Christmas music or Christmas songs comprise a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly after. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. "Christmas season" redirects here For other uses see Christmas season (disambiguation.

Contents 1 Content 2 History 3 Traditional Christmas songs 4 Popular Christmas songs 4.1 Most-performed 'Holiday' songs 5 Adopted Christmas songs 6 Novelty songs 7 Radio broadcasting 8 See also 9 References 10 Notes 11 External links 12 Further reading

Content

Christmas music as a term describes a set of music generally played during the related holiday season, including a large amount of music whose thematic and topical focus is not actually the holiday itself. "Christmas season" redirects here For other uses see Christmas season (disambiguation. Lists of holidays The words holiday or vacation have related meanings in different English-speaking countries and continents but will usually refer to one of Often the songs have no content addressing the holiday, but instead focus on wintry or other themes. A song is a Musical composition. Songs contain vocal parts that are performed 'sung' and generally feature Words ( Lyrics) commonly followed Lists of holidays The words holiday or vacation have related meanings in different English-speaking countries and continents but will usually refer to one of Winter is one of the four Seasons of Temperate zones Calculated astronomically, it begins on the Solstice and ends on the Equinox Many have been adopted to the genre for other reasons, such as the reverential nature of the composition. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Musical composition is an original piece of Music the structure of a musical piece the process of creating a new Ultimately, Christmas music is that which has become associated with the holiday because it:

• refers directly to the nativity of Jesus Christ;
• refers directly to the folklore surrounding Christmas such as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Santa Claus's reindeer, Santa's elves, the North Pole, etc. Lists of holidays The words holiday or vacation have related meanings in different English-speaking countries and continents but will usually refer to one of For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological Father Christmas is a name used in many English speaking countries for the gift-bringing figure of Christmas. Saint Nicholas (Άγιος Νικόλαος, Agios Nikolaos, "victory of the people" is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a Christian Saint Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply " Santa " is the Mrs Claus (also called Mother Christmas is the Mythical wife of Santa Claus. Santa Clause's Reindeer are a team of flying animals traditionally held to pull his sleigh and help him deliver Christmas gifts An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is subject to the caveats explained below defined as the point in the northern ;
• refers directly to the traditions surrounding Christmas such as Twelve Days of Christmas, Christmas tree, wassailing, yule log, stockings, lights, etc. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of The Twelve Days of Christmas, and the associated evenings of those twelve days (Twelve-tide are the festive days beginning the evening of Christmas Day ( December 25 A Christmas tree, Yule tree, holiday tree or Tannenbaum (fir tree is one of the most popular Traditions associated with the celebration Wassailing is the practice of people going door-to-door singing Christmas carols In modern times it is most commonly known through reference in various traditional Christmas A Yule log, sometimes known as the Great Ashen Faggot, is a large log which is burned in the hearth as a part of traditional Yule or Christmas ChristmasStockingjpg|thumb|A Christmas stocking hung on a bedpost Christmas lights (also sometimes called fairy lights, twinkle lights or holiday lights in the United States are strands of Electric lights used ;
• has been heard regularly around holiday season, particularly songs with a wintry theme; or
• tends to elicit memories from, and put people into the mood of, the Christmas season. "Christmas season" redirects here For other uses see Christmas season (disambiguation. "Christmas season" redirects here For other uses see Christmas season (disambiguation.

Many songs not originally intended for Christmas have been "adopted" to the genre, often due to:

• devotional or reverential essence;
• wintry theme;
• the time in which they were released.

History

Music was an early feature of the Christmas season and its celebrations. "Christmas season" redirects here For other uses see Christmas season (disambiguation. But the first chants, litanies, and hymns were in Latin and too theological for popular use. Chant (from Old French chanter) is the Rhythmic speaking or Singing of Words or Sounds often primarily on one or two A litany, in Christian worship, is a form of Prayer used in Church services and Processions and consisting of a number of petitions A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The 13th century found the rise of the carol written in the vernacular under the influence of Francis of Assisi. A Christmas carol (also called a Noël) is a carol ( Song or Hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, or the winter For the opera by Olivier Messiaen see Saint-François d'Assise.

The word carol comes from the Greek word choraulein, meaning a circle dance performed to flute music. The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. In the Middle Ages, the English combined circle dances with singing and called them carols. Later, the word carol came to mean a song in which a religious topic is treated in a style that is familiar or festive. From Italy, it passed to France and Germany, and later to England. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Music in itself soon became one of the greatest tributes to Christmas, and Christmas music includes some of the noblest compositions of the great musicians.

