It’s the most wonderful time of the year and not to mention the most musical. Think about all the memorable holiday songs blasting through the speakers of every mall in America. While artists like Sting and Andrea Bocelli release albums fitting for the season, let’s go back in time and pay homage to the classic songs that radio station, KOST 103.5 can’t get enough of this month.1. “Oh Holy Night” – It was originally a French poem called Minuit, Chrétiens (Midnight, Christians) by Placide Cappeau in the 1800s. Composer Adolphe Adam translated it to a Christmas carol in 1847. Popular renditions include Celine Dion (1998) and Josh Groban (2002).
2. “Silent Night” – The carol came from a German song called Stille Nacht by the Austrian priest Father Josef Mohr and composed by Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber. In 1859, John Freeman Young published the English translation that is the most frequently sung version. Artists such as Bing Crosby and Mannheim Steamroller both recorded their take on the classic tune in recent years.
3. “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot like Christmas” – It was written by Meredith Wilson in 1951 and it became a successful song that year as well. Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra recorded a hit version, as well as Bing Crosby.
4. “Jingle Bells” – James Lord Pierpont wrote the song under the copyright title “One Horse Open Sleigh” on September 16, 1857. A plethora of artists including Frank Sinatra, Louie Armstrong and most recently, American Idol alum Kimberley Locke sung a hit version of the classic song. Probably the most recognizable rendition was the one with Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters (1943).
5. “The Christmas Song” – This is an oldie but goodie, especially since people can’t seem to remember the title. It’s commonly referred to as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” or “Merry Christmas to You.” Vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells wrote this song in 1944. In fact, the Nat King Cole Trio’s original 1944 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.
6. “Chanukah Song” – Adam Sandler definitely delivered with this hilarious tribute to the Jewish celebration. Fans of the comedian can find this song on Sandler’s 1996 comedy album “What the Hell Happened to Me?” It was originally performed on Saturday Night Live and it still is a popular radio hit.
7. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” – It reached number one on the Billboard charts in 1952 and it stirred some controversy with the Roman Catholic Church in Boston. The city banned the song because the church claimed that it mixed sex with Christmas. Singer 13-year-old Jimmy Boyd had to meet with the Archdiocese to explain the song in order to lift a ban. After the meeting, the ban was eventually lifted.
8. “All I Want for Christmas is You” – Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff recorded this for Carey’s fifth album,” Merry” in 1994. It has been covered by singers such as John Mayer, Shania Twain and Miley Cyrus. In addition, the film, Love Actually (2003) featured a talented, young actress called Olivia Olson performing the song in a school play.
9. “The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)” – Even though it was first published as an English Christmas carol in 1780, it may be have been French in origin according to textual evidence. English scholar James O. Halliwell performed the song in 1842 and he published a version in The Nursery Rhymes of England in 1846. In the early 20th century, English composer Frederic Austin wrote an arrangement in which he added his melody from “five golden rings” which has since become a standard part of the song.
10. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”– This song first appeared in the 1944 Judy Garland film, Meet Me in St. Louis. Writing credits belong to Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane but in a 2006 radio interview, Martin revealed that Blane had nothing to do with penning the classic and he was encouraged to write it. In 2007, American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers (ASCAP) ranked this tune as the third most performed Christmas song written by ASCAP members of the past five years.
– Gail Navarro