The Top 100 Christmas Songs of All Time

Christmas Songs: Top 100

These are the top 100 Christmas songs according to Dave’s Music Database. 40 lists focused on Christmas songs were aggregated together and then the highest-ranking songs were reordered based on their overall status in Dave’s Music Database, which compiles multiple lists as well as chart performances, sales figures, and awards for songs. Songs are listed first by songwriters and then the song in quotation marks. The year the song was published is listed in parentheses after the song title. If a specific performer is associated with the song, then that performer and the year of its release are listed in parentheses. Click here to see other genre-specific song lists. Spotify Podcast: Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast The Top 25 Christmas Songs (premiere: December 24, 2023) based on this list. 1. “White Christmas” (written by Irving Berlin, performed by Bing Crosby, 1942) 2. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (written by Mel Tormé & Robert Wells, performed by Nat “King” Cole, 1946) 3. “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (written by Johnny Marks, performed by Gene Autry, 1949) 4. “Silent Night” (words: Joseph Mohr, music: Franz Gruber, English translation: John Freeman Young; performed by Bing Crosby, 1935) 5. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (written by Mariah Carey & Walter Afanasieff, performed by Carey, 1994) 6. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (music: Jule Styne, words: Sammy Cahn, performed by Vaughn Monroe, 1945) 7. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (written by J. Fred Coots & Haven Gillespie, 1934; highest-ranked version: Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters, 1944) 8. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (written by Bob Geldof & Midge Ure, performed by Band Aid, 1984) 9. “Winter Wonderland” (music: Felix Bernard, words: Richard B. Smith, performed by Guy Lombardo, 1934) 10. “Jingle Bells” (written by James S. Pierpont, 1857; highest-ranked DMDB version: Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters, 1943) 11. “The Little Drummer Boy” (written by Harry Simeone, Katherine K. Davis, & Henry V. Onorati; performed by the Harry Simeone Chorale; 1958) 12. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (written by Johnny Marks, performed by Brenda Lee, 1958) 13. “O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)” (songwriters unknown, 1751; highest-ranked version: John McCormack, 1915) 14. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (written by Tommie Connor, performed by Jimmy Boyd & Norman Luboff’s Orchestra, 1952) 15. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (music: Felix Mendelssohn, words: Charles Wesley, 1855; highest-ranked version: Trinity Choir, 1912) 16. “O Holy Night (Minuit, Chrétiens)” (written by Adolphe Adams & John Sullivan Dwight, 1847; highest-ranked version: Andy Williams, 1963) 17. “Joy to the World” (music: George Frideric Handel, words: Isaac Watts, arranged by Lowell Mason, 1719; highest-ranked version: Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 1970) 18. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (music by Walter Kent, words by Kim Gannon & Buck Ram; performed by Bing Crosby, 1943) 19. “Last Christmas” (written by George Michael, performed by Wham!, 1984) 20. “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” (written and performed by John Lennon & Yoko Ono, 1971) 21. “The First Noel” (written by Davies Gilbert, 1823; highest-ranked version: Nelson Eddy, 1961) 22. “Away in a Manger” (music: James Ramsey Murray, words: Charles H. Gabriel, 1882) 23. “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (written by Frank Loesser, performed by Johnny Mercer with Margaret Whiting, 1949) 24. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (words: Ralph Blane, music: Hugh Martin, performed by Judy Garland, 1944) 25. “Jingle Bell Rock” (written by Joe Beal & Jim Boothe, performed by Bobby Helms, 1957) 26. “We Three Kings of Orient Are” (written by John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1857) 27. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (music: Lewis Redner, words: Phillips Brooks, 1868) 28. “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” (words: Rev. Edmund Hamilton Sears, music: Richard Storrs Willis, 1850) 29. “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” (written by Ross Badasarian, performed by David Seville & the Chipmunks, 1958) 30. “Wonderful Christmas Time” (written and performed by Paul McCartney, 1979) 31. “What Child Is This?” (words: William Chatterton Dix, music: “Greensleeves,” 1865) 32. “Blue Christmas” (written by Billy Hayes & Jay W. Johnson, performed by Elvis Presley, 1957) 33. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (words: John Mason Neale, music: traditional, 1851) 34. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (traditional, 1760) 35. “Good King Wencelas” (written by John Mason Neale, 1860) 36. “Frosty the Snowman” (written by Steve Nelson & Walter E. Rollins, performed by Gene Autry, 1950) 37. “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” (written by Donald Yetter Gardner, performed by Spike Jones, 1948) 38. “Fairytale of New York” (written by Jem Finer & Shane MacGowan, performed by the Pogues with Kirsty MacColl, 1987) 39. “Sleigh Ride” (written by Leroy Anderson & Mitchell Parish, performed by Anderson, 1949) 40. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” (written by John Wesley Work Jr., 1865) 41. