List of popular Christmas singles in the United States
The following is a list of popular Christmas songs recorded by various artists, many of which have hit on various charts mostly in the United States (some only released in the artist's home country). A year indicates the original year of release for that artist's recorded version of the single or track, which may not necessarily be the first year the artist's version charted on one or more popular music charts by various music trade publications. However, many tracks were re-released as singles in subsequent years.
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
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| Title | Artist | Year | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| "A' Soalin'" | Peter, Paul & Mary | 1963 | From the album Moving. Written by Paul Stookey, Tracy Batteste & Elaina Mezzetti. Contains an element of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen". |
| "Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)" |
Associated Glee Clubs of America | 1925 | Peaked at No. 5 on the pop singles chart in 1925. This historic record was the first electrically recorded disc to create a popular impact, and featured the largest choir popular music has ever known: some 4,800 voices (according to Columbia Records).[1] Bing Crosby also charted with a version of the traditional hymn, which peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1960. Over 150 versions of this standard have appeared in Christmas LPs since 1946. |
| "All Alone on Christmas" | Darlene Love | 1992 | Peaked at No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in January 1993. From the 1992 film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. |
| "All I Really Want for Christmas" | Steven Curtis Chapman | 2005 | Peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart in January 2006. |
| "All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan" | Kenny Chesney | 2003 | Peaked at No. 30 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in December 2003. |
| "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" | Spike Jones and his City Slickers | 1948 | Spent three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys chart in December 1948 and January 1949. Also peaked at No. 14 on Billboard's Children's Records chart and No. 18 on Billboard's Best-Selling Pop Singles chart in January 1950. Written by Donald Yetter Gardner. |
| "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (1) | Carla Thomas | 1963 | Originally released as the B-side of Thomas's 1963 holiday hit, "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas". A new version recorded by Thomas peaked at No. 11 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1966. |
| "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (2) | Vince Vance & The Valiants | 1989 | Honored by Billboard as one of radio's most requested Christmas songs, it peaked at No. 31 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1994. First released as a single in 1989, but didn't become a country radio chart hit until 1993. Melody is the same as Bobby Vinton's 1964 top 10 pop hit, "My Heart Belongs to Only You". |
| "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (3) | Mariah Carey | 1994 | Peaked at No. 12 on Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart and No. 6 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in January 1995, No. 11 on Billboard Hot 100 in January 2016. Written by Walter Afanasieff and Mariah Carey. In December 2010, a version by Newsboys peaked at No. 24 on Billboard's Christian Songs chart. In December 2011, a version by Michael Bublé spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, while another version by Justin Bieber (in a duet with Carey) peaked at No. 3 on the same chart. |
| "All My Love for Christmas" | Lonestar | 1998 | Peaked at No. 61 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1999. From the 1998 various artists album Country Christmas Classics on RCA Records. |
| "Amen" | The Impressions | 1964 | Peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Dec. 1964-Jan. 1965. Also a minor chart hit for Lloyd Price and Erma Franklin in 1964 (Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles at No. 124), and Otis Redding in 1968. Featured in the 1963 film Lilies of the Field. An updated version released by The Impressions in 1969, reaching No. 44 on Billboard's Best Selling Soul Singles chart in January 1970. |
| "Angels Among Us" | Alabama | 1993 | Reached No. 51 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in early 1994 from unsolicited airplay, as a partial Christmas single from the band's album Cheap Seats. Peaked at No. 28 on the same Billboard chart in late 1994 and early 1995. |
| "Angels We Have Heard on High" | Sonicflood | 2003 | Traditional French carol known as Les Anges dans nos campagnes translated to English in 1862 by James Chadwick. Peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart in January 2004. In January 2006, Chris Tomlin also had a hit version on the Christian Songs chart, peaking at No. 5. |
| "Another Lonely Christmas" | Prince and The Revolution | 1984 | Peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1984. Originally released as the B-side of Prince and The Revolution's 1984 single "I Would Die 4 U". |
| "Auld Lang Syne" | Peerless Quartet | 1921 | Written by Robert Burns. The most popular version of the song for years was actually by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, Lombardo charting in the Music Vendor Christmas list of 1963 (a Decca re-release) . Lombardo first performed the song on radio in 1929, then recorded it in 1939 and again in 1947. New York City disc jockey Harry Harrison's 1965 narration "May You Always" utilizes "Auld Lang Syne" as instrumental backing. Kenny G scored a top 10 hit in 1999 with the song. |
| "Away in a Manger" | Reba McEntire | 1987 | Peaked No. 73 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1999. From Reba's 1987 holiday album, Merry Christmas to You. A 1998 version by Kenny Chesney peaked at No. 67 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2000. A 2005 version by Casting Crowns peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart. |
| "Babes in Toyland/March of the Toys" | Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops | 1958 | Written by Victor Herbert and Glen MacDonough. One of the most familiar Christmas instrumentals. Popular by Tommy Dorsey's orchestra (1939). Later recorded by Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Orchestra (1991). |
| "A Baby Changes Everything" | Faith Hill | 2008 | Spent three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in December 2008. From Hill's first Christmas album, Joy to the World. |
| "Baby, It's Cold Outside" | Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer |
1949 | Written in 1944 by Frank Loesser and featured in the 1949 film Neptune's Daughter starring Esther Williams. Other hit versions in 1949 included duets by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan, Don Cornell & Laura Leslie (with the Sammy Kaye Orchestra), and Homer & Jethro with June Carter. In March 1962, a version by Ray Charles & Betty Carter peaked at No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. A version by country music trio Lady Antebellum made the pop charts in 2008. |
| "Baby Jesus Is Born" | Garth Brooks | 1999 | Peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in December 1999. |
| "Baby's First Christmas" | Connie Francis | 1961 | Peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Middle-Road Singles chart, No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1961 and No. 13 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1965. Featuring the Don Costa Orchestra. |
| "Back Door Santa" | Clarence Carter | 1968 | Released on the 1968 various artists holiday soul album Soul Christmas. Also recorded by Bon Jovi for the 1987 various artists holiday compilation A Very Special Christmas (though it was removed from later pressings for unknown reasons). Run-D.M.C. sampled the original version by Clarence Carter for their 1987 hit, "Christmas in Hollis" (which was also included on A Very Special Christmas). |
| "Barefoot Santa Claus" | Sonny James (The Southern Gentleman) | 1966 | Peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1966 and No. 12 on the same chart in December 1968. Features a children's chorus on backing vocals. From the album My Christmas Dream. |
| "Because It's Christmas (For All The Children)" | Barry Manilow | 1990 | Peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in January 1991. From Manilow's first Christmas album, Because It's Christmas. |
| "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle" | Bobby Vinton | 1964 | Co-written by Burt Bacharach. Paul Evans, Bobby Helms, Herb Alpert and Bacharach each recorded the song as well, but only Bobby Vinton's version charted, reaching No. 23 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart in December 1964. |
| "Believe" | Josh Groban | 2004 | Peaked at No. 1 for five weeks on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, and "Bubbled under" the Billboard Hot 100 chart with a peak position of #112. From the 2004 film The Polar Express. |
| "Belleau Wood" | Garth Brooks | 1997 | Peaked at No. 41 on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1998. From Brooks's album Sevens. |
| "The Bells of St. Mary's" | Bing Crosby | 1945 | Written by A. Emmett Adams and Douglas Furber in 1917. While the song has no lyrical relation to Christmas, its inclusion in the 1945 film of the same name has made it a popular choice for various artists' holiday albums. |
| "Better Days" | Goo Goo Dolls | 2006 | Despite its overtly Christian tone and obvious references to Christmas, this song managed to reach No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart, and remains in regular rotation on hot adult top 40 stations. |
| "The Blessings" | Alabama | 1996 | Peaked at No. 72 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1997. |
| "Blue Christmas" | Ernest Tubb | 1949 | Written as a country song by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson in 1948, and first recorded by Doye O'Dell that year. First a hit in December 1949 and January 1950 in three separate recordings by country singer Tubb (No. 1 on Billboard's Most Played Juke Box (Country & Western) Records chart), by bandleader Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra (No. 9 on Billboard's Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys chart) and by bandleader Russ Morgan and His Orchestra (No. 11 on Billboard's Best-Selling Pop Singles chart). Also a charted hit for The Browns featuring Jim Edward Brown (1960), Vince Gill (1998), Clay Walker (2000), and Harry Connick, Jr. (2003). Ranks as the all-time number one Christmas single of Billboard's Country Singles chart. Still one of the most-recorded holiday tunes due to Elvis Presley's 1957 version. |
| "Blue December" | Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra | 1951 | Peaked at No. 18 on Billboard's Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys chart in early January 1952. |
| "Blue Lonely Winter" | Jimmy Newman | 1967 | Peaked at No. 11 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in January 1968. |
| "Blue Winter" | Connie Francis | 1964 | Peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 7 on the Billboard Middle-Road Singles chart in March 1964. |
| "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" | Mabel Scott | 1948 | Peaked at No. 12 on Billboard's Race Records chart in December 1948. Written by Leon René. Other versions recorded by Patti Page (1950), Inner Voices (1994), Dave Koz (2001), the Brian Setzer Orchestra (2002) and Brenda Russell (2003). |
| "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)" | Amy Grant | 1992 | From the album Home For Christmas. |
| "Call Me Claus" | Garth Brooks | 2001 | Peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 sales chart in October 2001, and later reached No. 55 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2002. Title song from the TV movie starring Whoopi Goldberg. |
| "Candy Cane Children" | The White Stripes | 2002 | |
| "Candy Cane Christmas" | Darius Rucker | 2009 | Peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and No. 32 on the Country chart in 2010. Originally released on the various-artists CD Now That's What I Call Christmas! 4 in 2010, and later on Rucker's 2014 album Home for the Holidays. |
| "Carol of the Bells" | John Tesh | 1997 | Peaked at No. 20 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in January 1998. A version by Kim Walker-Smith peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2014. |
| "Caroling, Caroling" | Nat King Cole | 1960 | Written by Alfred Burt & Wihla Hutson. Also recorded by Natalie Cole, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and the King Family. |
| "Celebrate Me Home" | Kenny Loggins | 1977 | Title track of Loggins' 1977 debut solo album. Released as a single, the studio version reached No. 64 on the US Record World pop chart in the spring of 1978. A 2015 version by LeAnn Rimes featuring Gavin DeGraw peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in December 2015. |
| "Cherry Cherry Christmas" | Neil Diamond | 2009 | Peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2009. First single released from and title track on Diamond's third holiday album, A Cherry Cherry Christmas. |
| "Child of God" | Bobby Darin | 1960 | Peaked at No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1960. B-side of Darin's hit single "Christmas Auld Lang Syne". |
| "Child of Winter" | The Beach Boys | 1974 | |
| "Children's Christmas Song" | The Supremes | 1965 | Peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart during the 1965 holiday season. Features a children's chorus on backing vocals. |
| "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" | The Chipmunks | 1958 | Spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1958, and reached No. 5 on Billboard's Hot R&B Sides chart in January 1959. Written by Ross Bagdasarian (a.k.a. David Seville). The most popular novelty Christmas single in the U.S. through the 1960s. Launched a 50-year music career for the fictional character group. |
