All-Time Best-Selling Single
"White Christmas" by Bing Crosby ... widely regarded as the best-selling single of all time/ estimated sales of more than 50 million copies! (https://musicgoldmine.com/blogs/news/tis-the-season-top-10-holiday-songs) and (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_Christmas_singles_in_the_United_States).
Three Cool Facts about it:
1. The Version We Hear Today Isn't the Original The iconic Bing Crosby recording played every year is actually a re-recording from 1947. The original 1942 master tape was used so frequently to press new records that it completely wore out. Crosby had to go back into the studio with the same orchestra and singers to create an almost identical version, which has been the standard ever since (https://www.udiscovermusic.com/in-depth-features/dreaming-of-a-white-christmas/).
2. It Was a Secret Signal During the Vietnam War On April 30, 1975, the song was used for a purpose far from holiday cheer. A message was broadcast over the American Forces Radio station instructing personnel to listen for the weather report, which would be "105 degrees and rising," followed by Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas." This was the secret, pre-arranged signal that initiated the final American evacuation of Saigon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Christmas_(song)).
3. It Originally Had a "Sunny California" First Verse The song's famous opening lines weren't the original start. Irving Berlin, who wrote the song while staying in sunny La Quinta, California, initially included a verse that set the scene: "The sun is shining, the grass is green, The orange and palm trees sway. There's never been such a day in Beverly Hills, L.A. But it's December the twenty-fourth,— And I am longing to be up North—" (https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/8410/history-of-bing-crosby-white-christmas-song/). The verse was ultimately cut to give the song a more universal, timeless feel.
Top Songs of the Streaming Era
Mariah Carey dominates the streaming charts.
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey ... released in 1994/ every year it tops the holiday streaming charts around the world (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_Christmas_singles_in_the_United_States) (https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-most-streamed-christmas-songs/).
"Last Christmas" by Wham! ... does BIG streaming numbers/ the second most-streamed holiday song in the UK (https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-most-streamed-christmas-songs/).
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee ... from 1958/ remains incredibly popular/ always in the top 5 on sales and streaming charts each holiday season (https://www.popvortex.com/music/charts/top-christmas-songs.php).
"Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl ... ! Wait, What?! This one is especially popular in the UK and Ireland/ because of that, is one of the most-streamed holiday tracks (https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-most-streamed-christmas-songs/).
"Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms: Another 1950s tune that continues to do great numbers in sales and streaming every holiday season.
A Couple Facts about it:
1. It Was a Rewrite of a "Bad Song" and Helms Never Got Writing Credit According to Bobby Helms and session guitarist Hank Garland, the song they were given was a "terrible" track called "Jingle Bell Hop." The two claimed they spent about an hour completely reworking it, changing the melody, tempo, and even adding the famous bridge ("What a bright time, it's the right time, to rock the night away"). Despite their crucial contributions, neither Helms nor Garland ever received songwriting credit or the millions in royalties that came with it (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-12-13/jingle-bell-rock-christmas-bobby-helms-streaming-hank-garland).
2. The Guitarist on the Track Became Elvis Presley's Go-To Musician The uncredited guitarist who helped transform the song was Hank Garland, one of Nashville's top session players. Immediately after his work on "Jingle Bell Rock," Garland became Elvis Presley's primary studio guitarist, playing the iconic riffs on hits like "Stuck on You," "Little Sister," and "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-12-13/jingle-bell-rock-christmas-bobby-helms-streaming-hank-garland).
