NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - November 12, 2007) - As the holiday season approaches and seasonal
music begins to fill the airwaves, the American Society of Composers,
Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) -- the first and leading U.S. Performing
Rights Organization representing over 300,000 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 songwriters, composers and publishers. Its proprietary
technology and network of over 2,600 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" 2007 holiday song airplay may contact Kathleen Reynolds
(CooperKatz for Mediaguide) at 212-455-8062 or
kreynolds@cooperkatz.com.
Marilyn Bergman, ASCAP President and Chairman, said: "More than anything
else, music sets the mood for the Holidays, evoking the magic of the season
and memories of Holidays past. These timeless classics have been recorded
by artists in every genre, yet each song retains the original stamp of its
creators."
Topping the list for the first time is "Winter Wonderland" by Felix Bernard
and Richard B. Smith. This perennial, written in 1934, was an instant hit
for legendary bandleader Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians who took it
to the #2 spot on the Billboard charts the same year. 1946 recordings by
the Andrews Sisters and Perry Como established the song as a Yuletide
favorite. Versions by the Eurythmics, Jewel and Air Supply are frequently
heard on radio today.
Re-entering the Top 25 list after a brief hiatus is Paul McCartney's
"Wonderful Christmastime." Written in 1979, the song enjoys significant
holiday season popularity both in the U.K. and the U.S. Paul McCartney is
a member of the PRS -- the U.K.'s Performing Right Society -- who licenses
his music through ASCAP for the U.S.
The Top 25 most performed ASCAP holiday songs of the past five years are
listed below. Each song includes songwriter credits, and cites the most
popular artist version played on radio.
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. 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: Aaron Neville
7. Jingle Bell Rock
Written by: Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe
Performed by: Bobby Helms
8. Sleigh Ride
Written by: Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
Performed by: The Ronettes
9. Little Drummer Boy
Written by: Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone
Performed by: The Harry Simeone Chorale & Orchestra
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: Amy Grant
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. 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. Blue Christmas
Written by: Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson
Performed by: Elvis Presley
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. (There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays
Written by: Bob Allen, Al Stillman
Performed by: Perry Como
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. Wonderful Christmastime
Written by: Paul McCartney (PRS)
Performed by: Paul McCartney
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"
About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights
Organization representing the world's largest repertory totaling over 8.5
million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than
300,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has
representation arrangements with over 90 music rights organizations such
that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the
world. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by
licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and
distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only
American Performing Rights Organization owned and governed by its writer
and publisher members.
www.ascap.com