[78-L] The Christmas Songs

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kristjan Saag" <saag at telia.com>
> Thanks, everyone, who contributed to the list of pre WW II Christmas 
> songs,
> and for your thoughts about the matter.
> I think we can agree that there were very few popular Christmas songs 
> before
> WW II but...why was it so?
> Why did it all start around 1940?
> Was it that "White Christmas" (first heard on radio three weeks after 
> Pearl
> Harbour) triggered a longing for the domestic and safe?
> Was it the general commercialization of Christmas, finally finding its way
> into music?
> Was it structural changes in the music business that paved the way for new
> types of songs and/or artists?
> Was it the impact of Disney's "Santa's Workshop"?
>
Given what was available on 78 in the twenties and before, I would guess 
that the
"songwriting industry" assumed that the same set of familiar "Christmas 
carols"
were (1) SO familiar that no new additions could compete successfully, and
(2) were already so widely available on record that potential buyers could 
find
them easily...?!

In fact, "White Christmas" is probably the first successful addition to that 
list
(without looking up other titles...?!); the odd thing is that there is only 
one
fairly recent addition..."Jingle Bell Rock" (and this might be a "passing 
fancy"
which will die out as the "baby booners" do, over coming 
years/decades...?!).

Steven C. Barr