Nothing raises peoples’ spirits – and inspires shoppers’ zeal for finding the perfect gift – like holiday music. That’s why radio stations around the country are eager to start playing America’s most beloved holiday songs earlier and earlier each year.
ASCAP has just updated its list of most-played songs of the 2011 holiday season. For the second year in a row, “Sleigh Ride” tops the list of songs, which were all written or co-written by members of ASCAP.
Since October 1, 2011, “Sleigh Ride” has aired 154,327 times, making it the most-played holiday song on radio so far this holiday season. Although it depicts a wondrous winter scene, “Sleigh Ride” was written originally by Leroy Anderson on a hot summer day in 1946 in Woodbury, CT. Initially composed as an instrumental piece, The Boston Pops Orchestra gave the first performance in a concert conducted by Arthur Fiedler at Symphony Hall in Boston, May 4, 1948, and Mills Music published it that same year. The Boston Pops Orchestra recorded it in June of 1949. After Mitchell Parish added lyrics in 1949, it has been recorded by perhaps the most eclectic range of performers than any other piece in western music, with Leroy Anderson’s recording the most popular instrumental version and The Ronettes’ recording as the most
popular vocal version.
Top Ten Christmas Songs
The top 10 most-played holiday songs so far this holiday season are listed below, all written or co-written by ASCAP songwriters and composers. Each song includes songwriter credits, and cites the most popular artist version played on radio to date.
- “Sleigh Ride“
Played 154,327 times
Written by Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish Most popular artist version
Performed by Leroy Anderson - “Winter Wonderland“
Played 128,980 times
Written by Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith Most popular artist version
Performed by Eurythmics - “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)”
Played 126,032 times
Written by Mel Tormé, Robert Wells Most popular artist version
Performed by Nat King Cole - “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!“
Played 115,346 times
Written by Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne Most popular artist version
Performed by Dean Martin - “Jingle Bell Rock“ -
Played 114,529 times
Written by Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe Most popular artist version
Performed by Bobby Helms - “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year“
Played 109,938 times
Written by Edward Pola, George Wyle Most popular artist version
Performed by Andy Williams - “Do You Hear What I Hear?“
Played 98,575 times
Written by Gloria Shayne Baker, Noël Regney Most popular artist version
Performed by Whitney Houston - “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas“
Played 94,885 times
Written by Meredith Willson Most popular artist version
Performed by Bing Crosby - “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer“
Played 91,451 times
Written by Johnny Marks Most popular artist version
Performed by Gene Autry - “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas“
Played 90,175 times
Written by Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin Most popular artist version
Performed by The Carpenters
Note: The list represents an aggregation of all different artist versions of each cited holiday song
played on radio from 10/1/11 through 12/14/11. The holiday song data was tracked by radio airplay monitoring service, Mediaguide, from over 2,500 radio stations nationwide.
Source: http://www.ascap.com/press/2011/1206_ASCAP_Holiday_Music.aspx
Additional Resources
Storybook Advent Calendar & Storybook Carols Collection
24-children’s Story For Christmas Plus Two Music MP3 Downloads Of Classic Christmas Carols. Book Prints Out In Beautiful Full Color. MP3 Or Aiff Cd Burning Files. Studio Quality. Fabulous Reviews And Support!
Christmas Holiday Planner
The Easiest Way To Get Organized For The Holidays. Loaded With Forms, Checklists, Logs And Information Sheets To Help You Keep On Top Of Everything You Have To Remember Every Christmas!
Guitar Lessons Guided By Guitar-howtoplay.com
Learn How To Play Guitar Lessons. Pentelbury’s Educational Online Guitar Tuition. Free Video Lessons.printable E-book ! Chords And Songs! One Stop Source For Acoustic And Electric Guitar Lessons. Learning To Play Guitar Lesson For Beginners To Advanced.
Related Chirstmas Resources
Whitney Houston - The Greatest HitsUK edition of the tabloid queen/gifted vocalist's career retrospective. Featuring a different tracklisting than the domestic, this version features four tracks not available on the US version, 'RunTo You', 'Count On Me' (duet with CeCe Winans), 'Greatest Love Of All' (Club 69 Mix) and 'I'm Your Baby Tonight' (Dronez Mix) but only has 35 tracks where the US has 36. 2000 release. Standard double jewel case.
Ultimate Collection2007 UK single-disc collection from the R&B and Pop vocalist, one of the biggest, and best-selling, female artists of all time. She's broken countless records throughout her career, has had consistent success in music and in film, since her debut single "Saving All My Love For You" in 1985. Her music combined big adult ballads with stylish pop and slick contemporary urban soul and her voice is a benchmark that has not since been equaled. This 18 track compilation features her absolute best hits including 'I Will Always Love You', 'Greatest Love Of All', 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)', 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', 'Saving All My Love For You' and many more. The previous Greatest Hits collection was a two CD set that featured remixes and more, but this single-disc collection offers the cream of the crop! Sony/BMG.
Ashes & RosesAshes and Roses is the new album from acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter on Zoë/Rounder Records. On this, her twelfth studio recording, Carpenter continues to produce writing that is nearly peerless in the way her compositions dig deep into the various extremes of experience. Highlights include the track Soul Companion, which features a special duet with James Taylor. Recorded in Nashville, the 13-track album was produced by Carpenter and long-time collaborator Matt Rollings (Lyle Lovett, Keith Urban) and recorded and mixed by Chuck Ainlay (Mark Knopfler, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson).
