The History Behind 10 Popular Christmas Songs

By 965koit on December 6, 2018

Over the years the meaning behind some Christmas songs has been forgotten, or maybe you never knew how the song came to be. A few of the most popular songs we sing at Christmas were never intended to be Christmas songs! These are 10 fun facts about some of the most popular Christmas songs you know and love.

1. Mariah Carey – “All I Want For Christmas Is You” – The most recent song on this list and easily one of the most requested during Christmas. Did you know that Mariah Carey wrote this hugely popular song in only 15 minutes?
2. Brenda Lee – “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” – She recorded this song in 1958 and at the time she recorded it Brenda Lee was only 13 years old.
3. “Jingle Bells” – This is one of the most important Christmas songs and it was never intended to be for Christmas. 150 years ago when it was written, the writer created it as a Thanksgiving song not Christmas.
4. Thurl Ravenscroft – “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” If you listen carefully to Mr. Ravenscroft’s voice, you may start to crave Frosted Flakes. He was the voice of the famous Tony the Tiger for over 50 years.
5. Elvis Presley – “White Christmas” – The original writer of this song is Irving Berlin and he actually HATED the version that Elvis Presley recorded of his song. He hated to much in fact he tried to get Elvis’ version banned from the radio.
6. “Silver Bells” Or should I say “Tinkle Bells” which is what the writer originally wanted to call it. But thankfully he had a wife to point out that the word “tinkle” could mean something else. So he changed it. Thank god for wives right!?
7. Alvin & The Chipmunks – “The Chipmunk Song” – This is still the only Christmas song to ever reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
8. “Do You Hear What I Hear” – Yet another song that was never originally intended to be a Christmas song. It was actually written as a call for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis back in 1962. Which will completely change the song for me the next time I hear it.
9. Eartha Kitt – “Santa Baby” – The original was a huge success, in fact it was so big that the next year she released a sequel to it called “This Years Santa Baby” which was the exact same song, but with the lyrics switched up. It was NOT successful, which is probably why you never knew that it existed.
10. Jimmy Boyd “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” – Due to it’s implied adultery from “mommy” the Catholic Church attempted to get this song banned. But the singer actually came out and explained to them who “Santa” really was.