50 Fun Facts About Christmas Songs

Which artist recorded the best-selling Christmas song of all time, "White Christmas"?

Bing Crosby's 1942 recording of "White Christmas" has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling single of all time.

Who wrote and performed "All I Want for Christmas Is You"?

Mariah Carey co-wrote "All I Want for Christmas Is You" with Walter Afanasieff, releasing it in 1994. It has become one of the most streamed and best-selling Christmas songs ever.

What is the name of the reindeer in the classic Christmas song who has a shiny red nose?

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was originally a 1939 story by Robert L. May for Montgomery Ward, later adapted into the famous 1949 song by Gene Autry.

Which classic Christmas carol begins with the lyrics "Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright"?

"Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht") was composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber with lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.

In the song "Jingle Bells," what kind of vehicle is mentioned?

The song describes riding in a "one-horse open sleigh." Interestingly, "Jingle Bells" was originally written for Thanksgiving, not Christmas, by James Lord Pierpont in 1857.

"Last Christmas" was performed by which pop duo?

"Last Christmas" was released by Wham! (George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley) in 1984. Written by George Michael, it has become one of the best-selling Christmas singles worldwide.

Which song contains the lyrics "Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful"?

"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" was written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in 1945. Despite being associated with Christmas, the song never actually mentions Christmas or any holiday.

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was originally recorded by which singer in 1958?

Brenda Lee recorded "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" when she was just 13 years old. The song was written by Johnny Marks and has become a perennial holiday classic.

What year did Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" finally reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100?

Despite being released in 1994, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" did not reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 until December 2019 -- 25 years after its initial release.

Which crooner's Christmas album has been called "the best-selling Christmas album of all time"?

Bing Crosby's "Merry Christmas" album (1945) is widely cited as the best-selling Christmas album of all time, with over 15 million copies sold in the US alone.

Which song, originally written for Thanksgiving, became one of the most famous Christmas songs?

"Jingle Bells" was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857 and was originally titled "One Horse Open Sleigh." It was composed for a Thanksgiving church service, not Christmas.

In "Frosty the Snowman," what brought Frosty to life?

In the song, "there must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found, for when they placed it on his head, he began to dance around."

"The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") was first recorded by which legendary singer?

Nat King Cole first recorded "The Christmas Song" in 1946. Written by Mel Torme and Bob Wells, the song has been re-recorded many times but Cole's version remains the definitive classic.

Which country is the original home of the carol "Silent Night"?

"Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht") was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.

"Jingle Bell Rock" was originally performed by which artist in 1957?

Bobby Helms released "Jingle Bell Rock" in 1957. Written by Joe Beal and Jim Boothe, it blended rock and roll with traditional Christmas themes.

What was the first Christmas song to be broadcast from space?

On December 16, 1965, Gemini 6 astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra played "Jingle Bells" on a harmonica and sleigh bells smuggled aboard, making it the first song played in space.

In "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," what was Grandma doing before the incident?

The song's lyrics state: "Grandma got run over by a reindeer, walking home from our house Christmas Eve." She had been drinking too much eggnog and forgot her medication.

Which famous Christmas song was written by Irving Berlin?

Irving Berlin wrote "White Christmas," which first appeared in the 1942 film "Holiday Inn." Berlin, born in Russia, reportedly called it "the best song I ever wrote."

Which British band released "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1984 to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia?

Band Aid was a supergroup organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, featuring artists like Bono, Boy George, George Michael, and Phil Collins. The single became the UK's biggest-selling single at the time.

"O Holy Night" holds what distinction in broadcasting history?

On Christmas Eve 1906, Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden is believed to have played "O Holy Night" on his violin during what is considered the first radio broadcast of voice and music.

Which Christmas carol's title translates to "O Come, Let Us Adore Him" in Latin?

"O Come All Ye Faithful" is a translation of the Latin hymn "Adeste Fideles," which contains the refrain "Venite adoremus" meaning "O come, let us adore Him."

Michael Buble's Christmas album (2011) has spent more weeks on the Billboard 200 than almost any other holiday album. What is the album simply called?

Michael Buble's album, simply titled "Christmas," was released in 2011 and has returned to the charts every holiday season since, accumulating hundreds of weeks on the Billboard 200.

In the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," what gift is given on the first day?

On the first day of Christmas, "my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree." The cumulative song describes 12 days of increasingly elaborate gifts totaling 364 items.

Which Christmas song was controversially banned or restricted by some radio stations starting in 2018 due to concerns about its lyrics?

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" (1944, Frank Loesser) was pulled from some radio station playlists in 2018 amid the #MeToo movement, with critics arguing the lyrics describe coercive behavior.

"Feliz Navidad" was written and performed by which Puerto Rican singer-songwriter?

Jose Feliciano wrote and recorded "Feliz Navidad" in 1970. The bilingual song (Spanish and English) has become one of the most downloaded and streamed holiday songs worldwide.

What instrument was "Silent Night" originally composed for, according to popular legend, because the church organ had broken down?

According to tradition, the organ at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf broke before Christmas 1818, so Franz Gruber composed the melody for guitar to accompany Joseph Mohr's lyrics.

Which songwriter wrote both "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"?

Johnny Marks wrote both songs. He adapted "Rudolph" from the Robert L. May story in 1949 and wrote "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" in 1958, both becoming massive holiday hits.

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" uses music adapted from which famous classical composer?