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (words: Frederic Austin, music: traditional, 1780) 42. “Merry Xmas Everybody” (written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, performed by Slade, 1973) 43. “Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy” (written by Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman, Alan Kohan, Harry Simeone, Katherine K. Davis, & Henry V. Onorati ; performed by Bing Crosby & David Bowie, 1977) 44. “Deck the Halls” (words: Thomas Oliphant, music: “Nos Galan,” 1862) 45. “Angels We Have Heard on High” (paraphrased by James Chadwick, arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes, music: “Gloria,” 1862) 46. “I Saw Three Ships” (unknown, 1833) 47. “O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum)” (words: Ernst Anschütz, music: “Ach Tannenbaum,” 1824) 48. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich & Phil Spector; performed by Darlene Love; 1963) 49. “Silver Bells” (written by Jay Livingston & Ray Evans, performed by Bing Crosby, 1952) 50. “Santa Baby” (written by Joan Javits, Philip Springer, & Tony Springer; performed by Eartha Kitt; 1953) 51. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (written by Edward Pola & George Wyle, 1963) 52. “Run Rudolph Run” (written by Johnny Marks & Marvin Brodie, performed by Chuck Berry, 1958) 53. “River” (written and performed by Joni Mitchell, 1971) 54. “Here Comes Santa Claus” (written by Gene Autry & Oakley Haldeman, performed by Autry, 1947) 55. “Mary’s Boy Child” (written by Jester Hairston, performed by Harry Belafonte, 1956) 56. “Please Come Home for Christmas” (written by Charles Brown & Gene Redd, performed by the Eagles, 1978) 57. “Feliz Navidad” (written and performed by José Feliciano, 1970) 58. “In Dulci Jubilo” (writer unknown, 1328) 59. “Christmas Wrapping” (written by Chris Butler, performed by the Waitresses, 1981) 60. “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (written by Johnny Marks, performed by Burl Ives, 1964) 61. “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays” (written by Robert Allen, performed by Perry Como, 1954) 62. “2000 Miles” (written by Chrissie Hynde, performed by the Pretenders, 1983) 63. “Pretty Paper” (written by Willie Nelson, performed by Roy Orbison, 1963) 64. “Christmas Time Is Here” (music: Vince Guaraldi, words: Lee Mendelson, performed by Guaraldi, 1965) 65. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (written by Meredith Wilson, performed by Perry Como, 1945) 66. “Little Saint Nick” (written by Brian Wilson & Mike Love, performed by the Beach Boys, 1963) 67. “Mistletoe” (written by Nasri Atweh, Adam Messinger, & Justin Bieber; performed by Bieber; 2011) 68. “Step into Christmas” (written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin, performed by John, 1973) 69. “Father Christmas” (written by Ray Davies, performed by the Kinks, 1977) 70. “Christmas in Hollis” (written by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, & Jason Mizell; performed by Run-D.M.C., 1987) 71. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” (written by Harry Simeone, performed by Bing Crosby, 1963) 72. “I Believe in Father X-Mas” (written by Greg Lake & Peter Sinfield, performed by Lake, 1975) 73. “Carol of the Bells” (written by Peter J. Wilhousky & M. Leontovich, 1919) 74. “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” (written by Randy Brooks, performed by Elmo & Patsy, 1979) 75. “Merry Christmas Baby” (written by Lou Baxter & Johnny Moore, performed by Chuck Berry, 1958) 76. “Coventry Carol” (writer unknown, 1534) 77. “Thank God It’s Christmas” (written by Brian May & Roger Taylor, performed by Queen, 1984) 78. “Santa Tell Me” (written by Ariana Grande, Savan Kotecha, & Ilya; performed by Grande; 2013) 79. “Underneath the Tree” (written by Kelly Clarkson & Greg Kurstin, performed by Clarkson, 2013) 80. “Up on the Housetop” (written by Benjamin Hanby, 1864) 81. “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” (written by John Rox, performed by Gayla Reevey, 1953) 82. “This Christmas” (written by Donny Hathaway as Donny Pitts with Nadine Theresa McKinnor, performed by Hathaway, 1970) 83. “Christmas Is the Time to Say 'I Love You'” (written and performed by Billy Squier, 1981) 84. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” (words: Theodor Geisel, music: Albert Hague, performed by Thurl Ravenscroft, 1966) 85. “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” (written by Roy Wood, performed by Wizzard, 1973) 86. “Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)” (written by Joey Ramone, performed by the Ramones, 1989) 87. “Christmas Island” (written by Lyle Moraine, performed by the Andrews Sisters, 1946) 88. “Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian Christmas Song)” (written by Robert Alex Anderson, performed by Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters, 1949) 89. “Christmas All Over Again” (written by Tom Petty, performed by Petty with the Heartbreakers, 1992) 90. “Merry Christmas Darling” (written by Frank Pooler & Richard Carpenter, performed by the Carpenters, 1970) 91. “We Need a Little Christmas” (written by Jerry Herman, performed by Percy Faith, 1966) 92. “Nuttin’ for Christmas” (written by Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett, performed by Barry Gordon, 1955) 93. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (arranged by Arthur Warrell, performed by Marian Anderson, 1968) 94. “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)” (performed by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 1996) 95. “Hard Candy Christmas” (written by Carol Hall, performed by Dolly Parton, 1982) 96. “Someday at Christmas” (written by Ron Miller & Bryan Wells, performed by Stevie Wonder, 1967) 97. “What Christmas Means to Me” (performed by Stevie Wonder, 1967) 98. “Christmas Song” (written by Dave Matthews, performed by Dave Matthews Band, 1993) 99. “Merry Christmas” (written and performed by Ed Sheeran & Elton John, 2021) 100. “Christmas Time Is Here Again” (written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, & Richard Starkey; performed by the Beatles; 1967) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists” First posted 12/25/2011; last updated 12/24/2023.

