[78-L] The Christmas Songs

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kristjan Saag" <saag at telia.com>
> Found this on the net: ASCAP's most-performed 'holiday' songs 2000-2004.
> What's interesting is that about 14 och the 25 songs were launched between
> 1934 and 1955, including the entire Top 7.
> Kristjan
> --
> According to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, 
> the
> following are the Top 25 most-performed "Holiday" songs written by ASCAP
> members for the first five years of the 21st century. The list does not
> include songs out of copyright (like "Jingle Bells") or written by members
> of Broadcast Music, Incorporated, known as BMI.
> 1 "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) - Mel Tormé,
> Robert Wells
> 2 "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" - Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
> 3 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
> 4 "Winter Wonderland" - Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
> 5 "White Christmas" - Irving Berlin
> 6 "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" - Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
> 7 "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" - Johnny Marks
> 8 "Jingle Bell Rock" - Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe
> 9 "I'll Be Home for Christmas" - Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram
> 10 "Little Drummer Boy" - Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry
> Simeone
> 11 "Sleigh Ride" - Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
> 12 "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" - Edward Pola, George Wyle
> 13 "Silver Bells" - Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
> 14 "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" - Johnny Marks
> 15 "Feliz Navidad" - José Feliciano
> 16 "Blue Christmas" - Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson
> 17 "Frosty the Snowman" - Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins
> 18 "A Holly Jolly Christmas" - Johnny Marks
> 19 "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" - Tommie Connor
> 20 "Here Comes Santa Claus" (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) - Gene Autry,
> Oakley Haldeman
> 21 "It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas" - Meredith Willson
> 22 "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays" - Bob Allen, Al 
> Stillman
> 23 "Carol of the Bells" - Peter J. Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich
> 24 "Santa Baby" - Joan Ellen Javits, Philip Springer, Tony Springer
> 25 "Wonderful Christmastime" - Paul McCartney
>
WOOPS! The above list includes only ASCAP-registered songs; however,
almost ALL of the "good old Christmas carols" were written WELL before
the existence of ASCAP! My original comment was based on the 20-odd
(+/-) "Christmas carols" that we all (?!) sing every "winter holiday" 
season...
that have been recorded MANY times, mostly in the first decade or two of
sound recording?

We fall back upon the tale of an overambitious typesetter in Boston, who
included "Hark, the (I)Herald(-I) Angels Sing" in a list of songs 
performed...?!

Steven C. Barr