NEW YORK, NY (ASCAP) - With holiday tunes already on the airwaves, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) - the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization representing over 260,000 music creators and copyright owners - today announced its Top 25 most performed holiday songs for the past five years, based on performance data tracked by radio airplay monitoring service Mediaguide.
Mediaguide, co-owned by ASCAP, was launched in 2002 to monitor radio broadcast music in real-time and facilitate the accurate distribution of royalty payments to composers, lyricists and publishers. Its proprietary technology and network of over 2,500 radio stations currently tracks more stations and total airplay than any other monitoring service in the U.S.
Members of the press who would like a custom week-to-week or local run of "real-time" 2006 Holiday song airplay may contact Kathleen Reynolds (CooperKatz for Mediaguide) at 212-455-8062 or [email protected].
"Re-recorded and revived by each decade's most popular artists, these holiday favorites illustrate the vital connection between ASCAP music creators and the holiday spirit, which fills the airwaves each year," said ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn Bergman. "For Americans and many others around the world, these classic lyrics and melodies are inseparable from the celebration of the holiday season - brightening lives year after year, and serving as a cornerstone of the ASCAP repertory."
The most performed ASCAP Holiday song is "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)." Written by Robert Wells and the singing great, Mel Tormé, the song became a seasonal classic with the release of Nat "King" Cole's 1946 recording. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Amy Grant and James Taylor, but Cole's version remains the most played on radio today.
Entering the Top 25 song list for the first time is "Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)" written by Midge Ure and Bob Geldof. Recorded in 1984 by Band Aid - an all-star band of British musicians - this benefit single assisted famine relief efforts in Ethiopia, and sold millions of copies over the '84 holiday season. Twenty years later, Band Aid 20 recorded a remake to aid famine relief efforts in Africa. The single featured over 50 artists and reached No 1 on the U.K. charts.
The Top 25 most performed ASCAP holiday songs are listed below. Each song includes songwriter credits, and cites the most popular artist version played on radio.
1. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"
Written by: Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
Performed by: Nat "King" Cole
2. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
Written by: Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
Performed by: The Pretenders
3. "Winter Wonderland"
Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
Performed by: Eurythmics
4. "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"
Written by: Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
Performed by: Bruce Springsteen
5. "White Christmas"
Written by: Irving Berlin
Performed by: Bing Crosby
6. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
Written by: Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
Performed by: Andy Williams
7. "Jingle Bell Rock"
Written by: Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe
Performed by: Bobby Helms
8. "Little Drummer Boy"
Written by: Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone
Performed by: The Harry Simeone Chorale & Orchestra
9. "Sleigh Ride"
Written by: Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
Performed by: The Ronettes
10. "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer"
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Gene Autry
11. "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year"
Written by: Edward Pola, George Wyle
Performed by: Andy Williams
12. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" Written by: Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram Performed by: Vanessa Williams
13. "Silver Bells"
Written by: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
Performed by: Kenny G
14. "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Brenda Lee
15. "Feliz Navidad"
Written by: José Feliciano
Performed by: José Feliciano
16. "Blue Christmas"
Written by: Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson
Performed by: Elvis Presley
17. "Frosty The Snowman"
Written by: Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins
Performed by: The Ronettes
18. "A Holly Jolly Christmas"
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Burl Ives
19. "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas"
Written by: Meredith Willson
Performed by: Johnny Mathis
20. "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
Written by: Tommie Connor (PRS)
Performed by: John Mellencamp
21. "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)"
Written by: Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman
Performed by: Elvis Presley
22. "Carol Of The Bells"
Written by: Peter J. Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich
Performed by: John Tesh and the Christmas Symphony Orchestra
23. "Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)"
Written by: Midge Ure (PRS), Bob Geldof (PRS)
Performed by: Band Aid
24. "(There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays"
Written by: Bob Allen, Al Stillman
Performed by: The Carpenters
25. "Santa Baby"
Written by: Joan Ellen Javits, Philip Springer, Tony Springer
Performed by: Madonna
Some facts about the Top 25 ASCAP Holiday Songs:
Oldest songs:
"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Winter Wonderland" (both 1934)
Newest song:
"Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)" (1984)
Most recorded Holiday song:
"White Christmas" with well over 500 versions in dozens of languages.
Songs introduced in Film and Television
"White Christmas" in "Holiday Inn" (1942)
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944)
"Silver Bells" in "The Lemon Drop Kid" (1950)
"A Holly Jolly Christmas" in TV special "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"
(1962)
Writer with most top Holiday songs:
Johnny Marks with three - "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Rockin'
Around the Christmas Tree," and "A Holly Jolly Christmas"