During the British Commonwealth government under Cromwell, the British Parliament prohibited the practice of singing Christmas carols as pagan and sinful. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories A Christmas carol (also called a Noël) is a carol ( Song or Hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, or the winter Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Its pagan roots in the 13th century and its overly "democratic" 14th century influences made it an unsuitable activity for the general public and it was to be mandated so, by the Commonwealth government of 1647.

Puritans at this time disapproved as well of the celebration of Christmas, and did not close shop on that day, but continued to work through December 25. A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of Worship and Doctrine, Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian When in 1660 Charles II restored the Stuarts to the throne, the public once again practiced the singing of Christmas carols, greatly reviving Christmas celebrations. Charles II may refer to Charles the Bald (823 &ndash 877 king of the West Franks and Holy Roman Emperor Charles II of Naples (1248 The House of Stuart or Stewart was a Royal house of the Kingdom of Scotland, later also of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of ^[1]

Traditional Christmas songs

Songs which are traditional, even some without a specific religious context, are often called Christmas carols. A Christmas carol (also called a Noël) is a carol ( Song or Hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, or the winter A more or less standard set of these traditional Christmas songs might include such titles as:

• "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!"
• "The First Noel"
• "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"
• "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen"
• "Jolly Old St. " Hark! The Herald Angels Sing " is a Christmas Hymn or carol written by Charles Wesley, the brother of John Wesley. " The First Nowell " is a traditional English Christmas carol, most likely from the 16th or 17th century but possibly dating from as early as the 13th century " It Came Upon the Midnight Clear " is a poem and Christmas carol written by Edmund Sears, pastor of the Unitarian Church in Weston God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (or God rest you merry gentlemen) is a traditional Christmas carol. Nicholas"
• "Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night)"
• "We Three Kings of Orient Are"
• "What Child Is This"
• "Deck the Halls"
• "Away In a Manger"
• "Silent Night"
• "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
• "Jingle Bells"
• "O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)"

Each of these has a rich history, some dating back many centuries. " O Holy Night " (" Cantique de Noël " is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem " O Holy Night " (" Cantique de Noël " is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "We Three Kings of Orient Are" also known as "The Quest of the Magi" is a Christmas carol (technically an Epiphany carol written by "What Child Is This?" is a popular Christmas carol that was written in 1865 "Deck the Halls" is a traditional Yuletide and New Years' carol " Away in a Manger " is a religious Christmas carol first published in an 1885 Lutheran Sunday School book by James R " Silent Night " (" Stille Nacht " is a popular Christmas carol. "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is a popular Christmas carol. "Jingle Bells", also known as "One Horse Open Sleigh", is one of the best known and commonly sung secular Christmas songs in the world " Adeste Fideles " is the name of a Hymn tune written by John Francis Wade in 1743 and the first line of the Latin text for which the tune was " Adeste Fideles " is the name of a Hymn tune written by John Francis Wade in 1743 and the first line of the Latin text for which the tune was ^[2]

Popular Christmas songs

More recently popular Christmas songs, often introduced through film or other entertainment medium, are specifically about Christmas, but are typically not overtly religious and therefore do not qualify as Christmas carols. Many popular Christmas songs have been introduced in theater television and film A Christmas carol (also called a Noël) is a carol ( Song or Hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, or the winter The archetypal example is 1942’s “White Christmas”, although many other holiday songs have become perennial favorites, such as Gene Autry’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. " White Christmas " is an Irving Berlin song whose lyrics reminisce about White Christmases. Orvon Gene Autry ( September 29 1907 &ndash October 2 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a song and popular Christmas story about Santa Claus 's ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red-colored

Most-performed 'Holiday' songs

According to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the following are the Top 25 most-performed “Holiday” songs for the first five years of the 21st Century^[3]:

  1. The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP) is a non-profit Performance rights organization that protects its The 21st century is the current century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.  "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) - Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
  2. "Christmas Song" redirects here For the Mannheim Steamroller record of the same name see Christmas Song (album. Melvin Howard Tormé ( September 13, 1925 &ndash June 5, 1999) nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician known as  "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" - Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
  3. " Santa Claus Is Coming to Town " (sometimes with Coming changed to Comin') is a Christmas song.  "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
  4. " Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas " is a Christmas song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me In St  "Winter Wonderland" - Felix Bernard, Richard B. "Winter Wonderland" is a pop standard written in 1934 by Felix Bernard (composer and Richard B  Smith
  5.  "White Christmas" - Irving Berlin
  6. " White Christmas " is an Irving Berlin song whose lyrics reminisce about White Christmases. Irving Berlin (11 May 1888 &ndash 22 September 1989 was a Russian-born American Composer and Lyricist, and one of the most prolific American songwriters  "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" - Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
  7. " Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! " (sometimes also known as " Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow " or less frequently as " Let It Snow Sammy Cahn ( June 18, 1913 &ndash January 15, 1993) was a 4-time Academy Award -winning American lyricist songwriter  "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" - Johnny Marks
  8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a song and popular Christmas story about Santa Claus 's ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red-colored Johnny Marks ( November 10, 1909 - September 3, 1985) was an American Songwriter.  "Jingle Bell Rock" - Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe
  9. "Jingle Bell Rock" is the name of a popular Christmas song.  "I'll Be Home for Christmas" - Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram
 10. " I'll Be Home for Christmas " is a Christmas Song, written by Walter Kent.  "Little Drummer Boy" - Katherine K. " The Little Drummer Boy " is a popular Christmas song, with words and music by Katherine K  Davis, Henry V.  Onorati, Harry Simeone
 11.  "Sleigh Ride" - Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
 12. " Sleigh Ride " is a popular light Orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson  "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" - Edward Pola, George Wyle
 13.  "Silver Bells" - Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
 14. "Silver Bells" is a classic Christmas song, composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.  "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" - Johnny Marks
 15. " Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree " is a Christmas song, written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958 on Decca 9-30776 Johnny Marks ( November 10, 1909 - September 3, 1985) was an American Songwriter.  "Feliz Navidad" - José Feliciano
 16. José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) is a Puerto Rican singer and guitarist  "Blue Christmas" - Billy Hayes, Jay W. " Blue Christmas " is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W  Johnson
 17.  "Frosty the Snowman" - Steve Nelson, Walter E. " Frosty the Snowman " is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County  Rollins
 18.  "A Holly Jolly Christmas" - Johnny Marks
 19. Johnny Marks ( November 10, 1909 - September 3, 1985) was an American Songwriter. Johnny Marks ( November 10, 1909 - September 3, 1985) was an American Songwriter.  "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" - Tommie Connor
 20. " I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus " is a Christmas song with music and lyrics by Tommie Connor  "Here Comes Santa Claus" (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) - Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman
 21. " Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane " is a Christmas song written by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman. Orvon Gene Autry ( September 29 1907 &ndash October 2 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy  "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" - Meredith Willson
 22. "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is a classic Christmas song written in 1951 by Meredith Willson while staying at the Grand Hotel in Yarmouth  "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays" - Bob Allen, Al Stillman
 23.  "Carol of the Bells" - Peter J. "Carol of the Bells" (also known as the "Ukrainian Bell Carol" or as "Ring Christmas Bells") is a choral miniature work originally composed  Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich
 24.  "Santa Baby" - Joan Ellen Javits, Philip Springer, Tony Springer
 25. "Santa Baby" is a 1953 Christmas song written by Joan Javits (the niece of Jacob K  "Wonderful Christmastime" – Paul McCartney

"Re-recorded and revived by each decade's most popular artists, these holiday favorites illustrate the vital connection between ASCAP music creators and the holiday spirit, which fills the airwaves each year. Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP) is a non-profit Performance rights organization that protects its For Americans and many others around the world, these classic lyrics and melodies are inseparable from the celebration of the holiday season - brightening lives year after year, and serving as a cornerstone of the ASCAP repertory". The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP) is a non-profit Performance rights organization that protects its ^[4]

—ASCAP President and Chairman, Marilyn Bergman

Of these, the oldest songs are “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and “Winter Wonderland” which both came out in 1934. Marilyn Bergman (born November 10, 1929) is a Composer, Songwriter and Author. " Santa Claus Is Coming to Town " (sometimes with Coming changed to Comin') is a Christmas song. "Winter Wonderland" is a pop standard written in 1934 by Felix Bernard (composer and Richard B Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The newest song is Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmastime from 1979. Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Songs introduced through motion pictures in the top 25 are: “White Christmas” from Holiday Inn (1942), “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and “Silver Bells” in The Lemon Drop Kid (1950). Many popular Christmas songs have been introduced in theater television and film A white Christmas, to most people in the Northern Hemisphere, refers to Snowy weather on Christmas Day. Holiday Inn is a 1942 Film starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, which featured the music of Irving Berlin. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. " Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas " is a Christmas song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me In St Meet Me in St Louis is a 1944 romantic Musical film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer which tells the story of four sisters living in Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "Silver Bells" is a classic Christmas song, composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. The Lemon Drop Kid is a 1951 comedy film based on the short story by writer Damon Runyon. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The writer with most top Christmas songs is Johnny Marks with three: “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree,” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas”. Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular A white Christmas, to most people in the Northern Hemisphere, refers to Snowy weather on Christmas Day. Johnny Marks ( November 10, 1909 - September 3, 1985) was an American Songwriter. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a song and popular Christmas story about Santa Claus 's ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red-colored " Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree " is a Christmas song, written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958 on Decca 9-30776 Johnny Marks ( November 10, 1909 - September 3, 1985) was an American Songwriter. By far the most recorded Christmas song is “White Christmas” with well over 500 versions in dozens of languages. A white Christmas, to most people in the Northern Hemisphere, refers to Snowy weather on Christmas Day.