| "C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S" | Eddy Arnold, the Tennessee Plowboy and his Guitar | 1949 | Peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Country & Western Records Most Played by Folk Disk Jockeys charts in December 1949. Written by Eddy Arnold & Jenny Lou Carson. Also recorded by the Ames Brothers and Jim Reeves. |
| "Christmas Ain't Christmas (Without the One You Love)" | The O'Jays | 1969 | Written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The song's original title was the longer "(Christmas Ain't Christmas New Year's Ain't New Year's) Without the One You Love". Reissued by the group's record label (Philly International) in 1973 following the group's huge success. |
| "Christmas All Over Again" | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | 1992 | From the 1992 film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. |
| "Christmas Alphabet" | The McGuire Sisters | 1954 | Peaked at No. 25 on the popular records chart in December 1954. Features orchestration by Dick Jacobs. |
| "Christmas at Ground Zero" | "Weird Al" Yankovic | 1986 | |
| "Christmas at K-Mart" | Root Boy Slim | 1978 | |
| "Christmas at the Zoo" | The Flaming Lips | 1995 | From the album Clouds Taste Metallic. Not intended to be a Christmas song, though the characteristic "jingling bells" are featured in the song, as well as talk of the holiday. |
| "Christmas Auld Lang Syne" | Bobby Darin | 1960 | Peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in January 1961. The B-side "Child of God" also charted for one week in December 1960. |
| "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" | Darlene Love | 1963 | Featured on the classic 1963 holiday album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. Written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry. Covered famously by U2 in 1987 for the holiday charity album A Very Special Christmas. Also covered by Mariah Carey in 1994 and by the pop trio Hanson in 1997. |
| "Christmas Blues" | Canned Heat | 1968 | Peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart in December 1968. Also released as a single by The Chipmunks. |
| "The Christmas Blues" | Dean Martin | 1953 | Written by David Holt and Sammy Cahn. Also recorded by Jo Stafford. |
| "Christmas Canon" | Trans-Siberian Orchestra | 1998 | Chord progression is based on that of Pachelbel's Canon in D major. |
| "Christmas Can't Be Far Away" | Eddy Arnold and his Guitar | 1954 | Peaked at No. 12 on Billboard's Country & Western Records Most Played by Jockeys chart in January 1955. |
| "Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away" | Amy Grant | 1999 | Not to be confused with "Christmas Can't Be Far Away" by Eddy Arnold. |
| "Christmas Carol" | Skip Ewing | 1990 | Written in 1986 and first released on Ewing's 1990 album Following Yonder Star. First charted on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1996, peaking at No. 68. |
| "Christmas Carols by the Old Corral" | Tex Ritter | 1945 | Peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Most-Played Juke Box Folk Records chart in December 1945. |
| "Christmas Celebration" | B. B. King | 1963 | First charted on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1964, peaking at No. 25. Charted again in 1967, peaking at No. 17. |
| "Christmas (Comes But Once a Year)" | Amos Milburn | 1960 | Originally released as the B-side of Charles Brown's 1960 holiday hit single, "Please Come Home for Christmas". |
| "Christmas Cookies" | George Strait | 2001 | From the 2001 various artists album Christmas Cookies. Peaked at No. 33 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2002. Originally issued on the Target CD A Country Christmas 1999. |
| "Christmas Day" | Eddie Fisher | 1952 | Peaked at No. 22 on the popular records chart in December 1952. Features Hugo Winterhalter and his orchestra. Written by Benny Davis and Ted Murry. Released within a four-record album set titled Christmas with Eddie Fisher. |
| "Christmas Dinner" | Tennessee Ernie Ford | 1951 | B-side is "A Rootin' Tootin' Santa Claus". |
| "Christmas Dragnet (Parts I & II)" | Stan Freberg with Daws Butler | 1953 | Peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart in December 1953. A parody of Dragnet and the follow-up to Freberg's No. 1 hit from several months earlier, "St. George and the Dragonet". In 1954, the same record was re-issued under the title "Yulenet (Parts I & II)". |
| "Christmas Dream" | Perry Como | 1974 | Peaked at No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1974. From the 1974 film The Odessa File. Como's last appearance on the Billboard Hot 100. |
| "Christmas Eve in My Hometown" | Bobby Vinton | 1970 | Earlier recordings by Eddie Fisher and Kate Smith. |
| "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" | Savatage | 1996 | The song is a medley including "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" and a hard rock version of "Carol of the Bells". First released in 1995 on the Savatage album Dead Winter Dead, but the same recording was re-released in 1996 as a track on the Trans-Siberian Orchestra album Christmas Eve and Other Stories. |
| "Christmas for Cowboys" | John Denver | 1975 | Written by Steve Weisberg. |
| "Christmas in America" | Pat Benatar | 2001 | Reached No. 22 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Later appeared on the 2003 album Go as a hidden track. |
| "Christmas in Dixie" | Alabama | 1982 | The original version featured Alabama wishing you "Merry Christmas" near the end of the song. Lead singer Randy Owen re-recorded the song with Kenny Chesney in 2003. |
| "Christmas in Hollis" | Run-D.M.C. | 1987 | An original song written and recorded by the group for charity, with the music video a perennial favorite on the MTV through the late 1980s and 1990s. It first appeared on two 1987 various artist holiday compilation albums: A Very Special Christmas and Christmas Rap, with the former album to benefit the Special Olympics. The track samples the 1968 soul tune "Back Door Santa" by Clarence Carter. |
| "Christmas in Killarney" | Dennis Day | 1950 | Featuring the Mellowmen on backing vocals and instrumentation by the Henri René Orchestra. Another hit version was by Percy Faith and the Shillelagh Singers in 1950. Also recorded on successful Christmas albums by Bing Crosby, Bobby Vinton and Anne Murray. |
| "Christmas in My Hometown" (1) | Sonny James | 1954 | Covered by Travis Tritt in 1992. |
| "Christmas in My Hometown" (2) | Charley Pride | 1970 | Peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart. |
| "Christmas in New Orleans" | Louis Armstrong with the Benny Carter Orchestra | 1955 | |
| "Christmas in the Caribbean" | Jimmy Buffett | 1985 | |
| "Christmas in Your Arms" | Steve Wariner | 2000 | Peaked at No. 65 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. |
| "Christmas Is" (1) | Percy Faith | 1966 | Written by Percy Faith and Spencer Maxwell. Originally recorded by Percy Faith in 1964 as an instrumental ("Judy"). Selected as the theme song for the 1967 Christmas Seals appeal. Also a hit that year for Lou Rawls. |
| "Christmas Is" (2) | Jim Brickman featuring Mark Masri | 2008 | Peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart during the Christmas season of 2008. |
| "Christmas Is for Children" | Glen Campbell | 1968 | Written by Sammy Cahn. Peaked at #7 on Billboard's "Best Bets For Christmas" survey, December 1968. |
| "Christmas Is Going to the Dogs" | Eels | 2000 | From the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. |
| "Christmas Is Just a Song for Us This Year" | Louise Mandrell and R.C. Bannon | 1982 | B-side of "Christmas in Dixie" by Alabama. |
| "Christmas Is Just Around the Corner" | Barry Manilow | 2008 | Reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart during the Christmas season of 2008. |
| "Christmas Is Now Drawing Near at Hand" | Steve Winwood | 1997 | From the album A Very Special Christmas 3. |
| "Christmas is the Time to Say 'I Love You'" | Billy Squier | 1981 | Originally released as the B-side of Squier's 1981 single "My Kinda Lover". |
| "Christmas Island" | The Andrews Sisters with Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians | 1946 | Also a hit for Jimmy Buffett in 1996 and The Brian Setzer Orchestra in 2005. |
| "Christmas Lights" | Coldplay | 2010 | Digital download track that peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 12 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart in December 2010. |
| "A Christmas Love" | Johnny Kaye with the Morty Jay Orchestra | 1963 | Charted for 1 week on the Christmas Singles chart, peaking at No. 20. |
| "Christmas Lullaby" | Cary Grant | 1967 | Written by Peggy Lee and Cy Coleman. |
| "Christmas Medley" | The Salsoul Orchestra | 1976 | A 12-minute, 8-second disco medley of holiday songs performed by the backing band for Salsoul Records, containing these songs: "Joy To The World"/"Deck The Halls"/"O Come All Ye Faithful"/"Jingle Bells"/"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"/"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"/"The Christmas Song"/"White Christmas"/"Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer"/"I'll Be Home For Christmas"/"Winter Wonderland"/"The First Noël"/"We Wish You A Merry Christmas". The B-side of the single was "New Year's Medley", a 7-minute, 17-second medley of new year's-related songs. |
| "Christmas Memories" | Frank Sinatra | 1975 | Also recorded by Alabama in 1985, Steve Wariner in 1992, Rosemary Clooney in 1996, and Barbra Streisand in 2001. Sometimes titled "Christmas Mem'ries". |
| "Christmas Must Be Tonight" | The Band | 1977 | Written by Robbie Robertson a member of The Band. He also recorded the song solo in 1988 for the soundtrack to the holiday comedy film, Scrooged starring Bill Murray. |
| "Christmas Night in Harlem" | Louis Armstrong with the Benny Carter Orchestra. | 1955 | Song originated in 1934. A hit, in that year, by the Paul Whiteman orchestra. |
| "Christmas Party" | "Two Ton" Baker the Merry Music Maker | 1948 | Issued as a 2-disc (in a foldout picture sleeve) 78 rpm set on Mercury Records' Miniature Playhouse children's series (songs on the set are "The Night Before Christmas"/"Santa's Toy Shop"/"Up on the House Top"/"Deck The Halls"/"Jingle Bells"). |
| "Christmas Rappin'" | Kurtis Blow | 1979 | Charted on the Billboard R&B chart in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 2000. |
| "The Christmas Shoes" | NewSong | 2000 | Spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and also peaked at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 31 on the Hot Country Songs chart. From the album Sheltering Tree. |
| "Christmas Shopping" | Buck Owens and his Buckaroos | 1968 | From Owens' album of the same name. Reached No. 5 on the Billboard Christmas chart. |
| "Christmas Song" | Dave Matthews Band | 2000 | |
| "The Christmas Song" | Angel | 1977 | A version of the rock band's own 1977 hit "The Winter Song", but featuring alternate lyrics (both tracks featured The California Boys Choir and both were produced by Eddie Leonetti). |
| "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" | The King Cole Trio | 1946 | Written in 1944 by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells (Tormé's solo recording was also a hit). Also sometimes subtitled "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire", but originally subtitled "Merry Christmas to You." Re-recorded by Nat King Cole in 1953 and 1961. Popular versions were also recorded by such artists as James Brown, Herb Alpert, The Carpenters, Celine Dion, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Toni Braxton, Hootie & the Blowfish, and Natalie Cole. Remains one of the most recorded Christmas songs ever. |
| "Christmas Spirit" | Richard Marx | 2011 | Written by Richard Marx and Fee Waybill, the song peaked at No. 15 on the AC chart. |
| "Christmas Tears" | Freddy King | 1961 | R&B hit in 1961; also charted on the Christmas Singles chart in 1964 & 1966. Released in 1964 by The Four Seasons as the B-side to "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". |
| "Christmas This Year" | Mêlée | 2008 | |
| "Christmas Through Your Eyes" | Gloria Estefan | 1992 | Reached the British pop singles chart in 1992 as a double-A side with "Miami Hit Mix". From the album Christmas Through Your Eyes. |
| "Christmas Time" (1) | Bryan Adams | 1985 | A different picture sleeve was issued in 1986. Peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Christmas singles chart in 1985. |
| "Christmas Time" (2) | John Anderson | 1994 | Reached No. 57 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1995.[2] |
| "Christmas Time" (3) | Christina Aguilera | 2000 | Released as a promotional single for the album My Kind of Christmas. |
| "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" | The Beatles | 1967 | Also recorded by group member Ringo Starr for his 1999 Christmas album I Wanna Be Santa Claus. |
| "Christmas Time Is Here" (1) | Vince Guaraldi Trio | 1965 | Originally composed for the 1965 animated TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas, one of the very first animated Christmas special produced for network TV in the U.S. Melody has similar chord progression to the 1932 Cole Porter jazz standard "Night and Day". Also a hit for Toni Braxton, Shawn Colvin and Johnny Mathis. Both instrumental and vocal versions were recorded by Guaraldi. |
| "Christmas Time Is Here" (2) | Ray Parker, Jr. | 1982 | Re-issued in 1984 as the B-side of Parker's top 40 pop hit single, "Jamie". |
| "Christmas Time's A-Comin'" | Sammy Kershaw | 1994 | Peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard Country chart in 1995. Recharted in 1998. |
| "Christmas Tonight" | Dave Barnes with Hillary Scott | 2010 | Reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in December 2010. |
| "Christmas Tree" | Lady Gaga featuring Space Cowboy | 2009 | Reached No. 23 on the Billboard Holiday/Seasonal Digital Songs chart in late 2010. |
| "Christmas Vacation" | Mavis Staples | 1989 | From the 1989 film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Written by Barry Mann. |
| "The Christmas Waltz" | Harry Connick, Jr. | 2003 | Hit the Adult Contemporary chart in 2004. Previously recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1954, Kay Starr, Nancy Wilson, The Carpenters, Lawrence Welk, Natalie Cole, and Barry Manilow. |