Most-Recorded Songs, 1890-1954: Top 100

Most-Recorded Songs, 1890-1954: Top 100 Songs

This list comes from Joel Whitburn’s Pop Memories 1890-1954. As it says in the book, “During the pre-rock era, one of the most important indicators of a song’s enduring musical greatness was the number of artists to record it. This list represents the most comprehensive survey ever made of the pre-1955 songs which have been recorded by the most artists (multiple versions by an artist do not count). It encompasses: Edison and Columbia cylinders; all 78s in the extensive collections of the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, and the Syracuse, Stanford and Yale Uniiversity Libraries; and all new Recordaid listings from the 1950s to the present. Songs written before 1955 but most popular later, such as ‘Misty’ and ‘Autumn Leaves,’ are not included. The year published and the songwriters are shown after the title.” Note: click here to see other genre-specific song lists. 1. “Silent Night” (1818) by Joseph Muhr and Franz Gruber 2. “St. Louis Blues” (1914) by W.C. Handy 3. “Stardust” (1929) by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish 4. “Body and Soul” (1930) by Johnny Green, Ed Heyman, Robert Sauer, and Frank Eyton 5. “Summertime” (1935) by George Gershwin and Dubose Heyward 6. “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1851) by Stephen Foster 7. “Tea for Two” (1925) by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar 8. “White Christmas” (1942) by Irving Berlin 9. “All the Things You Are” (1939) by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II 10. “Night and Day” (1932) by Cole Porter 11. “Begin the Beguine” (1935) by Cole Porter 12. “Danny Boy” (1913) by Fred Weatherly (adapted from “Londonberry Air”) 13. “Sweet Georgia Brown” (1925) by Maceo Pinkard, Keneth Casey, and Ben Bernie 14. “The Man I Love” (1924) by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin 15. “Over the Rainbow” (1939) by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg 16. “Caravan” (1937) by Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol, and Irving Mills 17. “After You’ve Gone” (1918) by Turner Layton and Harry Creamer 18. “Yesterdays” (1933) by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach 19. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1929) by Fats Waller, Harry Brooks, and Andy Razaf 20. “Lover, Come Back to Me” (1928) by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II 21. “What Is This Thing Called Love?” (1930) by Cole Porter 22. “I Can’t Get Started” (1936) by Vernon Duke and Ira Gershwin 23. “Jingle Bells” (1857) by J.S. Pierpont 24. “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (1928) by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields 25. “My Old Kentucky Home” (1853) by Stephen Foster 26. “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1896) by James Black and Katharine Purvis 27. “Tenderly” (1947) by Walter Gross and Jack Lawrence 28. “Blue Skies” (1927) by Irving Berlin 29. “September Song” (1938) by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson 30. “My Blue Heaven” (1927) by Walter Donaldson and George Whiting 31. “Always” (1925) by Irving Berlin 32. “Tiger Rag” (1917) by Harry DeCosta and Original Dixieland Jazz Band 33. “The Rosary” (1898) by Ethelbert Nevins and Robert Cameron Rogers 34. “Home, Sweet Home” (1823) by Henry Bishop and John Howard Payne 35. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (1933) by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach 36. “These Foolish Things Remind Me of You” (1936) by Jack Strachey, Harry Link, and Holt Marvell 37. “Ol’ Man River” (1928) by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II 38. “Limehouse Blues” (1924) by Philip Braham and Douglas Furber 39. “Sheik of Araby” (1923) by Ted Snyder, Harry B. Smith, and Francis Wheeler 40. “Embraceable You” (1930) by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin 41. “My Funny Valentine” (1937) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart 42. “Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” (1933) by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler 43. “Twelfth Street Rag” (1914) by Euday L. Bowman 44. “Blue Moon” (1935) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart 45. