Christmas music is a very popular music category including various genres in it. When it’s Christmas season, many musicians goes into streets and start to play these songs. Music tradition on Christmas started with the first years of Christmas celebrations. It was mostly the hymns and litanies that fill the list. In the 13th century, carols became popular and most of the poems wrote carols. In the middle ages, Governments started to prohibit carols because they were Pagan and sinful according to governors. Today there are both classic carols and popular songs for Christmas. How many popular Christmas Songs are there?
Most of the lists for most popular Christmas songs start with John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas.” It’s a unforgettable classic now. Lennon worked hard for creating a Christmas song that will be both about Christmas and war. After various trials, Lennon made that song including lots of words for world peace and Christmas. Lennon released the song with the “Happy Xmas” title but it became popular with “War Is Over” name. Lennon also recorded a video about the song. It’s now both a popular holiday and Christmas song.
Maybe Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” is not iconic as John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas” but it’s possible to hear it in every Christmas and mostly in movies. Nat King Cole wrote the song with other popular singer Mel Torme. Beside its popularity as a Christmas song, “The Christmas Song” is accepting as one of the best performance of Nat King Cole in this genre. According to writers that wrote Nat King Cole’s biography, he recorded the song for three times but liked only one of them. Other two are also recorded but it’s still a mystery where they are hidden. Some fans believe that other two records are deleted and will never be found but in last years, some people released some records claiming they are the other versions of song. Common name of song is “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.”
“O Holy Night” is composed in 1847 but it was not so popular since Celine Dion singed it in 1998. Song’s musical compose needs a strong voice with most of the decreases and increases. When Celine Dion released the song in her popular complication “These Are Special Times” it became a worldwide popular one. Celine Dion also recorded an unforgettable video for this song in same year.
It was a surprise when first rumors are started that Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen will sing a Christmas song together. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” was an old song and according to researches, it does firstly sing in 1934 by a radio singer Eddie Cantor. Especially Bruce Springsteen used this song on all holiday concerts and it became a worldwide hit. They also recorded a video for this song together.
1987 was the top year of U2 and fans were waiting a Christmas song from them. They wrote some lyrics but it was not what fans are waiting. They then sang “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” It was an old song recorded by Darlene Love for legendary “A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spactor” album. Song became very popular and U2 used it as the symbol song of 1987 Special Olympics. They are still singing the song in their World premieres.
When David Bowie and Bing Crosby made a cover for “The Little Drummer Boy” no one thought it will be a classic Christmas song. But after it released in Bing Crosby Christmas special show in 1977, song became a classic for all Christmas celebrations.