| "Christmas Will Be Just Another Lonely Day" | Brenda Lee | 1964 | B-side to her single "This Time of the Year". Charted for 1 week in 1964. |
| "A Christmas Wish" | Bobby Goldsboro | 1968 | Reached No. 11 in Billboard's Christmas singles chart. B-side is "Look Around You (It's Christmas Time)". |
| "Christmas with the Devil" | Spinal Tap | 1984 | Written by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean & Harry Shearer. Originally issued on Enigma Records with picture sleeve and also a special picture disc issue, both 7" |
| "Christmas Without You" | Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton | 1984 | From the album Once Upon a Christmas. |
| "Christmas Wrapping" | The Waitresses | 1981 | First appeared on the various artists holiday compilation album A Christmas Record on ZE Records in 1981. Covered in 1998 by the Spice Girls and released as a B-side on their single "Goodbye". |
| "Christmastime" (1) | Aimee Mann with Michael Penn | 1996 | From the album Just Say Noël. Also used in the film Hard Eight. |
| "Christmastime" (2) | The Smashing Pumpkins | 1997 | An original song written by Billy Corgan and released on the compilation A Very Special Christmas 3 in aid of the Special Olympics. |
| "Cold December Night" | Michael Bublé | 2011 | Peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2012. |
| "Colorado Christmas" | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | 1983 | Peaked at No. 92 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1984. |
| "Coming Home for Christmas" | Jim Brickman | 2007 | Peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart during the Christmas season of 2007. Features Richie McDonald (former lead singer of Lonestar) on lead vocals. |
| "Cool Yule" | Louis Armstrong with the Commanders | 1953 | Written by Steve Allen. Also a hit remake for singer/actress Bette Midler in 2006. |
| "Coventry Carol" | Robert Shaw | 1949 | Christmas carol dating from the 16th century. Other hit versions were by Norman Luboff (1958), Mitch Miller (1958), Mormon Tabernacle Choir (1959), Robert Rheims (1960), The Kingston Trio 1960, Harry Simeone (1962), Chet Atkins (1963), Joan Baez (1966), Charlie Byrd (1967), Living Strings (1967), The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble (1967), Bob Ralston (1967), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1970), John Denver (1975), Mannheim Steamroller (1984), Alison Moyet (1987), Anne Murray (1988), John Tesh (1992), Westwind Ensemble (1996), Eden's Bridge (1998), Kenny Loggins (1998), Chip Davis (1998), Michael Crawford (1999), Point of Grace (1999), Charlotte Church (2000) and Esteban (2000). |
| "Daddy's Drinking Up Our Christmas" | Commander Cody | 1973 | Peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart in December 1973. |
| "Dearest Santa" | Bobby Vinton | 1964 | Peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart in December 1964, and released with the B-side "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle" (which also charted on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart for one week in 1964, peaking at No. 23). "Dearest Santa" was also issued with the hit song "Mr. Lonely" as a back-to-back promotional single with a text sleeve. From the album A Very Merry Christmas. |
| "Deck the Halls" | Mannheim Steamroller | 1984 | From their first holiday album Mannheim Steamroller Christmas. Peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in January 1995. Also a chart hit for SheDaisy (2000), Kenny G (as a medley with "The Twelve Days of Christmas" in 2003), and Brian Wilson (2006). |
| "Dig That Crazy Santa Claus" | Ralph Marterie & His Orchestra | 1954 | Also recorded by Oscar McLollie & His Honey Jumpers in 1954, and The Brian Setzer Orchestra in 2005. |
| "Ding Dong, Ding Dong" | George Harrison | 1974 | Peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in February 1975. |
| "Do They Know It's Christmas?" | Band Aid | 1984 | A benefit recording by an all-star group to assist famine relief in Ethiopia; organized by Bob Geldof of the British rock band The Boomtown Rats. Written by Geldof and Midge Ure of the British rock band Ultravox. A Christmas No. 1 single on the UK singles chart in 1984, and re-recorded on two other separate occasions: Band Aid II in 1989 and Band Aid 20 in 2004. |
| "Do You Hear What I Hear?" | Bing Crosby | 1963 | Peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1963. Featuring backing by Ralph Carmichael's chorus and orchestra. Other charted versions by Andy Williams (1965), Vanessa Williams (1997), Carole King (2011) and Jordin Sparks (2012). Originally recorded by the Harry Simeone Chorale in 1962, which peaked at No. 66 on the Music Vendor survey. |
| "Dominick the Donkey (The Italian Christmas Donkey)" | Lou Monte | 1960 | Featuring orchestration by Joe Reisman. Peaked at No. 114 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in December 1960. |
| "¿Dónde Está Santa Claus? (Where Is Santa Claus?)" | Augie Rios | 1958 | Featuring orchestration by Mark Jeffrey. Peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1958. Also covered by actress Charo in 1978 and by the rock band Guster in 2003. |
| "Don't Save It All for Christmas Day" | Celine Dion | 1998 | Christian group Avalon covered the song for their 2000 album Joy: A Christmas Collection. Clay Aiken also covered it for his 2004 Christmas collection Merry Christmas with Love. |
| "Don't Shoot Me Santa" | The Killers | 2007 | Peaked at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart and No. 73 on the Pop 100. |
| "(Don't Wait 'Till) The Night Before Christmas" | Eddy Duchin and his Orchestra | 1938 | Featuring vocals by Stanley Worth. Peaked at No. 9 on the pop singles chart in December 1938. |
| "Dreams of Fireflies (On a Christmas Night)" | Trans-Siberian Orchestra | 2012 | Peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2012. From the five-song EP of the same name. |
| "Early Christmas Morning" | Cyndi Lauper | 1998 | From the album Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life |
| "Easier Said Than Done" | Jon Anderson | 1986 | Written by Vangelis. From Jon's Christmas album 3 Ships. |
| "8 Days of Christmas" | Destiny's Child | 2001 | Peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and at No. 102 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in January 2002. |
| "Elf's Lament" | Barenaked Ladies featuring Michael Bublé | 2004 | |
| "Even Santa Claus Gets the Blues" | Marty Stuart | 2003 | Peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2004. From the album A Very Special Acoustic Christmas. |
| "Every Year, Every Christmas" | Luther Vandross | 1995 | Peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot R&B Airplay chart in January 1996. |
| "(Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with the Bag" | Kay Starr | 1950 | Also recorded by The Brian Setzer Orchestra in 2002 and by Jane Monheit in 2005. |
| "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday" | William Bell | 1967 | Covered by the Sweet Inspirations in 1969 and by Daryl Hall & John Oates in 2006. |
| "Fa La La" | Jim Brickman featuring Olivia Jade Archbold | 2011 | Peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in December 2011. |
| "Father Christmas" | The Kinks | 1977 | Written by Ray Davies of the Kinks. |
| "Feliz Navidad" | José Feliciano | 1970 | The best-known version of the best-known Spanish-language Christmas song, written by Feliciano. Made the Cashbox Top 100 in 1970, recharted in Billboard, January 1998. |
| "The First Christmas" | Danny Thomas | 1967 | With the Sid Feller orchestra. From the Rankin/Bass animated special The Cricket on the Hearth. Peaked at #24 on Billboard's "Best Bets For Christmas" survey in December 1967. |
| "The First Noel" | Clay Aiken | 2003 | Contemporary version of the traditional English Christmas carol that first charted in December 2003, and peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. |
| "Footprints in the Snow" | Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys | 1946 | Peaked at No. 5 on Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in December 1946. |
| "Frosty the Snowman" | Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys | 1950 | Other hit versions that also charted were released by Nat King Cole (1950), Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians (1950), Red Foley and the Little Foleys (1951), Johnny Mathis (2002), Kimberley Locke (2007) and Whitney Wolanin (2012). Other popular versions of the song were released by the Ronettes (1963), the Beach Boys (1964) and Jimmy Durante (1969). Locke's 2007 hit version spent one week at No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. |
| "Gabriel's Message" | Sting | 1985 | Originally the B-side of the 45 rpm of "Russians" in 1985, it was later included on the 1987 holiday compilation album A Very Special Christmas. |
| "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas" | Carla Thomas | 1963 | Follow-up to Carla's 1961 top 10 pop and R&B hit, "Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)". |
| "The Gift" | Jim Brickman | 1997 | Peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart during the Christmas season of 1997. Features Collin Raye and Susan Ashton on lead vocals. |
| "The Gift of Giving" | Bill Withers | 1972 | Peaked on #5 in Billboard's Christmas survey, December 1972. The flip of the pop chart song "Let Us Love". |
| "Give Love on Christmas Day" | The Jackson 5 | 1970 | Also a R&B hit for Johnny Gill in 1998. |
| "Go Tell It on the Mountain" | Garth Brooks | 1992 | Garth's version of this classic spiritual was first released in 1992, but didn't make the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart until late 1998/early 1999. A medley of this song with "Mary Had a Baby" was a hit for Vanessa L. Williams in 1993, and inspired her to record a full-length holiday album the following year. |
| "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" | Garth Brooks | 2000 | From the album Garth Brooks and the Magic of Christmas. Originally recorded by Garth in 1992. Traditional Christmas carol recorded by hundreds of artists. |
| "Goin' Home (Sing a Song of Christmas Cheer)" | Bobby Sherman | 1970 | B-side is "Love's What You're Getting For Christmas" from his 1970 Christmas album. "Goin' Home" contains a portion of "Silent Night", and made the Cashbox Top 100 in 1970. |
| "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" | Elmo & Patsy | 1979 | Written by Randy Brooks. Originally recorded in 1979, new versions were released in 1982 and 1984. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Christmas singles charts during the Christmas seasons of 1983–1985,[2] and bubbled under the Hot 100 in 1992. The best-selling novelty Christmas single of all time in the U.S., it spawned toys and an animated TV special that remain popular each year. |
| "A Great Big Sled" | The Killers | 2006 | Reached No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. |
| "The Greatest Gift of All" | Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton | 1984 | Reached the Billboard Hot 100, Country, and Adult Contemporary charts in early 1985. From the album Once Upon a Christmas. |
| "Greatest Time of Year" | Aly & AJ | 2006 | From the album Acoustic Hearts of Winter. Also used in the film The Santa Clause 3. |
| "Green Chri$tma$" | Stan Freberg | 1958 | Featuring Daws Butler, Marvin Miller and Wil Wright in a "commercial" parody of Scrooge. National Top 50, top five in Los Angeles. |
| "Grown-Up Christmas List" | David Foster featuring Natalie Cole | 1990 | Written by David Foster (music) and Linda Thompson Jenner (lyrics). Other hit versions include Amy Grant (1992), Barbra Streisand (2001), Michael Bublé (2003), Kelly Clarkson (2003) and Clay Aiken (2006). |
| "Hangin' Round the Mistletoe" | Brooks & Dunn | 2002 | Hit the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in December 2002. From the album It Won't Be Christmas Without You. |
| "Happy Birthday, Jesus" | Patti Page | 1967 | Backing music is "Silent Night"; issued with 2 different picture sleeves. |
| "Happy Christmas, Little Friend" | Rosemary Clooney | 1953 | Written by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Official song of the 1953 Christmas Seals campaign. Also recorded by Dinah Shore (1957). |
| "The Happy Elf" | Harry Connick, Jr. | 2005 | From the album Harry for the Holidays. |
| "Happy Holiday" | Bing Crosby | 1942 | Written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 film Holiday Inn, co-starring Crosby and Fred Astaire. Hit versions were recorded by Peggy Lee, Andy Williams and Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme. The Lawrence-Gorme version, released as a single, made the Cashbox Christmas singles chart in 1964. |
| "Happy New Year" (1) | Judy Garland | 1957 | Written by Gordon Jenkins. Also recorded by Nat King Cole (1958). |
| "Happy New Year" (2) | ABBA | 1980 | Released as a CD single in 1999. |
| "The Happy Reindeer" | Russ Regan | 1959 | Peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1959. Novelty song inspired by "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)". Performed under the pseudonym "Dancer, Prancer and Nervous, the Singing Reindeer". |
| "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" | John and Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir | 1971 | Written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Later covered by Melissa Etheridge in 1994, The Polyphonic Spree, Celine Dion in 1997, The Idols, The Alarm, Neil Diamond, the Street Drum Corps ft. Bert McCracken of The Used, and Sarah McLachlan in 2006. |
| "Hard Candy Christmas" | Dolly Parton | 1982 | Peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard country charts. From the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Written by Carol Hall in 1978 and originally recorded by the female cast of the Broadway play of the same title. |
| "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" | Carrie Underwood | 2008 | Reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart during the Christmas season of 2008. |