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” (1863) by Julia Ward Howe and William Steffe 46. “My Melancholy Baby” (1913) by Ernie Burnett and George Norton 47. “I Got Rhythm” (1930) by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin 48. “Honeysuckle Rose” (1929) by Fats Waller and Anzy Razaf 49. “Love’s Old Sweet Song” (1884) by G. Clifton Bingham and James Mulloy 50. “The Stars and Stripes Forever” (1896) by John Philip Sousa 51. “Where or When” (1937) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart 52. “Laura” (1945) by David Raskin and Johnny Mercer 53. “Mood Indigo” (1931) by Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard, and Irving Mills 54. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (1946) by Mel Torme and Robert Wells 55. “Love for Sale” (1930) by Cole Porter 56. “Georgia on My Mind” (1930) by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell 57. “San Antonio Rose” (1938) by Bob Wills 58. “How High the Moon” (1940) by Morgan Lewis and Nancy Hamilton 59. “Someone to Watch Over Me” (1926) by George Gershwin and Ira Gerswhin 60. “I Only Have Eyes for You” (1934) by Harry Warren and Al Dublin 61. “Sweet Sue, Just You” (1928) by Victor Young and Will Harris 62. “The Darktown Strutters’ Ball” (1917) by Shelton Brooks 63. “On the Sunny Side of the Street” (1930) by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields 64. “Silver Threads Among the Gold” (1877) by Hart P. Danks and Eben Rexford 65. “I’m in the Mood for Love” (1935) by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields 66. “Deep Purple” (1933) by Peter DeRose and Mitchell Parish 67. “Sometimes I’m Happy” (1925) by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar 68. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1934) by Cole Porter 69. “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814) by Francis Scott Key 70. “Easy to Love” (1936) by Cole Porter 71. “Avalon” (1921) by B.G. DeSylva, Vincent Rose, and Al Jolson 72. “Willow Weep for Me” (1932) by Ann Ronell 73. “Dinah” (1925) by Harry Akst, Sam Lewis, and Joe Young 74. “Moonglow” (1934) by Will Hudson, Eddie DeLange, and Irving Mills 75. “Auld Lang Syne” (1711) adapted by Robert Burns 76. “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” (1879) by James A. Bland 77. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911) by Irving Berlin 78. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (1934) by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie 79. “Basin Street Blues” (1929) by Spencer Williams 80. “Sweet Lorraine” (1935) by Clifford Burwell and Mitchell Parish 81. “I’ll Remember April” (1942) by Don Raye, Gene DePaul, and Patricia Johnston 82. “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1949) by Johnny Marks 83. “Solitude” (1934) by Duke Ellington 84. “Some of These Days” (1910) by Shelton Brooks 85. “Stella by Starlight” (1947) by Victor Young and Ned Washington 86. “Maple Leaf Rag” (1899) by Scott Joplin 87. “Lover” (1933) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart 88. “The Way You Look Tonight” (1936) by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields 89. “Pennies from Heaven” (1936) by Arthur Johnston and John Burke 90. “Dancing in the Dark” (1931) by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz 91. “Indiana” (1917) by James Hanley and Ballad MacDonald 92. “April in Paris” (1932) by Vernon Duke 93. “As Time Goes By” (1931) by Herman Hupfield 94. “Royal Garden Blues” (1923) by Spencer Williams and Clarence Williams 95. “The Very Thought of You” (1934) by Ray Noble 96. “Lover Man” (1942) by Jimmy Davis, Roger Ramirez, and Jimmy Sherman 97. “Round Midnight” (1947) by Thelonious Monk and Cootie Williams 98. “Perdido” (1942) by Juan Tizol, Ervin Drake, and Hans Lengsfelder 99. “All of Me” (1931) by Seymour Simons and Gerald Marks 100. “What’s New?” (1939) by Johnny Burke and Robert Haggart Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, WI; Record Research, Inc. Pages 632-33. First posted 1/24/2020; last updated 4/13/2021.

