Adolphe Adam composed 'O Holy Night' in 1847, deriving from the French Christmas poem 'Minuit, chrétiens' ('Midnight, Christians') by Placide Cappeau. In 1906 Reginald Fessenden played a violin version of the tune, which ended up being the first music ever broadcasted over the radio.
Despite the play time this Christmas song gets today, the song was never released as a single; Columbia Records instead promoted Andy Williams' cover of 'White Christmas' for his 1963 'The Andy Williams Christmas Album.' This song was also selected as the theme song for the Christmas Seals (seasonal mailing labels that raise funds for charities) in both 1968 and 1976.
This Christmas song first appeared in the movie 'Meet Me in St. Louis' with actress Judy Garland. Originally Garland objected to the song because it was depressing with lines such as, "Have yourself a merry little Christmas/ It may be your last." Revisions were made, resulting in the light-hearted ode we hear today.
The song is based off Pachelbel's 'Canon in D Major,' with lyrics sung by the St. Bartholomew's Church Choir (in New York City). 'Christmas Canon' -- released on the 1998 album, 'The Christmas Attic' -- is TSO's most recognizable tune, featured in iTune's Top 100 most downloaded Holiday and Christmas songs.
'The Christmas Song,' written by Mel Torme and Bob Wells, started by jotting down phrases, 'Chestnuts rolling...Jack Frost Nipping' in efforts to keep their mind off the hot summer day; forty minutes later the song was born. Cole has recorded four versions; the first version (in 1946) was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974, but the final 1961 version with Orchestration by Ralph Carmichael is the version widely heard on radio stations today.
Irving Berlin wrote this Christmas song in 1940 for the 1942 movie 'Holiday Inn' starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. The morning after he wrote the song Berlin told his secretary, "Grab your pen and take down this song. I just wrote the best song I've ever written- hell, I just wrote the best song that anybody's ever written!" The version we hear today is not the original recorded by Crosby in 1942 but a rerecording in 1947 due to damage of the master tape. Today there are over 500 versions in dozens of languages.
What are Your Top 10 Christmas Songs?
Let us know what Christmas songs are your favorite in the comments. Also, don't miss our lists of the Best Funny Christmas Songs and Kids Christmas Songs.
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1. It must of been tough not adding lot of Christmas songs on here. Like Elvis and The Carpenters and The Ronettes. Your list though consist of all great songs.
Posted at 10:46PM on Oct 5th 2009 by awsumsooperviser