The evolution of Christmas songs - a slightly different Christmas story

Most of us know it: the Christmas story about Ebenezer Scrooge and his "Humbug" catchphrase. Today, we have taken a different approach to the term "Christmas Story" and are embarking on a journey through the history of Christmas songs in popular music. After all, what would the Christmas season be without music? Get ready for a journey full of bells, strings, and wind instruments (we'll leave the recorder out of it—the kids, little siblings or cousins will take care of that, okay? 😉

1943: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane 

That's right, the Christmas song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is already that old. It was originally written for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis and performed by Judy Garland. Today the song is one of the most-listened-to Christmas songs and is available in the most different versions. One of the most famous is the one by jazz legend Frank Sinatra, first recorded in 1947:

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However, the most recent version of this song doesn't have to hide either. Sam Smith has transformed it into a powerful-voiced piano version and thus given the song a very contemplative and musically pristine coat of paint: 

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1951: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas 

No, we did not forget to add the artist name. This Christmas classic is simply one with numerous versions. "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" was written by Meredith Smith in 1951. The first version, still heard today, was by Perry Como and the Fontaine Sisters. A very jazzy version by Bing Crosby followed a little later. Currently Michael Bublé's version is probably the most well-known:

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1957: Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms 

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Also an absolute classic, but probably one of the most modern Christmas songs in its time: "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms. The song is based on an even older classic far away from pop or rock music: Jingle Bells, written between 1850 and 1857 by the American composer James Lord Pierpont. The classic version became a modern rock version of the 50s and this in turn has meanwhile received some even more modern garments by for example Kelly Clarkson or - fitting to the rock in the title - by Our Last Night. In 2004 the carol even made a film appearance in the comedy Mean Girls with Lindsay Lohan.

1971: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon and Yoko Ono 

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One of the most iconic Christmas songs—and today one of the classics—is "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by Beatles legend John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono. Actually, the song was created as a protest song in times of the Vietnam War and was part of an anti-war campaign by Lennon and Ono. But even today, years after the war, this Christmas song brings peace to the most contemplative time of the year. 

1984: Last Christmas – Wham! 

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Every year this track officially ushers in the holiday season in many living rooms: "Last Christmas" by the British band Wham! It clearly belongs in the category of timeless classics. Many people can't imagine this time of year without "Last Christmas," which is good, even if some folks have a love-hate relationship with it.

Over the years, this Christmas song even became more and more popular. In 2018, it was number 3 in the charts in Germany, placing for the 130th (!) time. Each new year finds the classic song landing in the charts worldwide, and is thus a real perennial favorite. Meanwhile, there are numerous cover versions from various genres, including Miley Cyrus, The BossHoss, Good Charlotte, Trap City, and Ariana Grande, but in our opinion, nothing beats the original! And Wham! will never be forgotten thanks to this classic.

1984: Do They Know it’s Christmas – Band Aid 

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Yes, 1984 was a good year for the Christmas song industry. This song even outstripped the classic "Last Christmas" in Great Britain in the year of its release. Wham! had no reason to mourn, however, because they were also involved in this project. The song "Do They Know It's Christmas" was recorded by "Band Aid" as a benefit song. Behind Band Aid were a lot of the most popular pop musicians at that time. Over time, the constellation of various pop stars recording this song together became established and the Band Aid project got several versions: In 2003, for example, there was an admittedly quite casting-show-heavy version by "TV AllStars" and in 2014 the now also quite popular version from "Band Aid 30." We think this Christmas song is a wonderful musical reminder of what Christmas is all about: to come to rest, perhaps also to reflect a bit and to do good.

1984: Thank God It’s Christmas – Queen  

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And to support our thesis that 1984 was THE Christmas song year, here's a Christmas song classic by a legendary band: "Thank God It's Christmas" by Queen. In the year of its release, the song rode through the UK charts for a whole six weeks. However, it's found even greater success in the years since. During this time, the chart positions became higher and higher and the song becamee even more famous. In 2011 there was even a re-release. 

