it’s Christmas it’s the most wonderful
time of the year welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top 10 classic
Christmas songs
for this list we’re looking at those
Christmas songs and carols that have
been around for decades
while not all songs on the list
explicitly mentioned Christmas they are
associated with the festive holiday and
are played over and over again on the
radio during this time of year
number ten winter wonderland
kicking off our list is this cheery song
about a snowy day in winter written by
Felix Bernard and Richard B Smith in
1934 winter wonderland counts as a
Christmas tune due to its seasonal theme
surprisingly its original bridge about
two lovers spontaneous decision to get
married was considered unsuitable for
children
this led to the development of an
alternate bridge describing the couple
building a snowman only to see other
kids destroy it
however times have changed and the
original bridge found its way back into
modern recordings of the classic
number nine Frosty the Snowman thanks to
the success of another classic holiday
tune that appears later on our list this
seasonal ditty was composed by Walter
Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson during the
mid 20th century I must have been some
magic in that old silk hat and bound it
was then recorded by singing cowboy Gene
Autry and the Cass County boys with the
top 10 pop hit subsequently inspiring a
short black-and-white film about the
titular snowman no it’s been covered by
many artists Frosty the Snowman is
probably most fondly remembered by the
Jimmy Durante version as it appears in
the 30-minute 1969 TV special of the
same name
it was made
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer number 8
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and if
you ever saw it you would even say hello
when Rudolph is on the radio you know it
must be Christmastime this jolly song
based on the 1939 story of the same name
was written by famed holiday songwriter
Johnny marks
it’s most famous version was recorded by
Gene Autry in 1949 and it became the
first number one song of the 1950s
Autry’s recording has sold over 12.5
million copies and has been covered
countless times
including such cover versions Rudolph
the red-nosed reindeer has sold over 150
million copies worldwide making it the
second best-selling Christmas single of
all time behind white Christmas
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer you’ll go
down in history it’s beginning to look a
lot like curry number seven it’s
beginning to look a lot like Christmas
everywhere you go Meredith Willson took
the classic image of Christmas with its
candy canes and Holly and turned it into
a Christmas classic in 1951 take a look
in the five-and-ten glistenin once again
with candy canes and silver lanes aglow
many believe that wilson wrote the song
while staying at the Grand Hotel in
Yarmouth Nova Scotia because of the
reference to a tree in the Grand Hotel
one in the park as well with the park
being frost Park located across from the
hotel does it trim Grand Hotel 1 in the
park as well it’s the sturdy kind that
doesn’t mind the snow but it’s Bing
Crosby who recorded what’s arguably the
songs most famous version also in 1951
the bowels will starve this one is still
played today and the thing that will
make him rain is the carol let you sing
right Willie
number six the little drummer boy
originally titled carol of the drum this
popular christmas song was written by
catherine Kennecott davis in 1941 finest
gifts we bring her alone
the song tells the story of a poor young
boy who was sent to the Nativity where
he plays his drum for the newborn Jesus
while the austrian von trapp singers
take was what initially brought the
little drummer boy to a broader audience
the Harry Simeon chorale rendition found
even greater success and recognition in
the US in the late 50s another notable
and popular cover was its recording as a
duet by Bing Crosby and David Bowie in
1977 for Crosby’s last holiday TV
special
despite being a song with religious
themes rather than commercial ones it
continues to be a favorite come holiday
season
you better watch out you better not cry
better not never fine Santa Claus is
coming to town Santa Claus is coming to
town although it may seem like just a
silly kid song Santa Claus is coming to
town has become a holiday staple and is
one of the most popular Christmas songs
ever
composed by Haven Gillespie and John
Frederick Koontz the tune was first sung
on Eddie Cantor’s radio show in November
1934 it quickly became a smash and sold
over 30,000 records in one day he sees
you when you’re sleeping
he knows if you
oh goodness sake many artists have
covered the song across several
different genres including but certainly
not limited to Frank Sinatra the Jackson
5 Bruce Springsteen and Neil Diamond
santa is coming to town
number four jingle bells believe it or
not this famous Christmas song was
actually meant to be for American
Thanksgiving written by church organist
James Lord Pierpont and published in
1857 under the title the one-horse open
sleigh what fun it is to ride in a
one-horse open sleigh
it was republished with the name we know
and love today two years later
Jean the whole
