It’s become an annual tradition: at the beginning of every holiday season, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announces its list of the most-performed holiday songs of the year – the evergreen hits that accompany more family get-togethers and wintertime shopping trips than any others.
This year, ASCAP brings its 100th birthday celebration into the holiday season by unwrapping the top 30 ASCAP holiday songs of all time. Topping the list is “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” written by Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie.
Below is the list of the top 30 most-performed ASCAP holiday songs of all time. Each song includes songwriter credits, plus the year that the song was first released, performed or published.
1. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (1934)
Written by Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie
2. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (1946)
Written by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells
3. “White Christmas” (1941)
Written by Irving Berlin
4. “Winter Wonderland” (1934)
Written by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith
5. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (1944)
Written by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin
6. “Sleigh Ride” (1948)
Written by Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish
7. “Jingle Bell Rock” (1958)
Written by Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe
8. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1949)
Written by Johnny Marks
9. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (1945)
Written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne
10. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (1943)
Written by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent
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source: ascap.com
ASCAP Unwraps The Top 30 Holiday Songs Of The Century was originally published on praisecleveland.com
