1. Winter Wonderland Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith Performed by: Eurythmics 2. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) Written by: Mel Tormé, Robert Wells Performed by: Nat "King" Cole 3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Written by: Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin Performed by: The Pretenders 4. Sleigh Ride Written by: Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish Performed by: The Ronettes 5. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Written by: Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie Performed by: Frank Sinatra 6. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Written by: Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne Performed by: Michael Bublé 7. White Christmas Written by: Irving Berlin Performed by: Bing Crosby 8. Jingle Bell Rock Written by: Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe Performed by: Bobby Helms 9. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Written by: Johnny Marks Performed by: Gene Autry 10. Little Drummer Boy Written by: Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone Performed by: The Harry Simeone Chorale & Orchestra 11. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year Written by: Edward Pola, George Wyle Performed by: Andy Williams 12. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree Written by: Johnny Marks Performed by: Brenda Lee 13. Silver Bells Written by: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans Performed by: Kenny G 14. I'll Be Home For Christmas Written by: Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram Performed by: Amy Grant 15. Feliz Navidad Written by: José Feliciano Performed by: José Feliciano 16. Frosty The Snowman Written by: Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins Performed by: The Ronettes 17. A Holly Jolly Christmas Written by: Johnny Marks Performed by: Burl Ives 18. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas Written by: Meredith Willson Performed by: Johnny Mathis 19. Blue Christmas Written by: Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson Performed by: Elvis Presley 20. (There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays Written by: Bob Allen, Al Stillman Performed by: Perry Como 21. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus Written by: Tommie Connor (PRS) Performed by: John Mellencamp 22. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) Written by: Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman Performed by: Gene Autry 23. Carol Of The Bells Written by: Peter J. Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich Performed by: David Foster (instrumental version) 24. Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World) Written by: Midge Ure (PRS), Bob Geldof (PRS) Performed by: Band Aid 25. This Christmas Written by Donny Hathaway, Nadine McKinnor Performed by Gloria Estefan Some facts about the Top 25 ASCAP Holiday Songs: Oldest songs: "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Winter Wonderland" (both 1934) Newest song: "Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)" (1984) Most recorded Holiday song: "White Christmas" with well over 500 versions in dozens of languages Songs introduced in Film and Television "White Christmas" in "Holiday Inn" (1942) "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944) "Silver Bells" in "The Lemon Drop Kid" (1950) "A Holly Jolly Christmas" in TV special "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" (1962) Writer with most top Holiday songs: Johnny Marks with three - "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and "A Holly Jolly Christmas" "Sleigh Ride" is the only holiday song on the list written originally as an instrumental piece for a symphony orchestra. The Boston Pops Orchestra gave the first performance in a concert conducted by Arthur Fiedler at Symphony Hall in Boston, May 4, 1948. Mills Music published it that same year. The Boston Pops Orchestra recorded it in June of 1949. Mitchell Parish added lyrics in 1949.About ASCAP Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization (PRO) representing the world's largest repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 330,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has representation arrangements with over 90 similar foreign organizations so that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only American PRO owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com
ASCAP Unwraps Top 25 Holiday Songs
"Winter Wonderland" Tops Most Performed Song List Covering Past Five Years
| Source: ASCAP
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - November 24, 2008) - As the countdown to the Holidays begins and
seasonal music fills the airwaves, the American Society of Composers,
Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) -- the first and leading U.S. Performing
Rights Organization representing over 330,000 music creators and copyright
owners -- today announced its Top 25 most performed holiday songs for the
past five years, based on performance data tracked by radio airplay
monitoring service Mediaguide.
Mediaguide, co-owned by ASCAP, was launched in 2002 to monitor radio
broadcast music in real-time and facilitate the accurate distribution of
royalty payments to songwriters, composers and publishers. Its proprietary
technology and network of over 2,700 radio stations currently tracks more
stations and total airplay than any other monitoring service in the U.S.
Members of the press who would like a custom week-to-week or local run of
"real-time" 2008 holiday song airplay may contact Kathleen Reynolds at
917-595-3036 or kreynolds@cooperkatz.com.
Marilyn Bergman, ASCAP President and Chairman, said: "More than anything
else, music sets the mood for the Holidays, evoking the magic of the season
and memories of Holidays past. These timeless classics have been recorded
by artists in every genre, yet each song retains the original stamp of its
creators."
Topping the list for the second time is "Winter Wonderland" by Felix
Bernard and Richard B. Smith. This perennial classic, written in 1934, was
an instant hit for legendary bandleader Guy Lombardo And His Royal
Canadians who took it to the #2 spot on the Billboard charts the same year.
1946 recordings by the Andrews Sisters and Perry Como established the song
as a Yuletide favorite. Versions by the Eurythmics, Jewel and Air Supply
are frequently heard on radio today.
Re-entering the Top 25 list after a brief hiatus is "This Christmas,"
written by Donny Hathaway and Nadine McKinnor. Featured on the 1968
"Soulful Christmas" compilation album, the song has been recorded by
numerous artists including Gladys Knight, the Temptations, Peabo Bryson,
Usher, Ruben Studdard and Gloria Estefan. It was also featured on the
Soundtrack for the 2002 movie "Friday After Next" starring Ice Cube.
The Top 25 most performed ASCAP holiday songs of the past five years are
listed below. Each song includes songwriter credits, and cites the most
popular artist version played on radio. Listen to all 25 songs on the
ASCAP Network's Playback radio channel at http://www.ascap.com/network/.