steve-rogers-new-york: Chart-Topping Christmas Singles — 1920-1945 Popular Christmas themed so
steve-rogers-new-york:Chart-Topping Christmas Singles — 1920-1945Popular Christmas themed songs aren’t a new thing — they saw their infancy in the 1930s, and by the 1940s many popular seasonal songs from films and by popular artists were making the charts. These popular Christmas songs tended to be about not only Christmas, but also wintertime and the season in general and did not typically have overtly religious themes (a change from the carols of the pre-1930s).Below is a list of chart-topping Christmas singles that would have been radio favorites between 1920 and 1945. Many of those released during WWII would be also been release on V-Disc to US military personnel, so it is highly likely they would be familiar to our boys while they were overseas.Auld Lang Syne - Peerless Quartet | 1921 Reached No. 5 on the Pop charts. Written by Robert Burns. Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians first performed the song on radio in 1929, then recorded it in 1939.Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - Vincent Lopez Orchestra | 1922The Vincent Lopez Orchestra version peaked at No. 3 on the pop singles chart.Other charted versions include Carl Fenton’s Orchestra (1922), and Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (1923).Music written in 1897 by Leon Jessel and popularized by Nikita Balieff’s 1920s musical revue La Chauve-Souris.Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful) - Associated Glee Clubs of America | 1925 Peaked at No. 5 on the pop singles chart. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town - George Hall and the Hotel Taft Orchestra| 1934Written in 1933 by Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots. Other notable hit versions were by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (1943)Winter Wonderland - Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians | 1934 Lombardo’s version peaked at No. 2 on the pop singles chart.A version by Ted Weems and his Orchestra peaked at No. 13 on the pop singles chart.Written in 1934 by Felix Bernard (composer) and Richard B. Smith (lyricist).Jingle Bells - Benny Goodman and his Orchestra | 1935 B-Side was Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.A version was released in 1941 with by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, featuring vocals by Tex Beneke, Ernie Caceres and The Modernaires.Other hit versions recorded by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (1943)Silent Night - Bing Crosby | 1935Written on Christmas Eve in 1818 in Germany by Franz Gruber under the title “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht”. Crosby’s hit version features the Victor Young Orchestra and backing vocals by the Guardsmen Quartet.First known recorded version in the U.S. was by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra in 1928.What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’?) - Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang | 1936The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot - by Vera Lynn | 1937(Don’t Wait ‘Till) The Night Before Christmas - Eddy Duchin and his Orchestra | 1938Featuring vocals by Stanley Worth. Peaked at No. 9 on the pop singles chart.Babes in Toyland/March of the Toys - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | 1939 Written by Victor Herbert and Glen MacDonough.Hello, Mr. Kringle - Kay Kyser and his Orchestra | 1939 Novelty record with Ginny Simms, Ish Kabibble, Sully Mason & Harry Babbitt on vocals.The Night Before Christmas - Milton Cross | 1939 Recitation of Clement Moore’s famous 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” with musical background orchestrated by Victor Salon. When Winter Comes - Artie Shaw & his Orchestra | 1939 Peaked at No. 6 on the pop singles chart.Featuring vocals by Tony Pastor. From the 1939 film Second Fiddle.Snowfall - Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra | 1941 Written by Claude Thornhill.Winter Weather - Benny Goodman | 1941Peaked at No. 24 on the pop singles chart. Featuring Peggy Lee and Art Lund on vocals.Also recorded in 1941 by Fats Waller.Happy Holiday - Bing Crosby | 1942Written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 film Holiday Inn, co-starring Crosby and Fred Astaire. Hit versions were recorded by Peggy Lee, Andy Williams, and Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme.White Christmas - Bing Crosby | 1942Spent eleven weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s National Best Selling Retail Records chart and three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Harlem Hit Parade chart in late 1942. Written by Irving Berlin. This version featured the Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter’s Orchestra. The song debuted in the 1942 film Holiday Inn (sung by Crosby). Other charting recordings by Gordon Jenkins (1942), Charlie Spivak (1942), Frank Sinatra (1944), Freddy Martin (1945)I’ll Be Home for Christmas - Bing Crosby | 1943Written during World War II by Kim Gannon, Walter Kent and Buck Ram to honor soldiers overseas.Let’s Start the New Year Right - Bing Crosby | 1943With the Bob Crosby orchestra. From the 1942 film Holiday Inn.Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland | 1944 Peaked at No. 27 on the pop singles chart. Featuring orchestration by Georgie Stoll. Written by Ralph Blane and Hugh MartinIntroduced in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis starring Garland.The Bells of St. Mary’s - Bing Crosby | 1945 Written by A. Emmett Adams and Douglas Furber in 1917.While the song has no lyrical relation to Christmas, its inclusion in the 1945 film of the same name has made it a popular choice for various artists’ holiday albums.Christmas Carols by the Old Corral - by Tex Ritter | 1945Peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Most-Played Juke Box Folk Records chart.Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Vaughn Monroe | 1945 Written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne.Image SourcesJudy Garland and Tom Drake in 1944′s “Meet Me in St. Louis” | Source“White Christmas” and “I’ll be home for Christmas” V-Disc | Source“Sant Claus is Coming to Town” | Source[ Support SRNY on Patreon! ] -- source link
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