Dave's Music Database: Song Inductees (January 2020)

Originally posted 1/22/2020. In honor of the 10th anniversary of the DMDB blog on January 22, 2019, Dave’s Music Database launched its own Hall of Fame. This is the fifth set of song inductees. These are the ten most-recorded songs from 1890-1954, according to Pop Memories. See full list here. While the list is not focused on a specific act for each song, the inductees are the highest-rated versions of the song in Dave’s Music Database. Not listed here is previous inductee “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby.

Fred Astaire “Night and Day” (1932) Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

When it comes to standards, this song, which has been called “one of the greatest love ballads ever written,” NPR stands second only to “Star Dust.” MM Cole Porter, whose name is “almost a generic term for witty show songs,” LW wrote it for the Broadway musical Gay Divorce. After Fred Astaire performed it for the show and film, his recording became the first and most successful of seven charting versions between 1932 and 1946. PM Read more.

Bing Crosby “Silent Night” (1935) Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

Father Joseph Mohr wrote a poem called “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” and his friend Franz Gruber worked it up for guitar SF for performance at the 1818 Christmas Eve service. Since then, it has been translated into more than 44 languages, WK and became the most recorded song of the first half of the 20th century. PM The best known version is the 1935 recording by Bing Crosby with sales estimated as high as 30 million. PM Read more.

Tommy Dorsey “All the Things You Are” (1939) Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

The Broadway musical comedy Very Warm for May was the last hurrah for famed composer Jerome Kern. Sadly, it was a commercial failure, closing after only 59 performances. SB However, “All the Things You Are” from the show became a #1 hit for Tommy Dorsey and was followed by two more charted version in 1940. In a 1964 Saturday Review poll, more composers named the song as their favorite than any other. TY Read more.

Marion Harris “Tea for Two” (1925) Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

This was introduced by Louise Groody and John Barker in the Broadway musical comedy No, No, Nanette. JA Marion Harris had the first charted version, taking it to #1 in 1925. It “is one of the most recorded standards of Tin Pan Alley,” JA having been covered by musicians as diverse as Russian classical composer Dmitri Shostakovich and jazz pianist Art Tatum (#18, 1939). Read more.

Coleman Hawkins “Body and Soul” (1940) Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

“Body and Soul” is “an all-time classic torch song” SF and “the most recorded jazz standard.” WK Multiple versions were recorded, but it was an instrumental version by Coleman Hawkins, who has been called “the father of the tenor saxophone,” NPR’09 which ranks highest. He showed “it was possible to modernize well-worn Tin Pan Alley standards” NPR and it “became one of the most important jazz recordings of all time.” JA Read more.

Billie Holiday “Summertime” (1936) Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

It has been widely reported and accepted for years that the Beatles’ “Yesterday” is the most recorded song of all time, but its four thousand or so recordings pale compared to the 67,000 of “Summertime,” GW written originally for folk opera Porgy and Bess. The only version to chart in the pre-rock era was Billie Holiday’s 1936 recording (#12). Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim called the lyrics for this and “My Man’s Gone Now” “the best lyrics in the musical theater.” WM Read more.

Vess Ossman “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1900) Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

Stephen Foster wrote and published this minstrel song (also known as “Swanee River”) in 1851. It was the most popular song ever published at that time WM with sheet music sales estimated as high as 20 million. PM Nine versions charted between 1892 and 1937, with Len Spencer being first (#1, 1892). Vess Ossman, however, had the highest-ranked version with his #2 banjo instrumental take on the song. It became Florida’s state song in 1935. Read more.

Artie Shaw “Stardust” (1941) Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

Hoagy Carmichael’s first major songwriting success NRR was first written as “an up-tempo dance instrumental” NPR but Mitchell Parish added lyrics in 1929. Isham Jones took it to #1 in 1931, but Artie Shaw’s version was rated the favorite record of all time in a 1956 Billboad poll of disc jockeys. PM It has been recorded more than 2000 times LW in more than forty languages. RCG Read more.

Bessie Smith & Louis Armstrong “St. Louis Blues” (1925) Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

This has been called “the most important blues song ever written.” LW William Christopher Handy, who became known as “The Father of the Blues,” wrote it in 1914 after hearing a St. Louis woman complaining about her cheating husband. LW 15 versions charted over the next forty years. PM Marion Harris had the greatest success with it in 1920 (#1), PM but Bessie Smith’s version with Louis Armstrong is the highest ranked version. Read more.

Bing Crosby: Top 100 Songs

Originally posted 11/26/2017; updated 5/24/2019.