Adopted Christmas songs

Much of what we know as Christmas music today was adopted from music initially created for other purposes, and retroactively applied to or associated with the holiday.

A significant subset of the secular songs are regarded as “Christmas” songs due to the time of year that they are most often sung, despite never mentioning anything about Christmas. These songs include traditional favorites such as “Winter Wonderland”, “Let it Snow”, and “Sleigh Ride” (whose standard lyrics mention not a holiday party but a birthday party). "Winter Wonderland" is a pop standard written in 1934 by Felix Bernard (composer and Richard B " Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! " (sometimes also known as " Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow " or less frequently as " Let It Snow " Sleigh Ride " is a popular light Orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson

These songs fall into the generic “winter” classification, as they carry no Christmas connotation at all. To popularize a winter-themed song, especially in the United States, without its being regarded as a “Christmas” song, would be difficult. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In fact, winter-themed songs are generally not played on the radio in the U.S. during the larger part of the winter after the Christmas season has ended, although they may receive limited radio airplay on some stations, particularly after a significant snow event. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

The other subset of this type is the "Christmas number one single" and "Christmas number two single. Each year record companies compete for the Christmas number one single spot on the British charts. Every year in the UK Singles Chart, there is a highly publicised race for the Christmas Number One spot " Tending to be more short-lived in their association with the holiday, these songs have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas or even winter, but are released around the time of the Christmas holiday and reach the top of the charts in the United Kingdom. As such, some songs will be "tweaked" to make them more related to Christmas. This is almost exclusively a British phenomenon; such songs in the United States are rare. Perhaps the most enduring of this type is Wham!'s "Last Christmas. "Wham" redirects here For other uses see Wham (disambiguation. " Last Christmas " is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984 on a double A-side with " Everything She "

Novelty songs

Another subset of the popular Christmas songs, apart from the more sincere ones, are the many parodies or twists on existing songs, which are usually classified as "Novelty songs". A novelty song is a silly or nonsensical Song, performed principally for its comical effect. The best known of these include:

• "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" sung by 13-year old Jimmy Boyd in 1952. " I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus " is a Christmas song with music and lyrics by Tommie Connor For the actor from The Electric Company, see Jim Boyd (actor. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" written by John Rox and performed by Gayla Peevey (10 years old at the time) in 1953. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is a Christmas Novelty song written by John Rox and performed by Gayla Peevey (10 years old at the time Gayla Peevey (born 1943) is perhaps best known for her song " I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas " ( Columbia, 1953)
• "Nuttin' For Christmas" by Art Mooney and Barry Gordon, who was seven years old when he sang the song in 1955. Art Mooney ( 4 February 1911, Brooklyn, New York — 1993 Florida) was a popular Singer. Barry Gordon (born December 21 1948 in Brookline Massachusetts) is an American Film and television actor and political Talk show host and producer Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar)
• "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1958. "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late" is a song written by Ross Bagdasarian Sr Alvin and the Chipmunks is a six-time Grammy Award -winning animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian Sr Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• "Monster's Holiday" recorded by Bobby "Boris" Pickett, written by Paul Harrison, released December 1962. Robert George Pickett ( February 11, 1938 &ndash April 25, 2007) was an American singer who found fame under the name Bobby "Boris" For the former professional ice hockey goaltender see Paul Harrison (ice hockey. Events in December Union Day of Romania (1 December World AIDS Day ( December 1) National Day of Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" by Elmo & Patsy which came out in 1979. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is a novelty Christmas song and the eponymous animated movie Elmo Shropshire, better known as Dr Elmo, is a singer of Comedy songs most notably " Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar)

