Christmas songs with storied pasts

Christmas songs with storied pasts – Christmas songs remain near and dear to people’s hearts, and a few of these beloved songs have interesting back stories. Plus, check out this list of the 10 most downloaded Christmas songs.

Christmas songs with storied pasts - Christmas songs remain near and dear to people's hearts, and a few of these beloved songs have interesting back stories. Plus, check out this list of the 10 most downloaded Christmas songs.

Christmas songs with storied pasts

The Christmas season is not complete without music. Christmas hits play in shopping malls, and families often trim the tree to their favorite albums. That is why I want to share with this blog post for Christmas Music Mondays.

Christmas hits play in shopping malls, and families often trim the tree to their favorite albums. Even if Elvis’ “Blue Christmas” or Johnny Mathis’ “Do You Hear What I Hear” reign supreme in your household, it can be interesting to learn about some of the other songs made famous this time of year.

Modern classics

Classic carols may be the first Christmas songs that come to mind. However, less than a quarter century ago a pop singer managed to contribute to the holiday music pantheon. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” released in 1994, is considered to be the most popular modern Christmas standard. With global sales exceeding 16 million copies, the song is one of Carey’s biggest hits. Still the top downloaded, see the list below.

Sad Origins

“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” with its warning to children to be nice since Santa is keeping tabs on kids’ behavior, has helped children tow the line for decades. Songwriter James “Haven” Gillespie was asked to pen the tune during one of the darker times in his life. Gillespie was jobless and poor and his brother had just passed away – hardly inspiration for a Christmas tune. However, after thinking about the memories he shared with his brother, Gillespie was able to pull together an upbeat and catchy classic, changing his life for the good.

Bestseller

Even though “Silent Night” is the most recorded Christmas song in history, another tune holds the title of the best-selling holiday standard of all time. “White Christmas” was written in 1942 and reminisces about an old-fashioned Christmas celebration. The version recorded by Bing Crosby has estimated sales in excess of 100 million copies worldwide, according to “The Guinness Book of World Records.” There are various accounts as to when and where Irving Berlin wrote the song. Some state he did so at a hotel in Hollywood, while others say it was the Arizona Biltmore. Wherever Berlin happened to be when writing the tune, there’s no doubt he was pining for the quintessential white Christmas.

The song was written for the 1942 movie “Holiday Inn,” starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. It became an instant classic and remains Crosby’s best-selling recording. Some of the most recent versions of the song have been recorded by Pentatonix, Sara McLachlan and Laura Pusini.

Music is integral to many celebrations during the Christmas season. Sadly most of these are from secular bands and not Christian bands.

2020 Christmas Tunes

This is the iTunes list of Top 10 Christmas Song Downloads

  1. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
  2. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (Single) Brenda Lee
  3. Jingle Bell Rock (Single Version) Bobby Helms
  4. Take Me Home for Christmas Dan + Shay
  5. It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas Michael Bublé
  6. Hallelujah Carrie Underwood & John Legend
  7. Christmas / Sarajevo 12/24 (Instrumental) Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  8. Santa Tell Me Ariana Grande
  9. Underneath the Tree Kelly Clarkson
  10. You Make It Feel Like Christmas (feat. Blake Shelton) Gwen Stefani

2020 List as of December 18, 2020.

2019 Christmas Tunes

This list below is from iTunes and their Top 10 Christmas Song Downloads.

  1. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
  2. I’ll Be Your Santa Tonight – Keith Urban
  3. Last Christmas (Single Version) – Wham!
  4. Mary, Did You Know? – Pentatonix
  5. Underneath the Tree – Kelly Clarkson
  6. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (Single) – Brenda Lee
  7. Feliz Navidad – José Feliciano
  8. Like It’s Christmas- Jonas Brothers
  9. Christmas / Sarajevo 12/24 (Instrumental) – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  10. It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas – Michael Bublé

2019 list is as of December 10, 2019.

2018 Christmas Tunes

Don’t recall where I found the 2018 list. But, seeing the list for 2019 compared to 2018 can show you something!

  1. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
  2. Mary, Did You Know? – Pentatonix
  3. Christmas/Sarajevo 12/24 (Instrumental) – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  4. Mistletoe – Justin Bieber
  5. Christmas Canon – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  6. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
  7. Believe – Josh Groban
  8. Last Christmas (Single Version) – Wham!
  9. Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
  10. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams

What’s your favorite Christmas Song?

Feel free to share in the comments what your favorite Christmas Song is.

Article compliments of Metro Creative. HL17A389 & GG189338 – First Published December 17, 2018. Last updated or republished December 18, 2020.

About the Author

Author: Steve Patterson

A Christian Blogger that enjoys blogging about the Bible, Theology, God, Jesus Christ, Christian Music, Family, Cats, Odd Holidays, sewing and much more. I have been blogging since 2004, however, I have been blogging on Courageous Christian Father since 2012. I enjoy listening to Christian Music. I am married with 1 daughter, 2 step-sons and a step daughter.

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