The hymn's melody was adapted from a cantata by Felix Mendelssohn, originally written in 1840 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Gutenberg printing press. Charles Wesley wrote the lyrics in 1739.

In "Winter Wonderland," what is the name of the snowman the couple builds?

In the original lyrics, they pretend the snowman is "Parson Brown" who asks if they're married. Later versions replaced Parson Brown with "Circus Brown" to make the song less religious.

Which Christmas song was the first to be played in outer space?

On December 16, 1965, astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford aboard Gemini 6A played "Jingle Bells" using a harmonica and sleigh bells they had smuggled aboard as a prank.

Dean Martin's "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" never actually mentions which holiday?

Despite being a Christmas playlist staple, "Let It Snow" contains no references to Christmas, holidays, or any specific celebration. It's simply a winter love song written during a Los Angeles heatwave.

Which Tchaikovsky ballet features the famous "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" and is performed every Christmas season?

"The Nutcracker" ballet premiered in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Its suite of Christmas-themed music, including the Sugar Plum Fairy, has become synonymous with the holiday season.

The phrase "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" -- where does the comma correctly go in the title?

The comma goes after "Merry" -- the phrase means "God keep you merry, gentlemen" (not "rest, you merry gentlemen"). "Rest" here is an old English word meaning "keep" or "make."

Which Elvis Presley Christmas song was his best-selling holiday single?

"Blue Christmas" became Elvis's signature holiday song, originally recorded in 1957 for his Christmas album. It has become one of the most covered Christmas songs in country and rock music.

"Joy to the World" is based on which text?

Isaac Watts wrote "Joy to the World" in 1719 as a paraphrase of Psalm 98 (and parts of Psalm 96) from the Bible. The melody is often attributed to Handel but was likely composed by Lowell Mason.

What was Mariah Carey's reported annual royalty income from "All I Want for Christmas Is You" as of the early 2020s?

Mariah Carey reportedly earns around $2.5-3 million per year in royalties from "All I Want for Christmas Is You," with cumulative earnings estimated at over $60 million since 1994.

"Carol of the Bells" is based on a folk chant from which country?

"Carol of the Bells" is based on the Ukrainian folk chant "Shchedryk" (composed by Mykola Leontovych in 1916). Peter Wilhousky wrote English lyrics in 1936, transforming it into the Christmas carol we know today.

Which Vince Guaraldi composition became famous as the theme music for "A Charlie Brown Christmas"?

"Linus and Lucy" is the iconic jazz piano piece by Vince Guaraldi that became synonymous with the Peanuts gang. The 1965 "A Charlie Brown Christmas" soundtrack became a landmark jazz-Christmas album.

Which country gave the tradition of "O Tannenbaum" (O Christmas Tree) to the world?

"O Tannenbaum" is a traditional German folk song dating to 1824, with lyrics by Ernst Anschutz. The "Tannenbaum" (fir tree) represents faithfulness due to its evergreen nature.

In "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," Santa is described as making a list and doing what?

The lyrics say "He's making a list, and checking it twice; gonna find out who's naughty and nice." The song was first performed on Eddie Cantor's radio show in 1934.

Which famous Christmas song was written by Mel Torme and Bob Wells on a hot July day in Los Angeles?

Mel Torme and Bob Wells wrote "The Christmas Song" in July 1945 during a Los Angeles heatwave. Wells had started jotting down wintry images to cool off, which inspired the song's opening lines.

What is the best-selling Christmas single in the UK of all time?

Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is the best-selling Christmas single in UK chart history, with over 3.8 million copies sold. It spent five weeks at #1 in late 1984.

Which singer recorded "Santa Baby" in 1953, singing flirtatiously to Santa Claus?

Eartha Kitt originally recorded "Santa Baby" in 1953. Her sultry, playful delivery made the song a classic, though it has been covered many times since, notably by Madonna.

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland" was written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith. What inspired Smith to write it?

Richard B. Smith wrote the lyrics while convalescing at a tuberculosis sanitarium in Scranton, Pennsylvania, inspired by the snowy view of a park from his hospital window.

Which Christmas song holds the record for the most weeks spent on the Billboard Hot 100 chart overall?

Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has accumulated the most total weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 of any Christmas song, returning to the charts every holiday season since streaming changed chart rules.

The Christmas carol "Away in a Manger" was long attributed to which Protestant reformer, though this is now considered false?

"Away in a Manger" was widely attributed to Martin Luther for decades, but scholars have found no evidence he wrote it. The first two verses likely originated in American Lutheran circles in the late 1800s.

Which rock band released a Christmas song called "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" performed by Darlene Love in 1963?

Darlene Love performed "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on Phil Spector's legendary 1963 album "A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector," featuring his famous Wall of Sound production.

In the Christmas song "The Little Drummer Boy," what does the boy play for the baby Jesus?

The boy, having no gift to bring, plays his drum for baby Jesus: "I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum." The song was originally titled "Carol of the Drum" when written in 1941.

Which Christmas number-one single famously beat "Last Christmas" by Wham! to the UK #1 spot in December 1984?

Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" kept Wham!'s "Last Christmas" off the #1 spot in 1984. Remarkably, both songs raised money for Ethiopian famine relief, as George Michael donated his royalties.

Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" (1973) is one of the biggest Christmas songs in which country?

Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" is a British glam rock Christmas classic that reached #1 in the UK in 1973. It remains one of the most played and best-selling Christmas songs in British history, earning an estimated $500,000+ yearly in royalties.