Even Cheech and Chong got into the act with "Santa Claus and His Old Lady" recorded in 1971. Cheech & Chong are a Comedy duo, consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Christmas novelty songs can involve gallows humor and even morbid humor like that found in "Christmas at Ground Zero" and "The Night Santa Went Crazy", both by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Gallows humor is a type of humor that arises from stressful, traumatic or life-threatening situations such as wartime events hostilities mass murder often in circumstances Christmas At Ground Zero is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. " The Night Santa Went Crazy " is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic (ˈjæŋkəvɪk born October 23 1959 is a Grammy Award winning American singer Musician, actor satirist ^[5] Radio personality Bob Rivers has parlayed the format into several albums in the Twisted Christmas line. Bob Rivers is a well known American Rock and roll Radio on air personality in the Pacific Northwest as well as a prolific producer For the similarly named Twisted Sister album see A Twisted Christmas Twisted Christmas is a Humorous The number of Christmas novelty songs is so immense that radio host Dr. Demento devotes an entire month of weekly two-hour episodes to the format each year, and the novelty songs receive frequent requests at radio stations across the country. Dr Demento is the Stage name of Barret Eugene Hansen (born April 2, 1941) a Radio Disc jockey specializing in Novelty

Radio broadcasting

Radio broadcasting of Christmas music has been around for several decades. In the early 1990s, it became increasingly common to air uninterrupted days of popular Christmas music marathons in December. As early as 1992, some American radio stations began airing Christmas music all day on December 24-25. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian By 2000, several stations were starting the trend earlier in the month.

After 9/11, it became especially popular. After those terrorist attacks, radio stations across the country sought a sort of musical "comfort food" and began airing a format of continuous Christmas music from Thanksgiving evening through Christmas Day. In the United States, Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is an annual one-day legal holiday to express Gratitude for the things one has The format was widely successful, and because of Christmas creep, radio stations have since moved up the usual format change to the Friday before Thanksgiving. Christmas creep is the commercial phenomenon of merchants and retailers exploiting the commercialized status of Christmas by moving up the start of the holiday shopping Several stations, such as KOSY-FM, air all Christmas music even earlier, at the beginning of November, although this is generally the exception rather than the norm and stations that change formats earlier than November usually receive backlash from listeners. KOSY-FM is a commercial Radio station located in Centerville Utah, broadcasting to the Salt Lake City Utah area on 106

Christmas music is also popular as an eccentric stunt format, used when a station is changing formats. Stunting in Radio Broadcasting occurs when a Radio station abruptly begins broadcasting seemingly uncharacteristic programming For instance, a rock music station changing to a rhythmic oldies format will often air Christmas music in-between. It often occurs either at times when Christmas music seems out of place (for instance, in summer months) or for prolonged periods of time (for example, starting in October and not stopping until Christmas).

Satellite radio providers XM and Sirius, typically devote numerous channels during the holiday season to air different genres of Christmas music. AOL Radio also devotes channels, and even features a year-round Christmas music channel.

See also

• Christmas songs
• Christmas carol
• List of Christmas carols
• Christmas songs introduced in theater, television, and film
• Christmas hit singles
• Christmas number-one singles in the UK

References

• What Pop Music Can Teach Us About The Spirit Of Christmas^[6] - Essay on the seasonal value of pop music
• Carol Histories and Track Lists
• Christmas Time "the true spirit of Christmas"
• ASCAP ANNOUNCES TOP 25 HOLIDAY SONGS
• Bill Petro
• 100 Greatest Novelty Songs

Notes

External links

• Christmas Lyrics to your favorite Christmas music, Christmas Carol, and Christmas song
• Vote Christmas Songs - A chart for alternative Christmas songs.
• Christmas Matters - Music - A guide to Christmas music: Pop, Folk / Traditional & Classical.
• Christmas Broadband - Your favorite Christmas music. All Day. Every day.
• The Christmas Channel - 24/7 Christmas Music from Massachusetts Internet Radio
• New Christmas Music - Original and traditional Christmas songs
• Alt and Indie Christmas Songs - Blog series of Xmas songs from many modern artists
• Christmas Songs - Hundreds of traditional and contemporary Christmas songs with music
• All Christmas Internet Radio - free Christmas music online
• FaLaLaLaLa - Preserving old holiday recordings
• Christmas Production Music^[1] - Royalty Free Christmas Music

Further reading

• Stories Behind The Best-Loved Songs Of Christmas by Ace Collins, 160 pages, ISBN 0762421126, 2004. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
• The International Book of Christmas Carols by W. Ehret and G. K. Evans, Stephen Greene Press, Vermont, ISBN 0828903786, 1980. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar)
• Victorian Songs and Music by Olivia Bailey, Caxton Publishing, ISBN 1840674687, 2002. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.
• Spirit of Christmas: A History of Our Best-Loved Carols by Virginia Reynolds and Lesley Ehlers, ISBN 0880884142, 2000. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.
• Christmas Music Companion Fact Book by Dale V. Nobbman, ISBN 1574240676, 2000. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

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