1986: Driving Home for Christmas – Chris Rea 

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"Driving Home for Christmas" by Chris Rea is a must for many people at Christmas. It is the best road trip song when traveling to see family for the holidays, and creates an instant good mood. Although it came out in the 80s, this Christmas song only experienced its great success in the 2000s and very slowly joined the ranks of Christmas classics. 

1994: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey 

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Some are beginning to find it incredibly annoying, others still love it: Mariah Carey's Christmas classic "All I Want for Christmas Is You." The song may be a classic, but it's more of a modern Christmas song. The pop diva didn't sleep on this opportunity and released an entire Christmas album, of which this very song should survive the years and resound every year anew. With 16 million sales worldwide, the song is one of the most successful Christmas songs of all time. 

2001: Wonderful Dream (Holidays are Coming) – Melanie Thornton 

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We're getting more modern on our journey through Christmas songs. This one is always poignant just from its story. The hit song "A Wonderful Dream" by Melanie Thornton. The song is based on the Coca-Cola jingle "Holidays Are Coming." And the famous Coca-Cola truck and Coca-Cola Christmas commercials are still often associated with Thornton's song. The tragic thing is that in 2001—the year in which the song was also written and first served for the brand's campaign—the singer died in a tragic plane crash exactly one month before Christmas. For the next five years, Coca-Cola honored the singer by adding her song to the Christmas campaign every year. 

2011: Mistletoe – Justin Bieber 

Not only has former child star and "screaming concert-goer trigger" Justin Bieber recorded a Christmas song, but also a whole Christmas album. "Mistletoe" serves pretty much all Christmas clichés on the instrumental level, from the feel-good riff on the guitar to the classic chimes and bell bars. On top of that, there are modern vocals à la Bieber, who has grown up in the meantime and is a permanent fixture in the pop business. In the days of "Mistletoe," however, there was still the "Bieber mushroom head" haircut:

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2014: Santa Tell Me – Ariana Grande 

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A rather upbeat and very modern Christmas song comes from Ariana Grande. Although it remains to be seen whether it will become a real classic, "Santa Tell Me" has been running up and down the charts for the last few years. This Christmas song is becoming more and more successful. While in the year of its release it only reached number 42 in the US charts, this year it has reached number 10 in the German charts, number 7 in Austria, number 5 in Switzerland, number 11 in the UK charts, and in the US charts it has climbed from its original 42 to an impressive 17. As this song becomes more popular over the years... Do we hear the "Christmas classic" potential? 

2021: Merry Christmas – Ed Sheeran and Elton John 

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Finally, we have picked out a highlight from this year: "Merry Christmas" by Ed Sheeran and Elton John. The combination of the singer-songwriter superstar and the pop music legend probably makes many musicians' hearts beat faster. And it certainly invites a smile when you watch the music video. Because the song parodies the typical Christmas classics described in this article and teases them musically. With lines like "I know there's been pain this year, but it's time to let it go / Next year, you never know" the two also address the serious topic of the Corona pandemic. They want to strengthen the hope for better times. The proceeds of the song, by the way, go to a good cause: Band Aid, which takes the form of Ed Sheeran's Suffolk Music Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. 

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Every Christmas song is special

You can see that the evolution of Christmas songs has gone from very classical, to jazzy, to rock, and nowadays to very pop. Of course, this was just a tiny selection of the most popular songs over the years. By now, the music industry can probably fill days, months, and years just with Christmas songs—and for good reason: Christmas wouldn't be the same without music. Whether classic, modern, or fancy: Merry Christmas in sheet music is the most beautiful Merry Christmas after all. In this spirit: We at mukken also wish you a Merry Christmas, a contemplative and musical time with your loved ones and a great start into the year 2022. Thank you for accompanying us on our journey!