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Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Best Christmas Songs of All-Time: December 16

Inside the Rock Era is presenting six new songs each day.  All of them make up The Best 150 Christmas Songs of All-Time*.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
by Ella Fitzgerald


Fitzerald recorded her version of the song first introduced by Judy Garland in the movie Meet Me in St. Louis.

"Santa Claus & His Old Lady"
by Cheech & Chong


This song was released in 1971 prior to the Christmas season that featured this song, not available on any album.  It quickly became a favorite holiday tale.  We have traditional Christmas favorites, Christmas carols, secular songs and yes, we have a few that help us laugh.

"What Child Is This"
by Charlotte Church

Another holy and reverent song is next, that was written in 1865.  English writer William Chatterton Dix suffered a near-fatal illness at age 29 and was confined to a bed for several months.  Despite going into a deep depression, Dix wrote many hymns during this period, including "What Child Is This".  Charlotte recorded this song on her Dream a Dream album.


"All I Want for Christmas"
by Vince Vance & the Valients

Vance and the Valients originally did this song in 1989 and it has continued to pick up popularity since.
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
by Bing Crosby


This song was recorded June 8, 1942 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra and Max Terr's Mixed Chorus.  The album Merry Christmas was released in 1945 on Decca Records, consisting of five 78 rpm records, each of which had been previously released.  Merry Christmas has now sold over 15 million copies, second only to Elvis's Christmas Album among Christmas recordings.
"We Need a Little Christmas"
by Johnny Mathis


Here is a song from the Broadway musical Mame, first performed by Angela Lansbury in 1966. In the musical, the song is performed after Mame lost her fortune in the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and decided that she, her nephew Patrick, and her two servants "need a little Christmas now" to brighten them up. This song was first released on the album Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis in 1986.

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