Why Almost All Christmas Music Is From the 1940s and 1950s

While every successful singer eventually does a Christmas album, which may have a single, they are mostly cover versions of earlier Christmas hits. And you can’t beat an original. The most familiar, comforting songs of the season come from the 1940s and ‘50s. The reasons for that have to do with the epic changes in how we consume music and entertainment in the middle of the 20th century. After those Christmas classics were introduced and became classics, any new version of the same song just seems unnecessary. -via Digg

One line stood out for me in this: (in 1941) "People were longing for simpler times." Hmmmm. Christmas music is caught up in the overall fragmentation of the music industry. It's out there, you just have to find it. A few favorites from my collection came immediately to mind. When I looked them up, I was surprised how old they are - but I also remember the time I spent looking for them. Over the years, I've heard none of these on any of the godawful Sirius stations, or the local 24x7 FM stations with their incredibly short and limited playlists.

Clint Black - Looking for Christmas

Barenaked Ladies/Sarah McLachlan - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings

And on the lighter side

The Blenders - Winter Wonderland

Barenaked Ladies - Elf's Lament

Merry Christmas to all.

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cuz dean martin and frank sinatra are better than most modern singers

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