Doesn’t it feel like the point in the year when Christmas songs are played in stores is earlier and earlier with each passing year? It seems like we’ve no sooner returned from our summer holidays than minced pies & Christmas crackers are being loaded onto the shelves!
We’re all for feeling festive… it just needs to be at the right time!
Feeling Christmassy…
That feeling when you throw on your Christmas jumper, pour a mulled wine and play your favourite Christmas song…. and suddenly it feels like Christmas! Now that we’re safely a good week or two into December, we feel it’s perfectly acceptable to crank up the carols and fully embrace the festive season!
The science behind Christmas crooners
Any music can act as an emotional stimulant, bringing you right back to a time and place that holds a special place in your heart. Christmas songs are no exception – they evoke memories of childhood and Christmas celebrations from times gone by. And Christmas music is an anomaly: you can be into jazz or metal all year round but find that one play of “All I Want for Christmas is You” your brain takes your straight back to running downstairs to see if Santa’s had the milk & cookies you left out for him on Christmas Eve!
What makes a cracking Christmas song?
In looking at the science behind this blog, we found some interesting facts about just what makes a Christmas hit:
- Most of the Christmas hits we know and love were written in the 1960s and 1970s – or were at least reworked during that time
- Nearly half of all Christmas songs feature audible sleigh bells!
- “White Christmas,” by Bing Crosby is the biggest selling Christmas single of all time
- Novelty songs nearly always make an appearance – from the early days “Dominick the Donkey” to “All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth” they’re always good fun!
- “Jingle Bells” was the first song performed in space
- The Beatles hold the record for the most number one Christmas singles – they had 4 in 1963, 64, 65 and 67
- Paul McCartney wrote, sang, and played every instrument for “Wonderful Christmastime.” He still earns between $400,000 and $600,000 every year in royalties for the song.
- Mariah Carey’s aforementioned Christmas hit was written in just 15 minutes – and has been one of the most played Christmas songs since its release in 1994.
- It’s the most streamed Christmas song on Spotify with 1.2 billion streams
- George Michael was sued for his Christmas hit “Last Christmas” because of its resemblance to the Barry Manilow song “Can’t Smile Without You.” It was settled out of court.