since then jingle bells’ has become one
of the best-known Christmas songs in the
world it was also the first song to be
broadcast from space after the crew of
Gemini six serenaded Mission Control
with it in 1965 number three have
yourself a merry little Christmas
is there such a thing as a sad Christmas
song the original lyrics for this
holiday classic written by Hugh Martin
in the early 40s were rewritten before
its inclusion in meet me and st. Louis
as the film star Judy Garland
found it to be too depressing next year
Garland’s version which she sings to
console her younger sister at the end of
the musical combines joyous lyrics with
a somber tone that paints a picture of
fragile hope and optimism until
somehow
number two silent night
Oh
one of the most famous Christmas carols
in the world comes from Austria and made
its debut at one of the country’s parish
churches on Christmas Eve of 1818 so
tender
this iconic Carroll focuses on the
religious aspect of the holiday with
lines about the Virgin Mary and the
infant Jesus soldiers from England
France and Germany actually began the
Christmas truce of World War one by
singing silent night in the legendary
ceasefire of December 1914 which is a
testament to its power and endurance
attend any Christmas Eve Mass and
there’s a great chance you’ll hear this
hauntingly beautiful melody
before we unveil our number one pip here
are a few honorable mentions it’s the
most wonderful time
we
on the second day of Christmas my true
love gave to me two turtle doves and a
partridge in a pear tree
joy to the world the Savior reigns let
men their songs employ
number one white Christmas hi
dreaming of a white Christmas
who doesn’t love a white Christmas
Guinness World Records indicates that
Bing Crosby’s iconic rendition of this
tune is the best-selling single of all
time with over 50 million copies sold
around the globe the three tubs
listen and children
listen that makes it the best-selling
song ever
not just the best-selling Christmas song
dreaming away Krishna Crosby first
publicly performed the song on Christmas
Day in 1941 during his radio show white
Christmas also made an appearance in the
1942 musical film holiday in for which
it won the Academy Award for Best
Original Song
thanks to its mix of melancholy and
comforting images of home the song
resonates with everyone who celebrates
Christmas or just loves the season
that’s why it’s at the top of our list
with every Christmas
Oh
do you agree with our list what’s your
favorite classic Christmas songs
hair day
more festive top 10s published every day
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com
my sales be
Oh
time of the year welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top 10 classic
Christmas songs
for this list we’re looking at those
Christmas songs and carols that have
been around for decades
while not all songs on the list
explicitly mentioned Christmas they are
associated with the festive holiday and
are played over and over again on the
radio during this time of year
number ten winter wonderland
kicking off our list is this cheery song
about a snowy day in winter written by
Felix Bernard and Richard B Smith in
1934 winter wonderland counts as a
Christmas tune due to its seasonal theme
surprisingly its original bridge about
two lovers spontaneous decision to get
married was considered unsuitable for
children
this led to the development of an
alternate bridge describing the couple
building a snowman only to see other
kids destroy it
however times have changed and the
original bridge found its way back into
modern recordings of the classic
number nine Frosty the Snowman thanks to
the success of another classic holiday
tune that appears later on our list this
seasonal ditty was composed by Walter
Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson during the
mid 20th century I must have been some
magic in that old silk hat and bound it
was then recorded by singing cowboy Gene
Autry and the Cass County boys with the
top 10 pop hit subsequently inspiring a
short black-and-white film about the
titular snowman no it’s been covered by
many artists Frosty the Snowman is
probably most fondly remembered by the
Jimmy Durante version as it appears in
the 30-minute 1969 TV special of the
same name
it was made
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer number 8
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and if
you ever saw it you would even say hello
when Rudolph is on the radio you know it
must be Christmastime this jolly song
based on the 1939 story of the same name
was written by famed holiday songwriter
Johnny marks
it’s most famous version was recorded by
Gene Autry in 1949 and it became the
first number one song of the 1950s
Autry’s recording has sold over 12.5
million copies and has been covered
countless times
including such cover versions Rudolph
the red-nosed reindeer has sold over 150
million copies worldwide making it the
second best-selling Christmas single of
all time behind white Christmas
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer you’ll go
down in history it’s beginning to look a
lot like curry number seven it’s
beginning to look a lot like Christmas
everywhere you go Meredith Willson took
the classic image of Christmas with its