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Baritone singer Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby, Jr. was born on 5/2/1903 in Tacoma, Washington. He died 10/14/1977. He became the most popular entertainer of the first half of the 20th century, thanks in part to recording innovations which allowed him to sing in a more intimate style.

In 1923, he joined a band, including Al Rinker, who performed at dances. Two years later the pair went to California, where they were hired by bandleader Paul Whiteman. They partnered with Harry Barris in New York to form the Rhythm Boys. In 1930, they split from Whiteman and worked with the Gus Arnheim Orchestra and in 1931, Crosby signed a solo recording contract. Over the next three decades, Crosby sold over 300 million records and appeared in over 50 movies (including the 1944 Academy Award for Going My Way).

“Silent Night,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” “Swinging on a Star,” and “White Christmas” – the number 1 song of all time according to the DMDB – are featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Pre-Rock Era, 1890-1954.

For a complete list of this act’s songs and albums honored by the DMDB, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry.

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Top 100 Songs

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Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards.

Notes: AS = Andrews Sisters, GA = Gus Arnheim’s Orchestra, GS = George Stoll Orchestra, JST = John Scott Trotter Orchestra, KD = the Ken Darby Singers, LH = Lennie Hayton’s Orchestra, PW = Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra, RB = Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Al Rinker, & Harry Barris), VS = Vic Schoen Orchestra, VY = Victor Young’s Orchestra. Crosby’s had 41 #1 songs (noted below) on the U.S. pre-Billboard Hot 100 chart, more than double the Beatles’ 20 chart-toppers in the rock era.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. White Christmas (w/ KD & JST, 1942) #1
2. Pennies from Heaven (w/ GS, 1936) #1
3. I’ll Be Seeing You (w/ JST, 1944) #1
4. Swinging on a Star (w/ the Williams Brothers Quartet & JST, 1944) #1
5. Don’t Fence Me In (w/ AS & VS, 1944) #1
6. Silent Night (w/ the Guardsmen Quartette, 1935)
7. Sweet Leilani (w/ Lani McIntyre & His Hawaiians, 1937) #1
8. Sunday, Monday or Always (w/ KD, 1943) #1
9. Dinah (w/ the Mills Brothers, 1932) #1
10. People Will Say We’re in Love (w/ Trudy Erwin & the Sportsmen Glee Club, 1943)

11. Now Is the Hour (w/ KD, 1948) #1
12. It’s Been a Long, Long Time (w/ the Les Paul Trio, 1945) #1
13. Out of Nowhere (w/ VY, 1931) #1
14. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’ (w/ Trudy Erwin & the Sportsmen Glee Club, 1943)
15. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (w/ JST, 1943)
16. You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby (w/ Bob Crosby, 1938) #1
17. June in January (w/ GS, 1934) #1
18. Three Little Words (Duke Ellington with RB, 1930) #1
19. Side by Side (PW with RB, 1927)
20. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (w/ AS & VS, 1947)
21. Too Marvelous for Words (w/ Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra, 1937) #1

DMDB Top 5%:

22. I Love You (w/ JST, 1944) #1
23. Alexander’s Ragtime Band (w/ Connee Boswell & JST, 1938) #1
24. You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me (w/ Guy Lombardo’s Orchestra, 1933) #1
25. Only Forever (1940) #1
26. Moonlight Becomes You (w/ JST, 1942) #1
27. Love in Bloom (w/ Irving Aaronson’s Orchestra, 1934) #1
28. Shadow Waltz (w/ Jimmy Grier’s Orchestra, 1933) #1
29. Great Day (w/ PW, 1929) #1
30. I’ve Got a Pocketful of Dreams (w/ JST, 1938) #1

31. I Can’t Begin to Tell You (w/ Carmen Cavallaro’s Orchestra, 1945) #1
32. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (w/ LH, 1932) #1
33. Please (w/ Anson Weeks’ Orchestra, 1932) #1
34. Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day (1932)
35. What’s New? (1939)
36. Without a Song (w/ PW, 1929)
37. Ol’ Man River (w/ PW, 1928) #1
38. Jingle Bells (w/ AS & VS, 1943)
39. South America, Take It Away (w/ AS & VS, 1945)
40. Sioux City Sue (w/ the Jesters & Bob Haggart’s Orchestra, 1946)

41. I Surrender Dear (w/ GA, 1931)
42. Galway Bay (w/ VY, 1949)
43. Sierra Sue (w/ JST, 1940) #1
44. Dear Hearts and Gentle People (w/ Perry Botkin’s Orchestra, 1949)
45. Soon (w/ GS, 1935) #1
46. I’m an Old Cowhand from the Rio Grande (w/ Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra, 1936)
47. It’s Easy to Remember (w/ GS, 1935) #1
48. Home on the Range (w/ LH, 1933)
49. Some Enchanted Evening (1949)
50. True Love (w/ Grace Kelly, 1956)

