ASCAP's Top 25 / 5

ASCAP has released their list of the most played Christmas tracks on radio over the past five years. Since I'm a fairly harsh critic of modern pop music, both in general and especially in the holiday music genre, I figure I should check the list twice and see if things are better or worse than I imagine.

#1 Winter Wonderland
Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
Performed by: Eurythmics

#2 The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
Written by: Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
Performed by: Nat "King" Cole

#3 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Written by: Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
Performed by: The Pretenders

#4 Sleigh Ride
Written by: Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
Performed by: The Ronettes

#5 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Written by: Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
Performed by: Frank Sinatra

#6 Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Written by: Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
Performed by: Michael Bublé

#7 White Christmas
Written by: Irving Berlin
Performed by: Bing Crosby

#8 Jingle Bell Rock
Written by: Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe
Performed by: Bobby Helms

#9 Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Gene Autry

#10 Little Drummer Boy
Written by: Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone
Performed by: The Harry Simeone Chorale & Orchestra

#11 It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Written by: Edward Pola, George Wyle
Performed by: Andy Williams

#12 Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Brenda Lee

#13 Silver Bells
Written by: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
Performed by: Kenny G

#14 I'll Be Home For Christmas
Written by: Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram
Performed by: Amy Grant

#15 Feliz Navidad
Written by: José Feliciano
Performed by: José Feliciano

#16 Frosty The Snowman
Written by: Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins
Performed by: The Ronettes

#17 A Holly Jolly Christmas
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Burl Ives

#18 It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Written by: Meredith Willson
Performed by: Johnny Mathis

#19 Blue Christmas
Written by: Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson
Performed by: Elvis Presley

#20 (There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays
Written by: Bob Allen, Al Stillman
Performed by: Perry Como

#21 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Written by: Tommie Connor (PRS)
Performed by: John Mellencamp

#22 Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
Written by: Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman
Performed by: Gene Autry

#23 Carol Of The Bells
Written by: Peter J. Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich
Performed by: David Foster (instrumental version)

#24 Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)
Written by: Midge Ure (PRS), Bob Geldof (PRS)
Performed by: Band Aid

#25 This Christmas
Written by Donny Hathaway, Nadine McKinnor
Performed by Gloria Estefan

Well, that didn't help. Apparently songwriters have forgotten how to write holiday songs that people want to record and other people want to listen to. The most recently written song is from Band Aid?

As for the list...

The top 12 is surprisingly sound. I wouldn't have guessed the number one but I suppose it crosses genres nicely. 13 is unlucky indeed. I'd rather have seen a different "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" than Johnny Cougar's make the list. The list only weakens again at number 25.

Of course the list's saving grace is the preponderance of classic tracks and the weak links are all of relatively recent vintage. At least programmers and DJs have the good sense to stick with the classics, it's just too bad they haven't been a bit more adventurous with the modern stuff.