candy canes and Holly and turned it into
a Christmas classic in 1951 take a look
in the five-and-ten glistenin once again
with candy canes and silver lanes aglow
many believe that wilson wrote the song
while staying at the Grand Hotel in
Yarmouth Nova Scotia because of the
reference to a tree in the Grand Hotel
one in the park as well with the park
being frost Park located across from the
hotel does it trim Grand Hotel 1 in the
park as well it’s the sturdy kind that
doesn’t mind the snow but it’s Bing
Crosby who recorded what’s arguably the
songs most famous version also in 1951
the bowels will starve this one is still
played today and the thing that will
make him rain is the carol let you sing
right Willie
number six the little drummer boy
originally titled carol of the drum this
popular christmas song was written by
catherine Kennecott davis in 1941 finest
gifts we bring her alone
the song tells the story of a poor young
boy who was sent to the Nativity where
he plays his drum for the newborn Jesus
while the austrian von trapp singers
take was what initially brought the
little drummer boy to a broader audience
the Harry Simeon chorale rendition found
even greater success and recognition in
the US in the late 50s another notable
and popular cover was its recording as a
duet by Bing Crosby and David Bowie in
1977 for Crosby’s last holiday TV
special
despite being a song with religious
themes rather than commercial ones it
continues to be a favorite come holiday
season
you better watch out you better not cry
better not never fine Santa Claus is
coming to town Santa Claus is coming to
town although it may seem like just a
silly kid song Santa Claus is coming to
town has become a holiday staple and is
one of the most popular Christmas songs
ever
composed by Haven Gillespie and John
Frederick Koontz the tune was first sung
on Eddie Cantor’s radio show in November
1934 it quickly became a smash and sold
over 30,000 records in one day he sees
you when you’re sleeping
he knows if you
oh goodness sake many artists have
covered the song across several
different genres including but certainly
not limited to Frank Sinatra the Jackson
5 Bruce Springsteen and Neil Diamond
santa is coming to town
number four jingle bells believe it or
not this famous Christmas song was
actually meant to be for American
Thanksgiving written by church organist
James Lord Pierpont and published in
1857 under the title the one-horse open
sleigh what fun it is to ride in a
one-horse open sleigh
it was republished with the name we know
and love today two years later
Jean the whole
since then jingle bells’ has become one
of the best-known Christmas songs in the
world it was also the first song to be
broadcast from space after the crew of
Gemini six serenaded Mission Control
with it in 1965 number three have
yourself a merry little Christmas
is there such a thing as a sad Christmas
song the original lyrics for this
holiday classic written by Hugh Martin
in the early 40s were rewritten before
its inclusion in meet me and st. Louis
as the film star Judy Garland
found it to be too depressing next year
Garland’s version which she sings to
console her younger sister at the end of
the musical combines joyous lyrics with
a somber tone that paints a picture of
fragile hope and optimism until
somehow
number two silent night
Oh
one of the most famous Christmas carols
in the world comes from Austria and made
its debut at one of the country’s parish
churches on Christmas Eve of 1818 so
tender
this iconic Carroll focuses on the
religious aspect of the holiday with
lines about the Virgin Mary and the
infant Jesus soldiers from England
France and Germany actually began the
Christmas truce of World War one by
singing silent night in the legendary
ceasefire of December 1914 which is a
testament to its power and endurance
attend any Christmas Eve Mass and
there’s a great chance you’ll hear this
hauntingly beautiful melody
before we unveil our number one pip here
are a few honorable mentions it’s the
most wonderful time
we
on the second day of Christmas my true
love gave to me two turtle doves and a
partridge in a pear tree
joy to the world the Savior reigns let
men their songs employ
number one white Christmas hi
dreaming of a white Christmas
who doesn’t love a white Christmas
Guinness World Records indicates that
Bing Crosby’s iconic rendition of this
tune is the best-selling single of all
time with over 50 million copies sold
around the globe the three tubs
listen and children
listen that makes it the best-selling
song ever
not just the best-selling Christmas song
dreaming away Krishna Crosby first
publicly performed the song on Christmas
Day in 1941 during his radio show white
Christmas also made an appearance in the
1942 musical film holiday in for which
it won the Academy Award for Best
Original Song
thanks to its mix of melancholy and
comforting images of home the song
resonates with everyone who celebrates
Christmas or just loves the season
that’s why it’s at the top of our list
with every Christmas
Oh
do you agree with our list what’s your
favorite classic Christmas songs
hair day
more festive top 10s published every day
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com
my sales be
Oh
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