A list of holiday favorites that have gotten the most spins since the beginning of October is out, and rights organization ASCAP wants you to know that each and every selection on the top ten list was written or co-written by one of its members.
The list is not full of selections that are hot and fresh right out of the studio. The #1 selection, “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish dates back to 1946. (Full disclosure – this editor experienced an early musical milestone by earning the right to perform the horse whinny on the trumpet at the end of the piece during a junior high school holiday concert, many, many years ago.)
Without further ado, from ASCAP, here is this year’s top ten list.
1. “Sleigh Ride”
Written by Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
Most popular version performed by Leroy Anderson
2. “Winter Wonderland”
Written by Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
Most popular version performed by Eurythmics
3. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
Written by Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
Most popular version performed by Harry Connick Jr.
4. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
Written by Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
Most popular version performed by The Carpenters
5. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
Written by Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
Most popular version performed by Bruce Springsteen
6. “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
Written by Gloria Shayne Baker, Noël Regney
Most popular version performed by Whitney Houston
7. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)”
Written by Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
Most popular version performed by Nat King Cole
8. “Jingle Bell Rock”
Written by Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe
Most popular version performed by Bobby Helms
9. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
Written by Johnny Marks
Most popular version performed by Brenda Lee
10. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”
Written by Meredith Willson
Most popular version performed by Bing Crosby
Note: The list represents an aggregation of all different artist versions of each cited holiday song played on radio from 10/1/12 through 12/3/12. The holiday song data was tracked by radio airplay monitoring service, Media Monitors.
