I don’t mean stuff like “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer,” I mean songs seriously associated with the spirit of Christmas. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” dates from 1949, “Frosty the Snowman” from 1950, all the traditional carols much older – has anything been added to the Christmas Carol Canon since then?
Feliz Navidad may be borderline for your puposes. 1970.
I don’t think of “Christmas carols” as popular songs with a Christmas theme; I think of them as religious songs about Christ’s birth (which may also be popular songs). Feel free to pelt me with snowballs.
“Do You Hear What I Hear?” was released in 1962, which is probably as recent as you’ll find for a “traditional” Christmas song.
Home for the Holidays, 1954.
Jingle Bell Rock, 1957.
Does 2005’s Christmastime for the Jews count?
I hope to god it’s not that abomination about shoes.
Mary, Did You Know?
Came out just a few years ago. It quickly became my all time favorite at Christmas.
a bunch of big artists have covered it already
Donny Osmond
Clay Akin
Kenny Rogers
My personal favorite Kathy Mattea
A couple that come to mind:
Peace carol (1971, recorded by John Denver & Muppets in 1979)
When a child is born (1972, most popularized by Johnny Mathis in 1976, but frequently covered by others)
update I checked wikipedia. Mary, Did You Know? was first released by Kathy Mattea on her Christmas album Good News in 1993. Kenny Rogers released it on his Christmas Album in 1996.
lyrics written by Mark Lowry and music written by Buddy Greene.
‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’, written and originally sung by Mariah Carey in 1994, is pretty much part of the Christmas canon now. Since downloads have been counted in the singles charts of many countries it climbs back up the charts every year. It’s not a carol but surely can be counted as a “Christmas standard”.
So, “Deck the Halls” is not a Christmas carol?
For what it’s worth, I have three new favorites care of Target:
Toy Jackpot
Mrs. Claus Ain’t Got Nothin’ On Me (“Fa la la la la, ooh shoo bop shoo bop!”)
You’ll Never Find My Christmas
I also really like Luscious Jackson’s version of Let It Snow from an old Gap commercial. It’s available on iTunes, I was pleased to learn!
Agreed. But it would seem to be a shoe-in.
**
No love for Electronic Santa ?!**
Electronic Santa’s going to crash your original song listing…original song listing.
The entire 14 song album is listed here. All tracks are free.
http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_2_0_Music/?node=2492229011
Thank you. I have a hard time not dancing everytime that commercial comes on. I had no idea there was a full song.
The following are all serious about the holiday:
Happy Xmas (War is Over) from 1971 is all over the airwaves by several artists.
Wonderful Christmastime dates from 1979.
Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses from 1982 is a perennial, but only in the original version.
Last Christmas is from 1984
All I want for Christmas is You was released in 1994.
Its only 2:22 or so. But then again, it’s free. IMHO Electronic Santa is the best on the album by far.
Toy Jackpot is a distant second.
I would suffer the rest if it was on at a party.
I have the album on my PC, but only Electronic and Jackpot on my Ipod.
Actually, the first release, according to wiki, was by Michael English on his self titled album.
Lowry himelf also released it, as he sang with the Gaither Band for a while. He put it on one of his “humorous songs” albums. I don’t know the date, but my neighbors had all of Lowry’s tapes, and played them on the way to school while we carpooled with them.
And, yes, I was going to list it as the most recent carol, which to me must be religious in nature and performable in a non-solo setting.
NETA: Youtube video of Lowry singing it with backup from a couple of the others from the Gaither band. This may be the same version as the cassette version.