Newswise — Whatever your musical taste, you're bound to hear a favorite Christmas-themed song on the radio sometime next week, says a Ball State University pop culture expert.
Ever since Bing Crosby had a major hit with "White Christmas" in 1942, pop music artists from Elvis to Run DMC have recorded yuletide songs, says Richard Aquila, who teaches the history of pop culture at Ball State.
"It is a tradition in the business," said Aquila, the host of the National Public Radio show, "Rock and Roll America," in the late 1990s. "When rock and roll came along in the 1950s, it was already established that popular singers should put out Christmas songs," he said. "Then rock Christmas songs hit it big in 1957 when Bobby Helms had a top 10 hit with 'Jingle Bell Rock.' It was very popular with the kids on 'American Bandstand.'
"That same year Elvis came out with 'Blue Christmas,' which was an alternative to 'White Christmas' for his generation," he said. "Now we have a Christmas album for every musical genre. The albums sell well, sell incrementally each year and there is no real pressure on the artist to produce a hit. They are just saying thanks to their fans."
Aquila lists his selection of top Christmas songs by genre or fan base, including: For Christmas song purists* "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby* "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole* "Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer" by Gene Autry * "The Little Drummer Boy" by the Harry Simeone ChoraleFor aging Baby Boomers * "Man with All the Toys" by the Beach Boys* "Little Saint Nick" by the Beach Boys* "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms* "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee* "Frosty the Snow Man" by the Ronettes (or anything from the Phil Spector Christmas Album)Christmas novelty songs* "The Chipmunk Song" by David Seville and the Chipmunks* "The Night Santa Went Crazy" by Weird Al Yankovic* "Christmas at Ground Zero" by Weird Al Yankovic* "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" by Elmo and PatsyChristmas songs with serious political statements * "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon* "All I Want for Christmas" by Timbuk 3* "The Rebel Jesus" by Jackson Browne and the Chieftans* "Father Christmas" by the KinksFor aging punk rockers:* "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses* "Here Comes Santa's [expletive deleted] by the Frogs* "It's Gonna Be a Punk Rock Xmas" by the RaversChristmas Songs with a rock and roll attitude* "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" by Bruce Springsteen* "Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley* "Rock and Roll Christmas" by George Thorogood and the DestroyersR&B-influenced Christmas songs* "Christmas in Hollis" by Run DMC* "Joy to the World" by Aretha Franklin* "White Christmas" by the Drifters
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