| "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | Judy Garland | 1944 | Peaked at No. 27 on the pop singles chart in December 1944. Featuring orchestration by Georgie Stoll. Written by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin, and introduced in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis starring Garland. Other charted versions were recorded by Vince Gill (1993), Kenny G (1994), Vince Gill (1994), Lonestar (2000), James Taylor (2001), Neal McCoy (2001), Ruben Studdard & Tamyra Gray (2003), Aimee Mann (2006), Colbie Caillat (2009), Sam Smith (2014), and Train (2015). The 2014 version by Smith was the first to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in that chart's entire history. |
| "The Heart of Christmas" | Matthew West | 2011 | Peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart for the weeks of December 17, 2011 and December 24, 2011. |
| "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" | Gene Autry | 1947 | Covered by Elvis Presley in 1957. |
| "Here's Your Sign Christmas" | Bill Engvall | 1998 | Engvall scored his debut hit in 1997 with "Here's Your Sign" with Travis Tritt, a top 30 hit on the Billboard Country Singles chart. |
| "Hey America" | James Brown | 1970 | Bubbled under the Hot 100 in 1970. |
| "Hey Santa!" | Carnie and Wendy Wilson | 1993 | Bubbled under the Hot 100 in 1994. From the album Hey Santa!. |
| "Holiday Hootenanny" | Paul & Paula | 1963 | An adaptation of "Jingle Bells". |
| "Holiday in Cambodia" | Richard Cheese | 2006 | Straight lounge-music cover of the Dead Kennedys song with jingling bells in the background and a "Merry Christmas" shoutout at the end. |
| "A Holly Jolly Christmas" | Burl Ives | 1964 | Peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1964, and charted again on the same Billboard chart in December 1968 (peaking at No. 29). Written by Johnny Marks in 1962, and first recorded by The Quinto Sisters. Made famous by Ives in the 1964 holiday television special Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. A 1992 version by Alan Jackson from the film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York peaked at No. 51 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1998. Recent versions that have charted on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart include ones by Michael Bublé (No. 3 in December 2011) and Lady Antebellum (No. 2 in December 2012). |
| "Home for Christmas" | Daryl Hall & John Oates | 2006 | From the album Home for Christmas. Not to be confused with "I'll Be Home for Christmas". |
| "Honky Tonk Christmas" | Alan Jackson | 1993 | Reached No. 53 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1993. From the album Honky Tonk Christmas. Recharted in 1995. |
| "Hooray for Santa Claus" | Al Hirt | 1964 | Written by Milton DeLugg and Roy Alfred. From the 1964 science fiction film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. |
| "How Lovely Is Christmas" | Bing Crosby | 1957 | With the Arthur Norman choir and orchestra. |
| "Hurry Home for Christmas" | Robert Goulet | 1968 | Written and originally recorded by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé. Goulet's version reached No. 19 in Billboard's Christmas survey, 1968. |
| "I Believe in Father Christmas" | Greg Lake | 1975 | Written by Greg Lake and Peter Sinfield. Peaked at number 2 on the Official Singles Chart (behind Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody") in December 1975. Reached 95 during its three-week run on the US Top 100. |
| "I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You" | Margo Guryan | 2001 | Written and recorded by Guryan as a demo in 1967, and also released as a single by Claudine Longet that year. Covered by Saint Etienne for a 1998 fan club single. |
| "I Don't Wanna Spend One More Christmas Without You" | 'N Sync | 2001 | Reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in 2001. |
| "I Farted on Santa's Lap (Now Christmas Is Gonna Stink for Me)" | The Little Stinkers | 1998 | Novelty song first released in 1998. Charted briefly on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 Singles Sales chart in 2002. |
| "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" | Bing Crosby | 1956 | Other singers with popular versions: Nat King Cole, The Carpenters, Harry Belafonte, Burl Ives, Johnny Mathis and Sarah McLachlan. |
| "I Only Want You for Christmas" | Alan Jackson | 1991 | Reached No. 41 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1991. Recharted in 1995 and 1998. |
| "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" | Jimmy Boyd | 1952 | Written by Tommie Connor. Other hit versions were recorded by The Ronettes, The Four Seasons, The Jackson 5, John Mellencamp, and Jessica Simpson. |
| "I Saw Three Ships" | Sting | 1997 | This 'new age' version of the traditional carol was a charity single and video. |
| "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" | Gayla Peevey | 1953 | Written by John Rox. The original 1953 version by Gayla Peevey features orchestration by Norman Leyden. Also recorded by The Three Stooges in 1960. |
| "I Want Eddie Fisher for Christmas" | Betty Johnson | 1954 | Released during the height of the Eddie Fisher craze. Peaked at No. 22 on the Music Vendor chart. Also recorded by Spike Jones during the same Christmas season. |
| "I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas" | Jon Bon Jovi | 1992 | B-side to the Bon Jovi song "Keep the Faith". Also replaced "Back Door Santa" on later pressings of the 1987 various artists holiday compilation A Very Special Christmas. |
| "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" | Wilson Phillips | 2010 | Peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in early January 2011. Remake of the 1973 UK hit by Wizzard. Re-recorded by the writer, Wizzard frontman Roy Wood, with his Roy Wood Big Band as a live single in 1995. Also covered by the A*Teens, and Girls Aloud. |
| "I Won't Be Home for Christmas" | Blink-182 | 2001 | Reached No. 34 on Billboard's Hot 100 Sales chart. |
| "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas" | Yogi Yorgesson with the Johnny Duffy Trio | 1949 | Written by Yorgesson under his real name, Harry Stewart. Peaked at #5 on Billboard's "Best Seller" and "Most Played By Jockeys" chart, December 1949. Covered live by farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson and the Uff da Band. |
| "I'll Be Home" | Meghan Trainor | 2014 | Written, produced and recorded by Trainor, and a track included the 2014 Epic Records label holiday EP, I'll Be Home for Christmas. Peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in late December 2014. |
| "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | Bing Crosby | 1943 | Written during World War II by Kim Gannon, Walter Kent and Buck Ram to honor soldiers overseas. Still one of the most recorded Christmas songs today. Hit singles of this song include covers by Frank Sinatra, The Brothers Four, The Carpenters, Barbara Mandrell, Amy Grant, and Josh Groban. A version by Brian McKnight reached No. 14 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2008. A version by Kelly Clarkson peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2012. |
| "I'll Make Every Day Christmas (for My Woman)" | Joe Tex | 1967 | Peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Christmas charts. |
| "I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus" | Brenda Lee | 1956 | Written by Frankie Adams & Wilbur Jones. Credited as "Little Brenda Lee (9 Years Old)" though she turned 12 in 1956. |
| "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" | Les Brown & His Orchestra | 1948 | Written in 1937 by Irving Berlin and introduced in the 1937 film On the Avenue by its stars, Dick Powell and Alice Faye. Les Brown's instrumental hit version was recorded in 1946, but didn't become a million-selling top 10 song until late 1948 and early 1949. Three other versions by the Mills Brothers, Art Lund and the Starlighters also hit the pop singles chart in early 1949. The song has also been recorded by such artists as Ray Noble & His Orchestra, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Bette Midler and Kimberley Locke. |
| "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" | Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires and The Imperials Quartet | 1966 | Written by Red West. Charted in 1966 and 1967. |
| "If We Make It Through December" | Merle Haggard | 1973 | From the album A Christmas Present. Charted again in 1974. Made the Pop, Country, Easy Listening and Christmas surveys in Billboard in late 1973-early 1974. |
| "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" | Daryl Hall & John Oates | 2006 | A No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. Traditional carol previously recorded by over 100 other artists. |
| "It Doesn't Have to Be That Way" | Jim Croce | 1973 | Originally released as the B-side of his 1973 single "One Less Set of Footsteps". |
| "It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)" | Felice Taylor | 1967 | Written by Barry White. Also a hit for Love Unlimited in 1973. |
| "It Must Have Been the Mistletoe" | Barbara Mandrell | 1984 | Also a hit for Barbra Streisand in 2002. |
| "It Wasn't His Child" | Sawyer Brown | 1988 | Written by Skip Ewing. Peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1989. Also a hit for Trisha Yearwood in 1994. |
| "It Won't Be Christmas Without You" | Brooks & Dunn | 2002 | Hit the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in December 2002. From the album It Won't Be Christmas Without You. |
| "It Won't Be The Same This Year" | Vince Gill | 1995 | From the 1993 album Let There Be Peace on Earth. Peaked at No. 74 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1995. |
| "It Wouldn't Be Christmas (Without You)" | John Tesh | 2002 | Peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2002. From the album Christmas Worship. |
| "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" | Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra | 1951 | Peaked at No. 19 on Billboard's Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys chart in early January 1952 and No. 23 on Billboard's Best Selling Pop Singles chart in December 1951. Meredith Willson composed this song while writing The Music Man. For the week of December 24, 2011, a version by Michael Bublé peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. |
| "It's Christmas" | Ronnie Milsap | 1986 | From the album Christmas with Ronnie Milsap. Later covered by Trace Adkins. |
| "It's Christmas (All Over The World)" | Sheena Easton | 1985 | From the 1985 film Santa Claus: The Movie. |
| "It's Christmas Time All Over the World" | Sammy Davis, Jr. | 1963 | Also recorded by the Jackie Gleason orchestra. |
| "(It's Gonna Be A) Lonely Christmas" | The Orioles | 1948 | Reached No. 8 on Billboard magazine's R&B Juke Box chart in December 1948, and No. 5 on the same singles chart the following year. |
| "It's Just Another New Year's Eve" | Barry Manilow | 1977 | Peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1978. From the album Barry Manilow Live. |
| "It's So Close to Christmas (And I'm So Far From Home)" | The Bellamy Brothers | 1981 | Reached No. 62 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1981. |
| "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" | Andy Williams | 1963 | Written in 1963 by George Wyle and Edward Pola, and selected as the theme song for Christmas Seals in both 1968 and 1976. Another popular version was released by Johnny Mathis in 1986. Country superstar Garth Brooks hit No. 56 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in December 1999 with his version of the song. A 2008 recording of the song by Harry Connick, Jr. (from his album What a Night! A Christmas Album) hit No. 9 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. |
| "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" | Josh Groban | 2005 | The most famous instrumental version is George Winston's "Joy" from the album December. |
| "Jingle Bell Rock" | Bobby Helms | 1957 | Featuring backing vocals by the Anita Kerr Singers. Written by Joe Beale and Jim Boothe. Later hit versions by Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker in 1961, Chet Atkins in 1961, Brenda Lee in 1964, Daryl Hall & John Oates in 1983, Randy Travis in 1992, George Strait in 1999, Aaron Tippin in 2001 and Newsboys in 2010. |
| "Jingle Bells" | Benny Goodman and his Orchestra | 1935 | A 1941 version by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra features vocals by Tex Beneke, Ernie Caceres and The Modernaires. Other hit versions recorded by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (1943), Perry Como (1946), Les Paul (1951), Peggy Lee (1960), Ramsey Lewis Trio (1964), Booker T. & the MG's (1966), Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1970), BeBe & CeCe Winans (1993), SheDaisy (2000), Kenny Chesney (2003), Kimberley Locke (2006) and Michael Bublé featuring The Puppini Sisters (2011). The 1955 novelty version by Don Charles & The Singing Dogs hit the Billboard special Christmas singles chart in 1971–1973, 1983 and 1984. Kimberley Locke's version spent one week at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in 2006. |
| "Jingo Jango" | Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra | 1963 | Instrumental composed by Bert Kaempfert and Herbert Rehbein. Charted in 1963 and again in 1965. |
| "Joy to the World" | Mannheim Steamroller | 1995 | From the album Christmas in the Aire. A 2015 version by Pentatonix peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in December 2015. |
| "The Kid" | Clint Black | 1995 | Peaked at No. 71 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1996, at No. 67 on the same chart in January 1999, and at No. 71 on the same chart in January 2000. Taken from Black's 1995 holiday album, Looking for Christmas. |
| "The Kid in Me" | Craig Morgan | 2000 | Peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in December 2000. |
| "A Kiss for Christmas (O Tannenbaum)" | Joe Dowell | 1961 | New lyrics set to the melody of an old German folk song. Peaked at No. 110 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in December 1961. |
| "Kissin' by the Mistletoe" | Aretha Franklin | 1961 | Appeared in the "Music Vendor" Christmas chart of 1963. |
| "Last Christmas" | Wham! | 1984 | Written by George Michael and first released in late 1984, when it reached No. 2 on the UK singles chart. The single was re-released in 1985. It has been covered by Alien Voices featuring The Three Degrees, Darren Hayes of Savage Garden, Billie Piper, Hilary Duff, Whigfield in 1995, Jimmy Eat World in 2004, Roses Are Red in 2005, Crazy Frog in 2006, Taylor Swift in 2007, and many others. Rumored to have been written for Easter, but later changed to Christmas to boost sales. |
