I Want for Christmas is You” isn’t on there as one of the most played. It seems to be played once every six minutes on the Chicago Christmas station!!
‘ve never really liked Baby it’s Cold Outside, even though it is a good song musically. If you really listening to the lyrics and counter lyrics, Dean is just trying to get some and using the snow/cold as an excuse. I am a huge Dino fan……and I have nothing against getting some…..I just don;t really like the underlying purpose that the lyrics suggest.
War is Over: http://youtu.be/CbKsgaXQy2k
I remember sitting in the back of my parents’ car in 1973, traveling to my great-grandma’s farm in the snow, hearing this song and feeling happy and safe. It always takes me back to that time, though it now makes me feel sad more than safe. Still, it’s my favorite.
I do not agree that anyone is trying to recreate anyone’s childhood. I just think no one is writing Christmas songs much anymore.
I vote for Eartha Kit and Santa Baby, thank you!
I love the old traditionals (O Holy Night especially, and especially by Pavarotti) but I have to vote here for Santa Baby—Eartha Kitt’s version. I have never heard it that it doesn’t make me smile, even when jammed into the mall with other frenzied shoppers!
Second place vote is Blue Christmas by Elvis…because it’s by Elvis.
Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives. I know Christmas is really here when I hear it.
So tough to narrow it down…
“The Little Drummer Boy” by the Harry Simeone Chorale (and just about every remake since) is definitely my favourite. Followed by any song that appeared in a Rankin Bass Christmas special!
But why, oh WHY do they have to keep playing George Michael singing “Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away….” AAAAAAGH! When there are singers like Josh Groban and Bing Crosby we could be listening to!!!!
Doris Day singing “toyland”….
Anything on vinyl. I have made an attempt this year to get all the record players in our house up and running. There is nothing like hearing Bing pumping out of an old tube console.
I just about love them all – most bring back specific memories, like singing along with my grandmother to “The Chipmunk Song.” But if I had to choose one, it’d have to be “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” particularly the Bing Crosby version. No matter when, no matter where, this song always brings a tear to my eye (even when I was a kid) because there’s always someone who is either hundreds of miles away or no longer with us at Christmas, and this song always, always reminds me of them.
“How about Bruce Springsteen doing Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, which I’m thinking is ’90s?”
But “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” IS included. In fact, it’s the first song shown. The chart shows songs ordered by the decade when they were written; it isn’t showing specific renditions.
Also, the chart isn’treally saying that “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is number one. It’s the highest because it happens to be at the top of the column for the decade with the highest number of songs. Note that all the red and green boxes are exactly the same size, which indicates that they’re not quantifying anything. Also there’s no vertical axis on the chart.
I love Santa Baby by the amazing Eartha Kitt. I also love my James Brown Funky Christmas CD!!!!!
I actually love them all. They take this baby boomer back to those magical holiday seasons as a child. I wouldn’t traded them for anything.
I wish they would play Jingle Bells by the Singing Dogs and Christmas Don’t Be Late by Alvin and the Chipmunks!!!!!!!! “……….I want a plane that loops the loop, Me, I want a Hula Hoop….We can hardly stand the wait, please Christmas Don;t be Late….”
ok, I’m late to the party (blame a faulty modem that had me offline) but I was amused and amazed to see that xkcd and RetroRenovation had collided =) Two of my favorite web presences!! As for me, I adore “winter wonderland”
Better late than never, but one of my all-time favorites is Tex Logan’s “Christmas Time’s a-Comin’”, especially Sammy Kershaw’s rendition from the late ’90′s.
‘Christmas in Killarney’