Holiday Countdown: December 28th

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. You know Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, but do you recall where our favourite holiday songs came from? We picked four covers to add to your playlist and looked into their history.

Bing Crosby is known for many of our favourite holiday tunes, including the ones mentioned here.

by Danelle Cloutier

Catchy Christmas Tunes

Michael Bublé - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
The song came about when radio star Eddie Cantor was searching for a holiday song to sing on a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade radio broadcast in 1934. The song became a hit—a surprise for songwriters Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. Within 24 hours, the song sold more than 30,000 records. This song about an all-seeing Santa has always been a good way to keep kids in line during the holiday season.

Frank Sinatra – I’ll be Home for Christmas
When Bing Crosby released the original version in 1943, the lyrics hit close to home for those affected by the Second World War. The song is written from the perspective of a soldier who’s writing a letter to his family to tell them he will be home for the holidays. During the war, the song exploded in popularity and received more airplay than Croby’s 1942 “White Christmas.”
Frank Sinatra released his cover of the song on his first Christmas album, A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra, in 1957.

Iggy Pop – White Christmas
Punk godfather Iggy Pop got in the holiday spirit to sing “White Christmas” on his 2013 album, Psych-Out Christmas. The song is a cover of composer and lyricist Irving Berlin’s 1941 original. Bing Crosby performed it publically on Christmas Day of that year and soon after recorded the song, it hit the top of the charts every Christmas season for the next 20 years.