At the beginning of December, the Christmas atmosphere is noticeable, the streets are decorated with lamps and Christmas trees, and garlands can be seen on the doors of houses. It is also a time of shopping, which is often accompanied by well-known and liked American Christmas hits.
One of the most popular American songs is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. Its original version was performed by Judy Garland, and a few years later Frank Sinatra, having received permission, slightly modified the text of the piece – as a result, it was its performance that gained recognition and fame. Interestingly, this song was called evergreen, i.e. a song that has enjoyed unflagging popularity for at least 20 years and has been covered by numerous covers.
Christmas songs reign supreme in the holiday season, especially in shops and shopping centers. The over 30-year-old phenomenon of “Last Christmas” was performed by the unforgettable George Michael and the band Wham! Could have been written many times already. Especially the American one has much more to say in this field: Foreign Christmas music is not only modern pop hits, but also swing evergreens, and their undisputed king is Frank Sinatra!
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Sammy Cahn and Julie Styne – “Let it snow!”
This classic does not even mention Christmas, it is a great way to introduce the winter atmosphere. An interesting fact here is that the authors of the text were not inspired by winter and holidays, but … the great heat wave that hit Hollywood in July 1945. The first recording of this song was with Vaughn Monroe, but the most popular arrangements of this song include the performance of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.
Irving Berlin – “White Christmas”
In 1942 he won an Oscar in the Best Song category. It is worth mentioning that this piece is the third most frequently performed of the Christmas repertoire. Originally “White Christmas” was sung by Bing Crosby along with Martha Mears, now virtually every English-speaking singer on the album with Christmas hits has a cover of it.
James Pierpont’s – “Jingle Bells”
It was first recorded in 1857 under the name “One Horse Open Sleigh”. It is one of the most recognizable melodies in Poland, adored and sung mainly by children. Various versions of this work were created, including national versions, the text of which usually has little to do with the original. One of the most popular to this day is the version sung by “Frank Sinatra. Song from Sinatra’s 1948 “Christmas Song”.
Andy Williams – “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
Several generations of Americans know Andy Williams as “Mr. Christmas,” thanks to his omnipresent seasonal TV specials. 1962’s “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is his most famous Christmas song, with a warm, upbeat tempo and arresting time signature. And yes, Williams cites “scary ghost stories” as one of the charms of the season in “Most Wonderful Time.” Ghost stories on Christmas Eve were a Victorian thing — think Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
Katherine K. Davis – “The Little Drummer Boy “
American Christmas song is also known under the earlier title The Carol of the Drum.
Katherine K. Davis composed the piece and wrote the lyrics in 1941, using a theme known from an old traditional Czech Christmas carol. 1963 20th Century Fox Records released the song on the LP The Little Drummer Boy: A Christmas Festival. The single with the song, however, was still a Christmas hit.
Brenda Lee – “Rockin ‘Around the Christmas Tree”
A Brenda Lee Christmas song from 1958. It has since been recorded by many other music artists. By the song’s 50th anniversary in 2008, Lee’s original version had sold over 25 million copies.
John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie – “ Santa Claus is Comin ‘to Town”
Christmas song was written in 1932. The single was released as a remix created in 2005 to promote the re-release of the album Merry Christmas.
Jose Feliciano – “Feliz Navidad”
A Christmas song was written in 1970 by Puerto Rican singer and composer Jose Feliciano. Thanks to the simple Spanish chorus (Feliz Navidad means Merry Christmas in Spanish) and the unforgettable simple English verse “I wish you all the joy of Christmas from the bottom of my heart”, the song became a classic Christmas pop song.
Mel Tormé and composer Robert “Bob” Wells – “The Christmas Song”
a classic Christmas song composed in 1944 by jazz musician, also known as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” and “Merry Christmas to You.” “. Over the decades, the song has served as a cover for numerous music artists – the first task of remaking it into its version was undertaken by The Nat King Cole Trio in early 1946.
John Lennon – “Happy Xmas”
A Christmas song was released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko Ono. The song is subtitled “War is over” and is a very strong manifestation of the artists’ pacifist views. Nevertheless, it has become a Christmas standard, often recorded by other performers.
Bing Crosby – “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
American Christmas song from 1943. The first performer was the author himself.
The work resembles a letter written by a soldier, a participant in World War II, who asks his family to prepare their dream Christmas.
Wham! – “Last Christmas”
A song by the duo Wham! was released in 1984 and became one of their biggest hits. The video for it was shot in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. The music video featured, inter alia, team members George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley and presents a trip to a cabin at a ski resort. Preparations for the holidays begin there and the feeling …
Band-Aid 1984 – “Do they know it’s Christmas”
A song was written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure – the producer of the single. Sung by the greatest British and Irish musicians and singers of the 1980s, who under the name Band Aid worked to help the victims of the famine in Ethiopia.
Bing Crosby – “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” / “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”
Bing Crosby’s rich warm bass voice is perfectly suited to carols, and he recorded a whole set for his 1962 album I Wish You A Merry Christmas, using gorgeous orchestral arrangements by Bob Thompson, Peter Matz, and Jack Holloran and then over-dubbing his vocals on the music. The highlight of the album is a medley of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” based on a 1739 biblical carol using a melody from Felix Mendelssohn, and “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.” The words for that latter tune were composed in 1850 by a dour cleric called Edmund Sears
Shakin ‘Stevens – “Merry Christmas Everyone”
The song was released as a single in 1985 that became the most played song on the radio during Christmas of that year. The song is consistently ranked high in playback around the world.
Chris Rea – “Driving Home for Christmas”
A Christmas song was written and composed by the English singer and composer Chris Rea in 1988. It is among the top Christmas singles in the UK. The inspiration for its creation was getting stuck in a heavy traffic jam due to snowfall. Rea called the song a “car version of a carol”.
Mariah Carey – “All I Want For Christmas Is You”
The single promoting Mariah Carey’s album “All I Want for Christmas is You” also gained extraordinary popularity in the world. A 1994 song written and sung by an American singer. This is the best-selling modern Christmas song, it has enjoyed tremendous commercial success, reaching the top of the charts in many countries. According to the American weekly “The New Yorker”, this song “is one of the best additions to the Christmas atmosphere”. Interestingly, three completely different music videos were created for this song. It has sold over 16 million copies and grants Carey’s greatest international success.
Jimmy Durante – “Frosty The Snowman”
On June 20, 1950, 57-year-old Jimmy Durante went into MGM’s recording studios in Hollywood to record his first version of “Frosty the Snowman.” That orchestrated version was arranged and conducted by Roy Bargy, a pianist who had worked with jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke. His raspy-voiced version proved a hit for MGM after it was released in December 1950 for the Christmas rush.
Nat King Cole – “The Christmas Song” (Merry Christmas)
First recorded (twice) in 1946, then again in 1953 and, finally, in 1961, with an orchestra conducted by Ralph Carmichael, “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas)” is widely regarded as one of the season’s definitive songs. Ironically, the tune’s co-writer, Bob Wells and Mel Tormé composed it at the height of a sweltering summer. We can probably assume no chestnuts were roasting on an open fire right then.
Jackson 5 – “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town”
An enduring classic, John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie’s “Santa Claus Are Comin’ To Town” was first recorded in 1934 and has passed down the generations from Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters to Bruce Springsteen and Mariah Carey. Jackson 5’s euphoric version first appeared on their 1970 bestseller, Jackson 5 Christmas Album.