51. Little Dutch Mill (w/ Jimmy Grier’s Orchestra, 1934) #1
52. San Fernando Valley (w/ JST, 1944) #1
53. I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You (1933)
54. Just One More Chance (w/ VY, 1931) #1
55. The Whiffenpoof Song (w/ Fred Waring’s Glee Club, 1947)
56. Stardust (1931)
57. Trade Winds (w/ Dick McIntyre’s Orchestra, 1940) #1
58. Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?) (w/ Connee Boswell & JST, 1937) #1
59. Just an Echo in the Valley (1933)
60. The Moon Got in My Eyes (w/ JST, 1937) #1

61. Alexander’s Ragtime Band (w/ Al Jolson & Morris Stoloff’s Orchestra, 1947)
62. You Took Advantage of Me (w/ PW, Jack Fulton, Charles Gaylord, and Austin Young, 1928)
63. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive (w/ AS & VS, 1945)
64. Amor (w/ JST, 1944)
65. You Belong to My Heart (w/ Xavier Cugat’s Orchestra, 1945)
66. Pistol Packin’ Mama (w/ AS & VS, 1943)
67. Night and Day (1946)
68. At Your Command (1931) #1
69. McNamara’s Band (w/ the Jesters & Bob Haggart’s Orchestra, 1946)
70. An Apple for the Teacher (w/ Connee Boswell, 1939)

71. Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That’s an Irish Lullaby) (w/ JST, 1944)
72. Remember Me? (w/ JST, 1937) #1
73. Be Careful, It’s My Heart (w/ JST, 1942)
74. Long Ago and Far Away (w/ JST, 1944)
75. Love Thy Neighbor (w/ Nat Finston’s Orchestra, 1934)
76. Dancing in the Dark (1931)
77. Small Fry (w/ Johnny Mercer & VY, 1938)
78. On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (w/ Six Hits and a Miss & JST, 1945)
79. There’ll Be a Hot Time in the Town of Berlin When the Yanks Go Marching In (w/ AS & VS, 1944) #1
80. I’m Coming Virginia (PW with RB, 1927)

81. Symphony (w/ VY, 1946)
82. Robins and Roses (1936)
83. Mexicali Rose (w/ JST, 1938)
84. Red Sails in the Sunset (w/ VY, 1935) #1
85. Ol’ Man River (w/ the Buddy Cole Trio, 1956)
86. Dolores (1941)
87. Far Away Places (w/ KD, 1949)
88. There’s No Business Like Show Business (w/ AS & VS, 1947)
89. I Don’t Want to Walk without You (w/ JST, 1942)
90. In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening (w/ Jane Wyman, 1951)

91. The Day You Came Along (w/ Jimmy Grier’s Orchestra, 1933)
92. Silver Bells (w/ Carol Richards, 1952)
93. Love Me Tonight (1932)
94. I’m Through with Love (1931)

DMDB Top 10%:

95. Along the Navajo Trail (w/ AS & Vic Schoen’s Orchestra, 1945)
96. Deep Purple (w/ Matty Malneck’s Orchestra, 1939)
97. My Melancholy Baby (1939)
98. God Bless America (1939)
99. Thanks (w/ Jimmy Grier’s Orchestra, 1933)
100. Never in a Million Years (w/ Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra, 1937)

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Awards:

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Today in Music (1818): “Silent Night” performed for first time

Stille Nacht, Heilge Nacht (Silent Night, Holy Night) Joseph Mohr (words, Franz Gruber (music), John Freeman Young (English translation)

Writer(s):Joseph Muhr, Franz Gruber (see lyrics here) First Charted: December 16, 1905 (Haydn Quartet) Peak (all versions): 2 PM, 19 GA, 30 HR, 2 AC, 54 CW, 16a RB, 8 UK, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 30.0 US (Bing Crosby) Airplay/Streaming (in millions – all versions): 3.0 radio, 186.26 video, -- streaming

Silent Night Bing Crosby with the Guardsmen Quartette

First Charted: December 21, 1935 Peak: 7 US, 30 HR, 19 GA, 8 UK, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 30.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 3.0 radio, -- video, -- streaming

Awards (Mohr/Gruber): Click on award for more details.

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Awards (Bing Crosby): Click on award for more details.