| "Leroy the Redneck Reindeer" | Joe Diffie | 1995 | Reached No. 33 on the Country charts in 1996.[2] From the album Mr. Christmas. |
| "Let It Be Christmas" | Alan Jackson | 2002 | Reached No. 37 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 2002. From the album Let It Be Christmas. |
| "Let It Snow" | Boyz II Men | 1993 | Co-written and co-produced by R&B singer Brian McKnight, who also provides guest vocals on the track. Not the same song as "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!". |
| "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" | Vaughn Monroe | 1945 | Written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. Successfully covered in 1945 by Woody Herman. Dean Martin's 1959 version is still a favorite, and was also a hit single for Carly Simon in 2005, and Mannheim Steamroller in 2007. A version by Rod Stewart spent five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in December 2012 and January 2013. |
| "Let's Light the Christmas Tree" | Ruby Wright | 1957 | Hit various pop charts in Billboard and Music Vendor. |
| "Let's Make a Baby King" | Wynonna Judd | 1994 | From the album Tell Me Why. |
| "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year" | James Brown | 1967 | Narrated by Brown, with female backing vocals by The Charmaines. |
| "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby" | Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chicken-Shackers | 1949 | A hit on Billboard magazine's R&B Best Seller and Juke Box singles chart in 1949.[3] |
| "Let's Start the New Year Right" | Bing Crosby | 1943 | With the Bob Crosby orchestra. From the 1942 film Holiday Inn. |
| "Let the Season Take Wing" | Amy Grant | 1992 | Single available only as a cassette. Packaged with the Amy Grant album Home For Christmas at Target stores in 1992. |
| "Light of the Stable" | Emmylou Harris | 1975 | Featuring backing vocals by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young. |
| "Li'l Elfy" | Ray Bolger | 1963 | With the Gene Garf orchestra; charted for one week on the Billboard Christmas charts. |
| "Little Altar Boy" | Vic Dana | 1961 | Also a hit for The Carpenters in 1984. |
| "Little Becky's Christmas Wish" | Becky Lamb | 1967 | Spoken-word record featuring a little girl who narrates a letter to Santa Claus about her brother Tommy, who is killed in Vietnam. Quite controversial at the time, the record went to No. 2 on the Billboard Christmas chart despite the fact many radio stations refused to play it. Little is known about Becky except for the fact that she was five years old at the time of the recording; the B-side, "Go to Sleep Little Lambs" is credited to Bill Lamb, presumably Becky's father. |
| "The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot" | Vera Lynn | 1937 | Covered by Nat King Cole in 1953. Sung on-screen by James Belushi in film Jingle All The Way. |
| "The Little Drummer Boy (Carol of the Drum)" | Harry Simeone Chorale | 1958 | One of the most-recorded of the modern carols. Written in 1941 by Katherine K. Davis (words and music). A version by Lou Rawls peaked at No. 2 on Billboard magazine's special Christmas singles chart in 1967 (it charted again in 1969). Other charted versions include Johnny Cash (1959), Joan Baez (1966), Kenny Burrell (1967), RuPaul (1994), Wilson Phillips (2010), Richard Marx (2012) and Pentatonix (2013). A version by the Vienna Boys Choir also hit big when it was featured in the Rankin/Bass animated TV special of the same name. |
| "Little Saint Nick" | The Beach Boys | 1963 | Reached No. 3 on the Billboard Christmas singles chart in 1963. Covered by Hanson (1997), Sugar Ray (2001) and She & Him (2011). Also featured in the 1979 TV special John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together. |
| "Little Sandy Sleighfoot" | Jimmy Dean | 1957 | Novelty song performed with the Ray Ellis Orchestra. |
| "Lonesome Christmas" | Lowell Fulson | 1950 | Originally charted on the R&B charts, hit the Christmas singles chart in 1964–1968 and 1970. |
| "Love Is" | Leza Miller | 1967 | Charted for 2 weeks on the Christmas Singles chart, peaking at No. 20. B-side is "Loneliest Christmas Tree". |
| "Love on Layaway" | Gloria Estefan | 2000 | Included on the 2001 album Now That's What I Call Christmas!. |
| "The Man with All the Toys" | The Beach Boys | 1964 | Reached No. 6 on the Billboard Christmas chart in 1964. |
| "Macarena Christmas" | Los del Río | 1996 | Dance record "Macarena", mixed with a melody of holiday songs, including "Joy to the World", "Jingle Bells", "Silent Night", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "White Christmas", and "Auld Lang Syne". |
| "Marshmallow World" | Bing Crosby | 1950 | Lyrics written by Carl Sigman and music composed by Peter De Rose. Also recorded by Darlene Love for the classic 1963 holiday album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. Other popular versions recorded by Brenda Lee in 1964 and Dean Martin in 1966. |
| "The Marvelous Toy" | Chad Mitchell Trio | 1963 | Written by Tom Paxton. Peter, Paul & Mary released a version in 1969. A folk favorite, also recorded by The Irish Rovers and John Denver. |
| "Mary, Did You Know" | Kenny Rogers with Wynonna | 1996 | Lyrics written in 1984 by Mark Lowry. Buddy Greene composed the music in 1990. The song was first released on the album Michael English in 1992. Also a hit for Natalie Cole, Reba McEntire, Kathy Mattea, Clay Aiken, Michael Bublé, Pentatonix, Jordan Smith, and others. |
| "Mary's Boy Child" | Harry Belafonte | 1956 | Written by Jester Hairston. Also a top 40 hit remake in the UK for Nina & Frederick in 1959, and a No. 1 hit remake in the UK for Boney M in 1978, as a medley titled "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord". |
| "May Christmas Bring You Happiness" | Luther | 1976 | 1970s R&B vocal quintet featuring Luther Vandross on lead vocals, along with former Shades of Jade members Anthony Hinton and Diane Sumler, Theresa V. Reed, and Christine Wiltshire. |
| "May You Always" | Harry Harrison | 1965 | Spoken-word piece, accompanied by "Auld Lang Syne". Not to be confused with the song of the same title. |
| "Mele Kalikimaka" | Bing Crosby with The Andrews Sisters | 1950 | Also a hit for Jimmy Buffett in 1996 and Bette Midler in 2006. |
| "Merry Christmas" | Judy Garland | 1949 | Written by Janice Torre and Fred Spielman, for the 1949 MGM musical film In the Good Old Summertime. Later recorded by Johnny Mathis (2002) and Bette Midler (2006). |
| "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)" | The Ramones | 1987 | B-side of single "I Wanna Live". |
| "Merry Christmas, Baby" | Johnny Moore's Three Blazers | 1947 | The original version by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers peaked at No. 3 on Billboard magazine's R&B Juke Box chart during the Christmas season of 1947. Charles Brown was the singer and pianist of Johnny Moore's Three Blazers. Brown also recorded a hit solo remake of the song in 1956. Other versions that also charted were by Chuck Berry in 1958 and by Otis Redding in 1968. Bruce Springsteen also recorded a version that first appeared on the 1987 various artists holiday compilation album A Very Special Christmas. |
| "Merry Christmas Darling" | The Carpenters | 1970 | Re-recorded for their 1978 holiday album Christmas Portrait. |
| "Merry Christmas Everybody" | Train | 2015 | Peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in December 2015. First recorded by the English rock band Slade in 1973. |
| "Merry Christmas from the Family" | Robert Earl Keen | 1994 | From the album Gringo Honeymoon. A version by Montgomery Gentry also charted at No. 38 on Hot Country Songs in 2001. |
| "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" | 'N Sync | 1998 | Hit the Top 40 Mainstream chart in 1999. |
| "Merry Christmas in the NFL" | Buckner & Garcia | 1980 | Novelty song which imagined Howard Cosell as Santa Claus. Performed under the pseudonym "Willis the Guard & Vigorish", the song reached No. 82 on the Billboard charts, despite limited airplay after Cosell found the song offensive. |
| "Merry Christmas Santa Claus (You're a Lovely Guy)" | Max Headroom | 1986 | |
| "Merry Christmas Strait to You" | George Strait | 1986 | First released on Strait's 1986 holiday album Merry Christmas Strait to You, but the title track didn't hit the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart until the week ending January 3, 1998. |
| "Merry Merry Christmas Baby" | Dodie Stevens | 1960 | Covered by Margo Sylvia in 1994. |
| "Merry Merry Merry Frickin' Christmas" | Frickin' A | 2004 | Two versions of the song. One is a tribute to the Boston Red Sox on their winning of the 2004 World Series. The other is a satire of spending time with the family. |
| "Merry Twistmas" | The Marcels | 1961 | Written to capitalize on the U.S. dance craze called "The Twist". |
| "Mistletoe" (1) | Colbie Caillat | 2007 | Peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 44 on the Billboard Pop 100 chart in late 2007, and No. 7 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in early 2008. |
| "Mistletoe" (2) | Justin Bieber | 2011 | Peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, No. 5 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart in November 2011. Also peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks in December 2011. |
| "Mistletoe And Holly" | Frank Sinatra | 1957 | Written by Frank Sinatra, Doc Stanford & Hank Sanicola. Selected as the theme song for the 1960 Christmas Seals appeal. |
| "The Mistletoe and Me" | Isaac Hayes | 1969 | Charted again in 1973. |
| "Money in a Card (On This Christmas Day)" | Camp Jam Allstars | 2007 | Charity single written by Jeff Carlisi (38 Special), Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel) and Derek St. Holmes (Ted Nugent) and performed by a group of teens to benefit Little Kids Rock. |
| "Monsters' Holiday" | Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers | 1962 | Similar to Pickett's No. 1 pop hit single from earlier in 1962, "Monster Mash". |
| "Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo" | South Park | 1997 | Song debuted in the South Park episode of the same name, has appeared in several others since. |
| "Must Be Santa" | Lorne Greene with the Jimmy Joyce Children's Choir | 1966 | Written by Hal Moore and Bill Fredricks. First recorded by Mitch Miller and the Gang in 1961. Also covered by Bob Dylan in 2009. |
| "My Boyfriend's Coming Home for Christmas" | Toni Wine | 1963 | Includes elements of "The First Noel". |
| "My Christmas Card to You" | The Partridge Family | 1971 | Written by Tony Romeo. |
| "My Favorite Things" | Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass | 1968 | Originally written for the 1959 Broadway musical The Sound of Music. Charted for Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, reaching the Cashbox magazine Top 40 in early 1969. Popular versions from the 1960s that never charted include The Supremes, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, and Eddie Fisher. The song was a minor hit for Lorrie Morgan in 1994. On the week of December 31, 2001, a version by the band Chicago peaked at No. 11 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. |
| "My Mom and Santa Claus" | George Jones | 1965 | First released in 1962; charted for one week on the Billboard Christmas charts in 1965. |
| "My Only Wish (This Year)" | Britney Spears | 2000 | |
| "Natividad (Nativity)" | Harvie June Van | 1967 | First released on Briar Records in 1962. Re-issue on Kapp Records peaked at No. 15 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1967. |
| "New Year's Eve 1999" | Alabama with Gretchen Peters | 1999 | Peaked at No. 55 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2000. |
| "A New York Christmas" | Rob Thomas | 2003 | Peaked at No. 22 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Sales chart in December 2003. |
| "The Night Before Christmas" (1) | Milton Cross | 1939 | Peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's Best-Selling Children's Records chart in December 1948. Recitation of Clement Moore's famous 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" with musical background orchestrated by Victor Salon. Originally released in 1939. A version by Jim Brickman featuring John Oates peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2014. |
| "The Night Before Christmas" (2) | Carly Simon | 1992 | Written and recorded by Simon for the 1992 film This Is My Life; also used in the 1994 film Mixed Nuts. Covered by Amy Grant in 1992. |
| "The Night Before Christmas Song" | Rosemary Clooney & Gene Autry | 1952 | Peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's Top Popular Records - Most Played by Jockeys chart in late December 1952. A recording of Clement Moore's famous 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" featuring a melody written by Johnny Marks and orchestration by Carl Cotner. |
| "The Night Santa Went Crazy" | "Weird Al" Yankovic | 1996 | Parody of Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas" in the style of Soul Asylum's "Black Gold." Two versions were recorded. |
| "Nina-Non" | Joni James | 1953 | Featuring orchestra and chorus conducted by Lew Douglas. |
| "A Not So Merry Christmas" | Bobby Vee | 1962 | From the album Merry Christmas From Bobby Vee. |
| "The Nutcracker Suite" | Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops | 1958 | Also a hit for the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and many others around the world. Introduced in a stylized jazz-big band version by Les Brown in the 1957 album "Concert Modern". Other hit rock versions by The Brian Setzer Orchestra and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Latter's version retitled "A Mad Russian's Christmas". |
| "Nuttin' for Christmas" | Art Mooney and His Orchestra Vocal by Barry Gordon |
