With only two weeks till Christmas, we’re in the thick of Christmas music on the radio, as background music in stores, etc. Which singer to you most exemplifies Christmas music? To me, I think the only real answer here is Bing Crosby. Immensely popular with a huge number of Christmas songs and albums and the best selling Christmas song of all time (“White Christmas”). Guys like Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, and even Elvis Presley have timeless classics for which they are well-known, but I don’t think you can argue there overall body of work in the Christmas genre can be compared to Crosby’s. Anyone else that you think should be mentioned?
Harry Bellafonte.
Andy Williams
Yes to all!
My parents had an LP called “Great Songs of Christmas” This (IMHO) is one that hits my heart the most:
Uhh, looks like I can’t post the youtube link
It is Anna Maria Alberghetti singing “Star Carol”
T
I can’t get enough of Harry Connick Jr’s Christmas stuff.
Michael Buble is creeping in there too. But he’s just doing a re-hash of the original dudes.
Eartha Kitt.
I say anyone who feels the need to change “Santa Baby” to “Santa Buddy” is automatically excluded.
Mariah Carey🏃♀️
You answered it yourself. Mele Kalikimaka, all!
Dagmar Kraus? Tom Waits?
Heh, meanwhile I always though HCJ was an Old Blue Eyes re-hash.
Burl Ives?
The thread led me to this Wikipedia article listing the best-selling Christmas albums, which I found interesting.
In particular, Bing’s album Merry Christmas was the best-selling Christmas album for the years 1945-1950, but it has since been outsold by more recent artists.
Bing’s #1.
Nat King Cole would be #2.
I’m with Bort. Andy just squeaks past Nathan Explosion.
No one else but Crosby. His rendition of “White Christmas” sold so many copies they wore out the master from repeated pressings and had to re-record the song. Before “White Christmas” there really were no secular Christmas songs to speak of, at least any that are remembered today.
Ironically, neither Irving Berlin, who wrote it, nor Bing Crosby, who made it famous, particularly liked the song. Berlin had written it years before and almost threw it away, thinking it was too corny, and Crosby’s first reaction was that it was sacrilegious. Of course, once Crosby warmed up to it, he practically became Mister Christmas. He sang the song during USO tours in World War II, even in the middle of August.
Name another song and singer that are still beloved and getting played on the radio after more than 80 years.
I hear ya, but he puts more New Orleans swing into his performances.
I think the question has been answered (it’s Bing).
Here are some iconic Christmas songs and performers that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Brenda Lee - Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Gene Autry - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride
José Feliciano - Feliz Navidad
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Perry Como - (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays
Judy Garland - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock
One for the “singers only remembered for Christmas songs” list: Gayla Peevey.
You should all count yourseves lucky you don’t live in a place where the answer is apparently ‘the singers of Boney M’.