About the Song: We might never have heard this popular Christmas carol if it hadn’t been for mice rendering a church organ useless. Popular accounts have suggested that mice ate out the bellows of the organ SF at Nikolaus-Kirche (Church of St. Nicholas) in Oberndorf, Austria. WK Father Joseph Mohr was concerned about having music for the 1818 Christmas Eve service. He’d written a poem called “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” and presented it to his friend Franz Xaver Gruber, a headmaster and amateur composer, hoping he could do something with it for guitar. SF The pair gave the first public performance of the song with only Mohr’s guitar accompaniment at the service. SF Since then, the song has become one of the most popular in the world, having been translated into more than 44 languages. WK However, it is John Freeman Young’s English translation published in 1859 that is the most frequently sung today. WK It became the most recorded song of the first half of the 20th century. PM In Britain, it is the most recorded Christmas song of all time. SF To date, it has been recorded by more than 300 artists including Elvis Presley, Simon & Garfunkel, Linda Ronstadt, Boyz II Men, Stevie Nicks, Tori Amos, Mannheim Steamroller, Mahalia Jackson, Andrea Bocelli, Sinead O’Connor, and Brad Paisley. WK The best known version is the 1935 recording by Bing Crosby with sales estimated as high as 30 million. PM Bing proved to be successful with a few other tunes as well; he sold over 300 million records with well over 300 charted songs over 35 years time (1928-63) and landed 36 songs at #1, more than any other recording act in history. PM Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Bing Crosby SF Songfacts.com PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research, Inc: Menomonee Falls, WI. WK Wikipedia.org Related Links: First posted 7/8/2012; last updated 12/20/2023.

 

50 years ago: Bing Crosby charted with Christmas album

First posted 3/2/2008; updated 9/29/2020.

Merry Christmas (aka “White Christmas”) Bing Crosby

Charted: December 1, 1945 Peak: 139 US, 45 UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, -- UK, 15.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: traditional pop/Christmas

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Silent Night (12/21/35, 7 US, 8 UK, sales: 10 million) Adeste Fideles (O, Come All Ye Faithful) (12/12/60, 45 US) White Christmas (with the Ken Darby Singers and the John Scott Orchestra) (10/3/42, 114 US, 110 HP, 77 CA, 11 HR, 12 GA, 3 AC, 13 RB, 5 UK, 120, sales: 56 million) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Faith of Our Fathers I’ll Be Home for Christmas (12/4/43, 3 US, 8 RB, sales: 1 million) Jingle Bells (with The Andrews Sisters & Vic Schoen) (12/25/43, 19 US) Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (with Carol Richards and John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra) (12/25/43, 22 US) Silver Bells (with Carol Richards and John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra) (12/27/52, 20 US) It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Christmas in Killarney Mele Kalikimaka (with The Andrews Sisters & Vic Shoen) Total Running Time: 27:24

Rating: 4.159 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings) Quotable: -- Awards:

About the Album: “Try to forget the fact that Bing Crosby probably never had to record another song in his life after he immortalized White Christmas. If you can do that, you’ll find plenty more to like in this crooning Christmas collection.” AZ “White Christmas” is the best-selling song of all time, but this album didn’t too shabby either. When it comes to seasonal recordings, only Elvis Presley’s Christmas Album has sold more at 19 million copies worldwide. However, Merry Christmas reached the lofty heights of 39 whopping weeks at #1 on the Billboard album chart, thanks to multiple reissues, repackagings, and rereleases over the years. The original album was packaged as five 78 records, each with two songs. All of the songs had been released previously and were Christmas-themed with the exception of “Danny Boy.” When a second edition was released in 1947, “Danny Boy” and “Let’s Start the New Year Right” were omitted and new recordings of “White Christmas” and Silent Night from March 19, 1947 were added. WK In 1955, the vinyl reissue of the album followed the 1947 track listing and added four tracks, including Silver Bells and three tracks with the Andrews Sisters: Jingle Bells, Mele Kalikimaka, and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. The 1955 version of the album has been continually in print ever since. Only the original cast recording of Oklahoma! has been in print longer. WK It’s also this cover with Crosby in a Santa Claus stocking cap which became the standard, replacing the original cover which had Crosby’s floating head on a blue background. WK The album finds “‘Der Bingle’ in two distinctly different moods: from the solemnity of ‘Silent Night’ and Adeste Fidelis (sung in Latin and English) to the playfulness (‘gonna have a lotta fun’) on ‘Jingle Bells,’ with The Andrews Sisters providing some smiles with their ‘Ji-ji-jingle’ vocals.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: Bing Crosby’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG All Music Guide review by Dennis MacDonald AZ Amazon.com review by Steve Gdula WK Wikipedia