1955 | Peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's Popular Records - Best Sellers in Stores chart in January 1956. Versions by four other artists charted in December 1955 and January 1956 on one or more of Billboard's music popularity charts: Joe Ward, Ricky Zahnd & The Blue Jeaners (titled "(I'm Gettin') Nuttin' for Christmas"), The Fontane Sisters and Stan Freberg. Written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett. Eartha Kitt released a version in 1955 with different lyrics titled "Nothin' for Christmas" with the same writer credits. Also covered by the rock group Smash Mouth. |
| "O Bambino (One Cold and Blessed Winter)" | Harry Simeone Chorale | 1964 | Peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1964 and No. 105 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in January 1965 (charted again on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1965, peaking at No. 24). Introduced in 1961 by The Springfields as "Bambino (Napoli Lullaby)". Same melody as "Bagpiper's Carol" by The Mariners. |
| "O Come All Ye Faithful" | Twisted Sister | 2006 | Performed in the style of their hit "We're Not Gonna Take It", while staying faithful to the carol's original words and melody. |
| "O Holy Night" | John Berry | 1995 | Peaked at No. 55 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1996. A 19th-century French carol, originally titled "Cantique de Noël." First known recorded version was released in 1916 by Enrico Caruso. First appearance on a popular Christmas album was in 1946 by Fred Waring. Other charted versions were by Martina McBride (1996), Josh Groban (2002), LeAnn Rimes (2003), Clay Aiken (2004), Newsboys (2010), and Richard Marx (2012). |
| "Oh Santa!" | Mariah Carey | 2010 | Spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2010 and January 2011.[4] Debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Holiday Digital Songs chart on the week ending October 30, 2010. First single released from Carey's second holiday album, Merry Christmas II You. |
| "O Tannenbaum" | Vince Guaraldi Trio | 1965 | Originally composed by Ernst Anschütz and performed by the Vince Guaraldi Trio for the 1965 animated TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas. A version by Aretha Franklin appeared on the 1992 album A Very Special Christmas 2. |
| "Oi to the World" | The Vandals | 1996 | Covered by No Doubt in 1997. |
| "Oíche Chiún (Silent Night)" | Enya | 1988 | Peaked at No. 117 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in January 1995. Also charted on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Sales chart in December 2000, December 2010-January 2002, November 2002-January 2003 and December 2003-January 2004 (peaking at high as No. 11 in January 2003). The classic 1818 Franz Gruber carol sung in Gaelic. Originally released as a B-side of Enya's 1988 single, "Evening Falls". Later released as the main track on a three-song EP in 1994, which was also the best-selling Christmas single in the U.S. for 10 years (1994–2004). |
| "An Old Christmas Card" | Jim Reeves | 1963 | From the album Twelve Songs of Christmas. Reached the Music Vendor Christmas chart the same year. |
| "The Old Man's Back in Town" | Garth Brooks | 1992 | Peaked at No. 48 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1993 (charted again on the same Billboard chart in January 1998, peaking at No. 59). Included on Brooks's first holiday album, Beyond the Season. |
| "Old Time Christmas" | George Strait | 1999 | Peaked at No. 62 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in December 2000. |
| "Old Toy Trains" | Roger Miller | 1967 | Peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1967. A 2000 version by Toby Keith peaked at No. 57 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in early January 2001. |
| "One Wish (for Christmas)" | Whitney Houston | 2003 | Peaked at No. 23 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary chart in January 2004. Originally recorded by Freddie Jackson and included on his 1994 holiday album, Freddie Jackson at Christmas. |
| "Our Winter Love" | Bill Pursell | 1963 | Peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and at No. 4 on Billboard's Middle-Road Singles chart in late March 1963, and at No. 20 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart in April 1963. Instrumental track. A vocal version by The Lettermen peaked at No. 16 on Billboard's Top 40 Easy Listening chart and No. 72 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart in February 1967. |
| "Paper Angels" | Jimmy Wayne | 2003 | Peaked at No. 18 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2005. |
| "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" | Vincent Lopez Orchestra | 1922 | The Vincent Lopez Orchestra version peaked at No. 3 on the pop singles chart in September 1922. Other charted versions include Carl Fenton's Orchestra (No. 6 on pop singles in September 1922) and Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (No. 1 for seven weeks on pop singles in the spring of 1923). Music written in 1897 by Leon Jessel and popularized by Nikita Balieff's 1920s musical revue Chauve-Souris. A version by The Crystals was also included on Phil Spector's 1963 holiday album, A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records. |
| "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" | David Bowie & Bing Crosby | 1982 | Peaked at No. 43 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Sales chart in January 2003 (also charted on the same Billboard chart in December 2000-January 2001 (No. 58), December 2001 (No. 75) and December 2003-January 2004 (No. 66)). Originally performed on September 11, 1977 for Crosby's final holiday television special, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, and first released as a single in 1982. A video clip of the performance from the Crosby television special became a holiday staple on MTV during the holiday season for much of the 1980s. |
| "Please Come Home for Christmas" | Charles Brown | 1960 | Peaked at No. 21 on Billboard's Hot R&B Sides chart in early January 1961. Written by Brown and Gene Redd. A recording by the Eagles reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978 and No. 15 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1995. Other charted versions include The Uniques (1967), Gary Allan (1997), Lee Roy Parnell (1997), Willie Nelson (2004) and Josh Gracin (2006). |
| "Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)" | John Denver | 1973 | Peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1973, and at No. 69 on both the Billboard Hot 100 singles and Billboard's Hot Country Singles charts in January 1974. Written by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. Denver's original 1973 single displayed the title as simply "Please, Daddy." The song has been covered by other artists, such as Alan Jackson (1993) and The Decemberists (2006). |
| "Please Uncle Sam (Send Back My Man)" | The Charmels | 1966 | An early Stax/Volt single, in which a lonely Christmas is expected due to the singer's lover being in Vietnam. |
| "Po' Folks' Christmas" | Bill Anderson and The Po' Boys | 1968 | Peaked at No. 18 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1968. |
| "Presents for Christmas" | Solomon Burke | 1968 | Released on the 1968 various artists holiday soul album Soul Christmas. |
| "Pretty Paper" | Roy Orbison | 1963 | Peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 10 on Billboard's Middle-Road Singles chart in January 1964. Also charted on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1964, peaking at No. 27. Written by Willie Nelson. The original recording by Orbison was arranged by Bill Justis, with orchestra and chorus conducted by Ivor Raymonde. A 2003 version by Kenny Chesney featuring Willie Nelson peaked at No. 45 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2004. Nelson himself released two versions: his original 1964 version (for RCA Records) and a re-recording in 1979 as the title track of his holiday album released that year. |
| "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart" | LeAnn Rimes | 1996 | Peaked at No. 51 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1997. Single available only as a bonus CD with the purchase of Rimes's 1996 studio album Blue at Target stores during the 1996 holiday season. |
| "Put Christ Back Into Christmas" | Red Foley with The Anita Kerr Singers | 1953 | Peaked at No. 23 on the pop singles chart in December 1953. |
| "The Real Meaning of Christmas" | Ray Conniff and The Singers | 1965 | Peaked at No. 19 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1965. |
| "Redneck 12 Days of Christmas" | Jeff Foxworthy | 1995 | Peaked at No. 18 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1996. Parody of the traditional English song "Twelve Days of Christmas." A 2000 cover version by the Redneck Carollers also featured Foxworthy on lead vocals. |
| "Reindeer Boogie" | Trisha Yearwood | 1994 | Peaked at No. 63 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1999. First recorded by Hank Snow in 1953. |
| "Remember Bethlehem" | Dee Mullins | 1970 | Peaked at No. 71 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in January 1971. |
| "Ring Out, Solstice Bells" | Jethro Tull | 1976 | From the album Songs from the Wood. |
| "River" | Barry Manilow | 2002 | Peaked at No. 17 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in January 2003, and included on his 2002 holiday album, A Christmas Gift of Love. Written and originally recorded by Joni Mitchell, whose original version is included on her 1971 non-holiday studio album, Blue. |
| "Rock and Roll Christmas" | George Thorogood & the Destroyers | 1983 | |
| "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" | Brenda Lee | 1958 | Peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on the week of January 1, 1961. Written by Johnny Marks. A 1996 version by the band Alabama peaked at No. 64 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2000. The B-side of Lee's original single is "Papa Noël," a holiday song written by Roy Botkin. |
| "Rockin' Little Christmas" | Carlene Carter | 1995 | Covered by Brooks & Dunn in 2002. |
| "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" | Gene Autry & the Pinafores | 1949 | Spent eight weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Children's Records chart from late November 1949 through mid January 1950. Also peaked at No. 1 on both Billboard's Best-Selling Pop Singles and Billboard's Country & Western Records Most Played by Folk Disk Jockeys charts in early January 1950. Autry recorded an updated version of the song in 1957 that featured orchestration by Carl Cotner, which peaked at No. 70 on Billboard's Top 100 Sides chart in December 1957. Covered by many artists through the years, including charted versions by Bing Crosby (1950), Red Foley (1951), The Cadillacs (1957), Paul Anka (1960), The Chipmunks (1960), The Temptations (1968) and Alan Jackson (1996). |
| "Run Rudolph Run" | Chuck Berry | 1958 | Peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1958. The B-side of Berry's original single is another holiday tune, a cover of "Merry Christmas Baby." A 2008 version by Luke Bryan peaked at No. 42 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. |
| "Same Old Lang Syne" | Dan Fogelberg | 1980 | Peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 8 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in February 1981. |
| "Santa Baby" | Eartha Kitt with Henri Rene & His Orchestra | 1953 | Written by Tony Springer, Phil Springer & Joan Javits. In 1954, Eartha Kitt recorded a new version of the song with new lyrics titled "This Year's Santa Baby", while Homer & Jethro also recorded a version titled "Santy Baby" in 1954. Later covered by Mae West, Madonna in 1987, and Kylie Minogue in 2000, among others. |
| "Santa Baby (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme)" | Willa Ford | 2001 | The lead single from the album MTV: TRL Christmas. |
| "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)" | Elvis Presley | 1957 | Written by Aaron Schroeder and Claude DeMetruis. |
| "Santa Claus and His Old Lady" | Cheech & Chong | 1971 | Spoken comedy record. Peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart in 1971 (as well as No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100), and the following year peaked at a new high of No. 3. |
| "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto" | James Brown | 1968 | Recharted in 1969. A new version from the album James Brown's Funky Christmas reached the R&B charts in 1998. |
| "Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney" | Ella Fitzgerald | 1950 | |
| "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" | Elvis Presley | 1957 | Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. A 1997 version by Dwight Yoakam peaked at No. 60 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1998. |
| "Santa Claus Is Comin' (In a Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train)" | The Tractors | 1995 | Reached No. 43 on the Country charts in 1996.[2] Rewriting of the group's biggest hit, "Baby Likes to Rock It". |
| "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" | George Hall and the Hotel Taft Orchestra | 1934 | Written in 1933 by Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots. The Jackson 5's 1970 version hit No. 1 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1970 and again in December 1971 (it also charted in 1973). Bruce Springsteen's 'live' version was actually recorded on December 12, 1975 at C.W. Post College in Greenvale, New York; this version was first released as a promotional single by Columbia Records in 1981 (Columbia AE7 1332). Other notable hit versions were by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (1943), The 4 Seasons (1962), The Crystals (1963), The Carpenters (1975), George Strait (1995), Lonestar (2000), Steve Tyrell (2002), Barry Manilow (2002), Harry Connick Jr. (2003) and Michael Bublé (2011). |
| "Santa Claus Is Definitely Here to Stay" | James Brown | 1970 | |
| "Santa Claus Is Watching You" | Ray Stevens | 1962 | Featuring backing vocals by the Merry Melody Singers. |
| "Santa Claus Lane" | Hilary Duff | 2002 | Title track from the album Santa Claus Lane. Also used in the movie The Santa Clause 2. |
| "Santa Got Lost In Texas" | Jeff Carson | 1996 | Based on the melody of "The Eyes of Texas", with lyrics rewritten by Ken Darby. Originally recorded by Michael Landon in 1963 for the album Bonanza: Christmas on the Ponderosa. |
| "Santa, I'm Right Here" | Toby Keith | 1995 | |
| "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy" | Buck Owens | 1965 | Reached No. 2 on the Pop charts in 1965.[2] Charted again by Buck Owens in 1967, and by Garth Brooks in 1998. Also covered by Brad Paisley and Reverend Horton Heat. |
| "Santa Tell Me" | Ariana Grande | 2014 | Co-written by Grande. Peaked at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 7 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in late December 2014. |
| "Santa's a Fat Bitch" | Insane Clown Posse | 1997 | Only single ever charted by this group on the Billboard Hot 100. |
| "Santa's Gonna Come in a Pickup Truck" | Redneck Carollers | 2000 | Originally recorded by Alan Jackson and Alvin & the Chipmunks in 1993. The song is a redneck style parody of "The Chipmunk Song". |
| "Save the Best for Last (Christmas version)" | Vanessa L. Williams | 1992 | Previously a No. 1 U.S. hit for 5 weeks as a non-holiday single, was reworked with a new snowy theme and wintry music video, popular on MTV for many years. |
| "The Secret of Christmas" | Bing Crosby | 1959 | Written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. Performed by Crosby in the 1959 film Say One for Me. Crosby re-recorded the song in 1964 for the album 12 Songs of Christmas. |
| "Sending You a Little Christmas" | Jim Brickman featuring Kristy Starling | 2003 | Peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart during the Christmas season of 2003. |
| "Shake Hands with Santa Claus" | Louis Prima & His Orchestra | 1951 | |
| "Shake Up Christmas" | Train | 2010 | Peaked at No. 12 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in December 2010. |
| "Silent Night" | Bing Crosby | 1935 | Written on Christmas Eve in 1818 in Germany by Franz Gruber under the title "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht". Crosby's original hit version features the Victor Young Orchestra and backing vocals by the Guardsmen Quartet. First known hit version in the U.S. was by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra in 1928. Other hit versions were by the Ravens (1948), Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1949), Mahalia Jackson (1962), Barbra Streisand (1966), The Temptations (1969), Enya (1994), Kenny Chesney (2004) and Susan Boyle (2009). |
| "Silver and Gold" | Burl Ives | 1964 | Written for the classic 1964 TV special, Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. |
| "Silver Bells" | Bing Crosby & Carole Richards | 1950 | Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, and later used in the 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid starring Bob Hope. Other popular versions were also recorded by Johnny Mathis (1958), Al Martino (1964), Earl Grant (1966), Doris Day (1967), The Supremes (1968), Kenny G (1994), Kenny Chesney (2004) and Whitney Wolanin (2014). |
| "Sleigh Ride" | Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops | 1949 | Recorded one year later (in 1950) by the song's composer Leroy Anderson (it was written in 1946). A popular 1958 version by Johnny Mathis (backed by the Percy Faith Orchestra), was an early recording of the vocal version, lyrics by Mitchell Parrish. A version by The Ronettes was included on the classic 1963 holiday album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. Other hit vocal interpretations include versions by Dolly Parton, TLC, Amy Grant, Lorrie Morgan and Garth Brooks. |
| "Slipping Into Christmas" | Leon Russell | 1972 | B-side is "Christmas In Chicago". |
| "Snoopy's Christmas" | The Royal Guardsmen | 1967 | The third in a series of "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron" songs by the group. Reached No. 10 in Cashbox's pop chart, No. 1 in the Billboard Christmas chart. |
| "Snow" | Claudine Longet | 1967 | The B-side of Longet's single "I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You". Charted for two weeks on the Billboard Christmas chart. |
| "Snowbound For Christmas" | The DeCastro Sisters | 1955 | Arranged by Skip Martin. Also recorded by Jackie Gleason in 1967. B-side is "Christmas Is A-Comin'". |
| "Snowfall" | Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra | 1941 | Written by Claude Thornhill. Later recorded by Billy May, Tony Bennett, Henry Mancini, Doris Day and many others. |
| "Snowflakes of Love" | Toni Braxton | 2001 | The lead single from Toni Braxton's Christmas album Snowflakes. Includes elements of Isaac Hayes' composition "Now We're One". |
| "Someday at Christmas" | Stevie Wonder | 1966 | Peaked at No. 24 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1966. A version by Mary J. Blige peaked at No. 87 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart in December 2000. A version by Jordan Hill peaked at No. 11 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks in December 2012. |
| "Someone Is Missing At Christmas" | Anne Cochran | 2005 | Peaked at No. 11 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. From the album This is the Season. |
| "Song for a Winter's Night" | Sarah McLachlan | 1994 | Written and originally recorded in 1966 by Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot for his 1967 album The Way I Feel. McLachlan's version of the song was recorded in 1994 and first appeared on the soundtrack to that year's remake of Miracle on 34th Street. McLachlan also included her version on her 2006 holiday album Wintersong. |
| "The Sound of Christmas" | Ramsey Lewis Trio | 1961 | |
| "Step Into Christmas" | Elton John | 1973 | The B-side is another holiday tune by Elton titled "Ho Ho Ho (Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas)". The British indie-rock band The Wedding Present recorded a cover of "Step Into Christmas" that appeared on the 1991 various artists holiday compilation A Lump of Coal. |
| "Suzy Snowflake" | Rosemary Clooney | 1951 | Written by Sid Tepper and Roy Brodsky. |
| "Sweet Little Baby Boy" | James Brown | 1966 | Released as a two-part single, it reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. Also appeared in the Record World top 100 pop chart. |
| "Take Me Back to Toyland" | Nat King Cole | 1955 | Peaked at No. 47 on Billboard's Top 100 Popular Records chart in January 1956. Featuring the Nelson Riddle Orchestra and Chorus. |
| "Tennessee Christmas" | Amy Grant | 1983 | Covered by Alabama in 1985, Steve Wariner in 1990, among other country and Contemporary Christian artists. |
| "Thank God for Kids" | Oak Ridge Boys | 1982 | Peaked at No. 3 for two weeks on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in January and February 1983. A 2003 version by Kenny Chesney peaked at No. 60 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2004. |
| "Thank God It's Christmas" | Queen | 1984 | |
| "That Holiday Feeling" | Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme | 1964 | |
| "That's Christmas to Me" | Pentatonix | 2014 | Peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in late December 2014. |
| "That's What I Want for Christmas" | Nancy Wilson | 1963 | Peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1963 and at No. 26 on the same Billboard chart in December 1964. Featuring orchestra by O.B. Masingill. |
| "There Is No Christmas Like a Home Christmas" | Perry Como | 1968 | Originally recorded by Como in 1950. Re-recorded version peaked at No. 28 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1968. Featuring orchestration by Nick Perito and the Ray Charles Singers on backing vocals. |
| "There Won't Be Any Snow (Christmas in the Jungle)" | Derrik Roberts | 1965 | Peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1965 and at No. 105 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in January 1966. Included on the 1998 Westside Records compilation, Christmas Past. |
| "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays" | Perry Como | 1954 | Featuring accompaniment by Mitchell Ayres' orchestra and the Ray Charles Singers. Peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Most Played by Jockeys chart and at No. 18 on Billboard's Best Sellers in Stores chart in January 1955. A 1999 cover version by Garth Brooks peaked at No. 63 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2000. On the week of December 31, 2011, a cover version by Cyndi Lauper and Norah Jones peaked at No. 12 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. |
| "Thirty-Two Feet – Eight Little Tails" | Gene Autry | 1951 | Peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Best Selling Children's Records chart in December 1951. Featuring orchestration by Carl Cotner. |
| "This Christmas" | Donny Hathaway | 1970 | Peaked at No. 11 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1972 (first released as a single in 1970). A version by Richard Kincaid featuring Cuba Gooding, Sr. peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2012. Another version by Seal spent one week at No. 1 on Billboard' Adult Contemporary chart in late December 2015/early January 2016. |
| "This Gift" | 98° | 1999 | Peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and at No. 6 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in January 2000. |
| "This Is Your Gift" | John Tesh | 2002 | Peaked at No. 19 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2002. From the album Christmas Worship. |
| "This One's for the Children" | New Kids on the Block | 1989 | Peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, No. 27 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and No. 55 on Billboard's Hot Black Singles chart in January 1990. The single also included "Funky, Funky Xmas," from the group's holiday album Merry, Merry Christmas, as a second track. |
| "This Time of the Year" | Brook Benton | 1959 | Peaked at No. 12 on Billboard's Hot R&B Sides chart and No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in January 1960. Featuring orchestration by Belford Hendricks. Another version by Brenda Lee charted in December 1964, peaking at No. 12 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart. |
| "'Til Santa's Gone (Milk and Cookies)" | Clint Black | 1995 | First charted on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks in December 1995, peaking at No. 58 in January 1996. Originally released in 1990 as a single and on the albums Home for the Holidays and A Season of Harmony with the title "Til' Santa's Gone (I Just Can't Wait)". |
| "Toyland" | Doris Day | 1964 | From The Doris Day Christmas Album. Based on the Victor Herbert operetta Babes in Toyland. Also popular as an instrumental by countless artists. |
| "Trains and Winter Rains" | Enya | 2008 | Peaked at No. 27 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart during the Christmas season of 2008. Included on Enya's 2008 album, And Winter Came.... |
| "'Twas the Night After Christmas" | Jeff Foxworthy | 1996 | Peaked at No. 67 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1997. Parody of the famous 1823 poem written by Clement Moore. |
| "'Twas The Night Before Christmas (A Visit From St. Nicholas)" | Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians | 1942 | First charted on Billboard's Best Selling Children's Records chart in December 1949, peaking at No. 11, and again in December 1952, peaking at No. 6. A recording of Clement Moore's famous 1823 poem set to music by Ken Darby and featuring orchestration by Harry Simeone. First released around Christmastime of 1942 on the 4-record album set, 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. Also charted by Arthur Godfrey with backing orchestration by Archie Bleyer on Billboard's Best Selling Children's Records chart in December 1950. |
| "The Twelve Days of Christmas" | Mitch Miller and the Gang | 1961 | One of the most recorded songs each year. First known recorded version was by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters in 1949. The comedy duo of Bob & Doug McKenzie recorded a parody of this song in 1981. Other popular parodies that still receive airplay on radio stations around the holiday season include "The Twelve Pains of Christmas" by the Bob Rivers Comedy Corp (1987), and "Redneck 12 Days of Christmas" by Jeff Foxworthy (1995). During the Christmas season of 2008, a comical a cappella version by Straight No Chaser reached No. 5 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. |
| "The Twelve Gifts of Christmas" | Allan Sherman | 1963 | Peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1963. Comical parody version of the traditional English carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas". |
| "25th of Last December" | Roberta Flack | 1977 | Peaked at No. 28 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart and No. 52 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart in January 1978. Written by Gene McDaniels. Originally recorded for the 1977 album Blue Lights in the Basement. Flack re-recorded the song for her 1997 holiday album, The Christmas Album. |
| "2000 Miles" | The Pretenders | 1983 | Originally released as the B-side of the band's 1983 single "Middle of the Road", and then included on the band's 1984 album Learning to Crawl. Also covered by Holly Cole in 1989, and recorded by Coldplay in 2003 as a download single for charity. |
| "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me" | The Supremes | 1965 | Peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1965. Charted again on the same Billboard chart in December 1966 (peaking at No. 26) and December 1967 (peaking at No. 10). |
| "Twistin' Bells" | Santo & Johnny | 1960 | Peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1960. "Twist-rock" version of "Jingle Bells". |
| "Underneath the Mistletoe" | Blondfire | 2005 | |
| "Underneath the Tree" | Kelly Clarkson | 2013 | Written by Clarkson and Greg Kurstin. Spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in December 2013 and the first week of January 2014. It also peaked at No. 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week ending January 4, 2014. |
| "Up on the House Top" | Kimberley Locke | 2005 | Spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2005 and January 2006. First released by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1953, and re-recorded by Autry for his 1957 holiday album, Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer & other Christmas Favorites. |
| "Warm & Fuzzy" | Billy Gilman | 2000 | Peaked at No. 50 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2001. |
| "We Need a Little Christmas" | Angela Lansbury and Cast | 1966 | From the original Broadway cast recording, Mame. Other hit versions that same year were by Percy Faith and His Orchestra (charted 2005), and The New Christy Minstrels. It was then reprised in the 1974 film version of Mame, starring Lucille Ball. During the Christmas season of 2008, a version by Kimberley Locke reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. In December 2010, a version by the cast of the TV series Glee reached No. 15 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. |
| "We Three Kings (Star of Wonder)" | BlackHawk | 1997 | Peaked at No. 75 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1998. Composed by John Henry Hopkins in 1857. |
| "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" | Kenny G | 2005 | Peaked at No. 15 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary in December 2005. Recorded by dozens of artists over the years, but Kenny G's 2005 recording was the first version to make any of Billboard's music charts. |
| "Welcome Christmas" | The Who Village Choir | 1966 | Written for the 1966 Dr. Seuss TV classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. |
| "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" | The Orioles | 1949 | Peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's Best-Selling Retail Rhythm & Blues chart in December 1949. Written by Frank Loesser. First recorded by Margaret Whiting in 1947. Other charted versions include Danté & The Evergreens (1960) and Nancy Wilson (1965). Recorded by many other artists, including Dick Haymes & the Les Paul Trio (1947), Ella Fitzgerald (1960), Ramsey Lewis Trio (1960), King Curtis (1968), Johnny Mathis (1969), Patti LaBelle (1990), The Stylistics (1992), Harry Connick, Jr. (1993), Barbra Streisand (2001) and Diana Krall (2005). |
| "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?)" | The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir & Chorale | 1980 | Peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1980. A novelty record featuring Star Wars' Chewbacca and included on the 1980 holiday album, Christmas in the Stars. The artist is actually disco producer Meco Monardo. |
| "What Child Is This?" | Mark Chesnutt | 1996 | Peaked at No. 75 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 1997. Included on the 1996 various artists album A Country Christmas. Traditional 16th century English melody, known as "Greensleeves". Lyrics written in the 19th century by William Chatterton Dix. Recorded by dozens of artists over the years. |
| "What Christmas Means to Me" | Stevie Wonder | 1967 | From the album Someday at Christmas. Later versions were recorded by Paul Young (1992), Hanson (1997), Al Green (2004), and Jessica Simpson (2004). |
| "What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin'?)" | Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang | 1936 | |
| "What Will the New Year Bring?" | Donna Fargo | 1975 | Peaked at No. 58 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in January 1976. |
| "Whatever Happened to Christmas?" | Frank Sinatra | 1968 | Peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1968. Written by Jimmy Webb, and featuring the Don Costa Orchestra. Covered by Aimee Mann in 2006. |
| "When a Child Is Born" | Michael Holm | 1974 | Peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart and No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in January 1975. Covered in 1976 by Johnny Mathis, whose version spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Official UK Singles Chart in late December 1976 and early January 1977. The melody was originally written as "Soleado" in 1972. |
| "When Winter Comes" | Artie Shaw & his Orchestra | 1939 | Peaked at No. 6 on the pop singles chart in mid-1939. Featuring vocals by Tony Pastor. From the 1939 film Second Fiddle. |
| "Where Are You Christmas?" | Faith Hill | 2000 | Peaked at No. 10 Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, No. 26 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in January 2001. From the 2000 live action film, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Originally written for and intended to be sung by Mariah Carey, but she was not able due to record label disputes. |
| "White Christmas" | Bing Crosby | 1942 | Spent eleven weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's National Best Selling Retail Records chart and three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Harlem Hit Parade chart in late 1942. Written by Irving Berlin. Bing Crosby's original 1942 version featured the Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter's Orchestra. The song debuted in the 1942 film Holiday Inn (sung by Crosby), then appeared in the 1954 color film titled after the song. The familiar 1947 re-recording of the song by Crosby is still the best-selling Christmas single of all time in the U.S. (estimated at more than 50 million sold through the years), and appears on numerous holiday albums as well. Elvis Presley's 1957 cover of the song garnered controversy when Irving Berlin called for the song to be banned from radio airplay. |
| "White Is in the Winter Night" | Enya | 2008 | Peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2008. Included on Enya's 2008 album, And Winter Came.... |
| "The White World of Winter" | Bing Crosby | 1965 | Peaked at No. 20 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1965. Written by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish, and recorded with the Sonny Burke Orchestra. |
| "Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas" | The Staple Singers | 1970 | Peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1973 (the year it first charted). |
| "Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Every Day?" | Bianca Ryan | 2006 | Though not officially released as a single by Columbia Records, radio stations in several countries played the song in 2006 as part of their Christmas-themed programming. |
| "Will Santy Come to Shanty Town" | Eddy Arnold, the Tennessee Plowboy and his Guitar | 1949 | Peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Country & Western Records Most Played By Folk Disk Jockeys chart in December 1949. Written by Eddy Arnold, Steve Nelson and his younger brother Ed Nelson, Jr. |
| "Winter" | Spike Jones and his City Slickers | 1952 | Peaked at No. 23 on the pop singles chart in early January 1953. Featuring the Mello Men on vocals. B-side to Jones's hit recording of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". |
| "Winter Weather" | Benny Goodman | 1941 | Peaked at No. 24 on the pop singles chart in January 1942. Featuring Peggy Lee and Art Lund on vocals. |
| "Winter Wonderland" | Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians Ted Weems and His Orchestra |
1934 | Lombardo's version peaked at No. 2 on the pop singles chart in January 1935, while the Weems version peaked at No. 13 on the pop singles chart in early January 1935. Written in 1934 by Felix Bernard (composer) and Richard B. Smith (lyricist). Covered by hundreds of artists. Other charted hit versions in Billboard include Perry Como and the Satisfiers (1946), The Andrews Sisters and Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians (1946), Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers (1946), Ramsey Lewis Trio (1966), Dolly Parton (1984), Lonestar (2000), Pat Green (2003) and Newsboys (2010). |
| "Wistful Willie" | Jimmie Rodgers | 1959 | Peaked at No. 112 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in December 1959. Featuring the Joe Reisman Orchestra. The flipside, "It's Christmas Once Again" reached the "Beat Of The Week - Singles Coming Up" survey in Music Vendor. |
| "Wizards in Winter" | Trans-Siberian Orchestra | 2004 | Peaked at No. 18 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in January 2005. Taken from the group's third holiday album, The Lost Christmas Eve. |
| "Wonderful Christmastime" | Paul McCartney | 1979 | Appeared in the Cashbox magazine top 100 in its initial year of release. Peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1984, and at No. 29 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in January 1996. Backed with the B-side "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae" (an instrumental cover of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"). |
| "The Working Elf Blues" | Daron Norwood | 1994 | Peaked at No. 75 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in early January 1995. Parody of Merle Haggard's "Workin' Man Blues". |
| "Wrapped in Red" | Kelly Clarkson | 2013 | Peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in December 2014. First released on Clarkson's 2013 holiday album of the same name. |
| "Yes, Patricia, There Is a Santa Claus" | Jimmy Dean | 1964 | Peaked at No. 14 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1965. First released as a single in 1964. Inspired by the famous 1897 newspaper editorial, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." A version by José Ferrer had previously reached the Australian pop chart in 1961. |
| "Yingle Bells" | Yogi Yorgesson | 1949 | Peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Best-Selling Pop Singles chart in December 1949. Instrumental backing by the Johnny Duffy Trio. Parody of "Jingle Bells." |
| "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" | Neil Diamond | 1984 | Peaked at No. 28 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in January 1985. Originally appeared on Diamond's 1984 album Primitive, but later re-recorded and included on his 1992 holiday release, The Christmas Album. |
| "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" | Thurl Ravenscroft | 1966 | From the 1966 Dr. Seuss holiday TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. Charted in 2010 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, peaking at No. 33. Also peaked at No. 31 on the Hot Holiday Songs chart. Covered by Whirling Dervishes in 1994, peaking at No. 120 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in January 1995. |
| "You're All I Want for Christmas" (1) | Frankie Laine | 1948 | Peaked at No. 11 on Billboard's Best-Selling Pop Singles chart in December 1948 and No. 15 on Billboard's Race Records chart in January 1949. Written by Seger Ellis and Glen Moore. Another charted version by Frank Gallagher (No. 25 on Billboard's Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys chart in December 1948). Other versions recorded by Bing Crosby (1949), Eddie Fisher (1952), Al Martino (1964), Jackie Gleason (1967), and the Salsoul Orchestra (1981). |
| "You're All I Want for Christmas" (2) | Brook Benton | 1963 | Peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1963, and at No. 21 on the same chart in December 1964. Featuring orchestration by Luchi DeJesus. Different song than the same-titled hit by Frankie Laine from 1948. It was recorded in 1964 by Don Patterson for his album Holiday Soul. In 2011 Dutch singer Caro Emerald recorded a version, sampling Benton's original recording to produce a duet. |
| "'Zat You, Santa Claus?" | Garth Brooks | 2002 | Peaked at No. 56 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in January 2003. Written by Jack Fox. Originally recorded by Louis Armstrong with the Commanders in 1953. Another popular version was released by Buster Poindexter in 1987. |
Parodies
- Radio personality Bob Rivers has written countless Christmas parodies. Some of the most notable include "The Twelve Pains of Christmas" and "The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen". He has also written some original humorous holiday songs, including "The Chimney Song". These have appeared on, as of 2006, five albums: Twisted Christmas, I Am Santa Claus, More Twisted Christmas, Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire and Christmas.
- Da Yoopers released "Rusty Chevrolet" in 1986, with lyrics written by Jim DeCaire & Joe Potila used with the song "Jingle Bells".
- The comedy duo of Stan Boreson and Doug Setterberg reached No. 10 on the Billboard Christmas charts in 1970 with "Christmas Goose (Snowbird)", a parody of Anne Murray's "Snowbird".
- Homer and Jethro parodied the song "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" as "All I Want for Christmas Is My Upper Plate", on their 1968 album Cool Crazy Christmas.[2]
- The US TV series South Park aired an early Christmas episode (and namesake song), "Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo" in 1997. This led to annual Christmas episodes, many including brand new songs or parodies of traditional tunes. An all-music sing-along Christmas 'special' was hosted by Mr. Hankey and a full-length album of the 'new Christmas classics' from the series was released, along with videos for all the songs.
- The political satire group The Capitol Steps has released four Christmas albums: Danny's First Noel (1989), All I Want for Christmas Is a Tax Increase (1993),O, Christmas Bush (2006), and Barackin' Around the Christmas Tree (2009). In addition, some of their other albums contain parodies of Christmas songs. The group's first performance in 1981, was a Christmas show.
- Many Christmas songs were parodied by the Floridian band, The Monsters in the Morning; they were included on the second disc of the Monsters Double Brown album.
See also
- Best-selling Christmas/holiday singles in the United States
- Best-selling Christmas/holiday albums in the United States
- Christmas music
- List of Christmas carols
- List of Christmas hit singles in the United Kingdom
References
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts 1220-2004.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 CD notes: Redneck Christmas, 2006 Sony BMG Music Entertainment
- ↑ CD liner notes: Billboard Greatest R&B Christmas Hits, 1990 Rhino Records
- ↑ Trust, Gary (December 6, 2010). "Mariah Carey's 'Oh Santa!' Tops Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
Notes
- The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits by Fred Bronson
- Billboard's Book of Top 40 Hits: 1955–2003 by Joel Whitburn
- Billboard's Top Pop Singles 1955–2002 by Joel Whitburn
- Hit Singles: Top 20 Charts from 1954 to the Present Day by Dave McAleer
- Christmas in the Charts 1920–2004 by Joel Whitburn
- Christmas in the Charts 2011 by Elainee
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