), According to Crosby's nephew, Howard Crosby, "I once asked Uncle Bing about the most difficult thing he ever had to do during his entertainment career… He said in December, 1944, he was in a USO show with Bob Hope and the Andrews Sisters. It's the most wonderful time of the year yet again! Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. The album was certified 4× Platinum by RIAA for selling over 4 million copies in United States. [16] Crosby's first-ever appearance on the black-oriented chart. If it's Christmas-set romances you're searching for, then The Holiday , a modern classic, makes for the ultimate follow-up to Love Actually . [103], Original song written and composed by Irving Berlin, 1942 single by Bing Crosby with Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra, 1942 78 single release of "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby on Decca Records, 18429 A, with Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra, Matrix # DLA 3009. The Guinness Book of World Records 2009 Edition lists the song as a 100-million seller, encompassing all versions of the song, including albums. "[10], The song established that there could be commercially successful secular Christmas songs[11]—in this case, written by a Jewish immigrant to the United States. 2 on the "Songs of the Century" list, behind only Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow," as voted by members of the RIAA. 15 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in 2003. There has been confusion and debate on whether Crosby's record is the best-selling single, due to a lack of information on sales of "White Christmas," because Crosby's recording was released before the advent of the modern-day US and UK singles charts. In 1953, Bing Crosby had a huge hit with a song that is originally called “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” in German. White ChristmasBing Crosby "White "Christmas" was so popular that Bing had to re-record the song five years after the original 1942 recording because the original masters had been worn out from all the pressings. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. [29], Irving Berlin's opening verse is often dropped in recordings. This issue featured the original album's 12 tracks in a slightly different order and added two additional tracks ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Here Comes Santa Claus"). "Yule Laugh, Yule Cry: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Beloved Holiday Songs (With holiday cheer in the air, "No one dreamed of a 'White Christmas' before this song", "75 years after its premiere, Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' still enthralls listeners", "Why Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' Is the Best Holiday Song Ever", "RIAA News Room – The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century – Nov 10, 1999", "New song list puts 'Rainbow' way up high", "Bing Crosby Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)", Offiziellecharts.de – Bing Crosby – White Christmas", "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 52/2018", Dutchcharts.nl – Bing Crosby – White Christmas", Portuguesecharts.com – Bing Crosby / John Scott Trotter Orchestra / The Ken Darby Singers – White Christmas", Swedishcharts.com – Bing Crosby – White Christmas", Swisscharts.com – Bing Crosby – White Christmas", "Bing Crosby Chart History (Adult Contemporary)", "Bing Crosby Chart History (Holiday 100)", Australian-charts.com – Michael Bublé & Shania Twain – White Christmas", Austriancharts.at – Michael Bublé – White Christmas", "Michael Buble Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)", "Michael Buble Chart History (Canada AC)", Offiziellecharts.de – Michael Bublé & Shania Twain – White Christmas", "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 52", Dutchcharts.nl – Michael Bublé & Shania Twain – White Christmas", Portuguesecharts.com – Michael Bublé – White Christmas", Swedishcharts.com – Michael Bublé & Shania Twain – White Christmas", Swisscharts.com – Michael Bublé & Shania Twain – White Christmas", "Michael Buble Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)", "Michael Buble Chart History (Adult Contemporary)", "Michael Buble Chart History (Holiday 100)", "Michael Buble Chart History (Holiday Digital Song Sales)", "Glee Cast Chart History (Holiday Digital Song Sales)", "Gwen Stefani Chart History (Holiday Digital Song Sales)", "Meghan Trainor Chart History (Adult Contemporary)", "Meghan Trainor Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)", "Danish single certifications – Bing Crosby – White Christmas", "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998", "The UK's Official Chart 'millionaires' revealed", "British single certifications – Bing Crosby – White Christmas", "Italian single certifications – Michael Buble – White Christmas", "British single certifications – Michael Buble & Shania Twain – White Christmas", "ASCAP Announces Top 25 Holiday Songs of the Decade", "Jubilee! ... "Silver bells, silver bells. [82] The following have received some charting success. In 1963 the album was made available in electronically re-channeled stereo (with Decca's moniker, "Enhanced for Stereo" added on the upper right corner of the cover), Decca DL-78128. The entire album over time, minus the songs "Faith of Our Fathers" and "Danny Boy" (which was only on the 1945 original album) can be found on the 1998 double-disc Bing Crosby: The Voice of Christmas, a compendium of all of Crosby's Christmas recordings for Decca from 1935 to 1956. [8] A copy of the recording from the radio program is owned by Crosby's estate and was loaned to CBS News Sunday Morning for their December 25, 2011 program. ♬ It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas – Bing Crosby & The London Symphony Orchestra “They’re like, ‘You’re not from the U.P. [101], The Glee cast's version of the song entered the UK charts for the first time in 2018, four years after its release, at No. Are you focused, like … Before 1942, Christmas songs and films had come out sporadically, and many were popular. Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra (with Bob Carroll on lead vocal) released a version on Capitol Records that reached No. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. It has remained in print through the vinyl, CD, and downloadable file eras, currently as the disc and digital album White Christmas on MCA Records, a part of the Universal Music Group, (reissued in June 1995) and currently on vinyl as Merry Christmas on Geffen Records (re-issued in September 2014). [citation needed], Michael Bolton performed it on his 1992 non-holiday album, Timeless: The Classics, where it peaked at No. It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas (1951) - Bing Crosby 24. "White Christmas" is the most-recorded Christmas song; there have been more than 500 recorded versions of the song, in several different languages. Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it's the best song anybody ever wrote. [25] However, after careful research, Guinness World Records in 2007 concluded that, worldwide, Crosby's recording of "White Christmas" has sold at least 50 million copies, and that Elton John's recording of "Candle in the Wind 1997" has sold 33 million. The album was packaged in a collectible tin along with the Special Edition DVD of the 1942 film "Holiday Inn". It sold out quickly to flippers and now commands two-to-four times its $17.99 list price in the online marketplaces. It had the same basic cover with a new yellow background and the same four singles as the 78 rpm album A-550, and the individual records had the same catalog numbers, in this case preceded by the "9-" prefix. We've included some black-and-white favorites like It's a Wonderful Life, Bing Crosby's feel-good musicals of the 1940s and 50s, and more than a few versions of Charles Dickens tales. [27] In 2002, the original 1942 version was one of 50 historically significant recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. Oxford Music Online. On September 30, 2014, the album was reissued on a newly remastered LP by Geffen Records and Universal Music Enterprises. After the original cast recording to Oklahoma!, also from Decca Records, released in 1943, the 1955 album configuration has been continually in-print longer than any other album in the history of the United States. [5][9] At first, Crosby did not see anything special about the song. The original album consisted of ten songs on five 78 records, all of which had been previously released. It's not just a list of classic Christmas songs, but also includes new favourites. Although Crosby dismissed his role in the song's success, saying later that "a jackdaw with a cleft palate could have sung it successfully",[19] he was associated with it for the rest of his career. [2] However, an update in the 2009 edition of the book decided to further help settle the controversy amicably by naming both John's and Crosby's songs to be "winners" by stating that John's recording is the "best-selling single since UK and US singles charts began in the 1950s," while maintaining that "the best-selling single of all time was released before the first pop charts," and that this distinction belongs to "White Christmas," which it says "was listed as the world's best-selling single in the first-ever Guinness Book of Records (published in 1955) and—remarkably—still retains the title more than 50 years later."[26]. [84] Eddy Howard and his Orchestra released a version on the Majestic label that reached No. 5 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. Decca issued a second edition in this format in 1947, catalogue Decca A-550, consisting of four 78s, omitting recordings of "Danny Boy" and "Let's Start the New Year Right" from the previous release, and including new recordings of "White Christmas" and "Silent Night" from March 19, 1947. The reverb is particularly intrusive on tracks such as "Adeste Fideles", "White Christmas", and "Silver Bells". He's influenced every real singer whether they know it or not. "[14], The song initially performed poorly and was overshadowed by Holiday Inn's first hit song: "Be Careful, It's My Heart". It remained in that position until well into the new year. Merry Christmas was also issued as a 45 rpm box set in 1950, catalogue Decca 9-65. [13] Dave Marsh and Steve Propes wrote, "'White Christmas' changed Christmas music forever, both by revealing the huge potential market for Christmas songs and by establishing the themes of home and nostalgia that would run through Christmas music evermore. You really can't celebrate the season without a kickass holiday playlist, so we've compiled 125 of our favourite Christmas songs of all time. Decca and Crosby undertook the remake with the same orchestra and chorus, in an attempt to re-create the original May 1942 recording as closely as possible. [88], In 1949, The Ravens peaked at No. [17] In the film, Crosby sings "White Christmas" as a duet with actress Marjorie Reynolds, though her voice was dubbed by Martha Mears. 9 on Billboard's pop singles chart in 1946, with backing vocals by the Lyn Murray Singers and backing orchestration by Paul Weston for Capitol. The composition won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 15th Academy Awards. The original 78rpm album cover (seen above) had a light blue background and showed a large black and white photograph of Crosby's head. September 26, 2016. [97] In 1998 Martina McBride recorded it for her album White Christmas, charting twice, reaching No. A white vinyl version of the above album released in 2014 was re-mastered and re-released in a Walmart-exclusive limited edition format in time for the 2019 Christmas season. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Christmas_(Bing_Crosby_album) In the script as originally conceived, Reynolds, not Crosby, would sing the song. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." What It's Like To Win A New Car on The Price Is Right. In 1942 alone, Crosby's recording spent eleven weeks on top of the Billboard charts. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his career. Copies released after 1951 featured a newly designed red and green cover. [5] One story is that he wrote it in 1940, in warm La Quinta, California, while staying at the La Quinta Hotel, a frequent Hollywood retreat also favored by writer-director-producer Frank Capra, although the Arizona Biltmore also claims the song was written there. A new mono re-master was made in 1992 and reissued in 1995. 'White Christmas' and the reasons it endures", "History of ""The Jewel of the Desert"" | Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel". The recording is noted for Crosby's whistling during the second chorus.[9]. Note that it still says MCAD 31143 on the disc. The original 1945 release and subsequent re-releases and re-packages spent a total of 39 weeks at no. [92][93], In 1953, Bing Crosby sang "White Christmas" in a film made in Paris as part of the The Ford 50th Anniversary Show, a two-hour television special broadcast on NBC and CBS. Universal Music Group (successor to MCA Records) changed the name of the album to White Christmas, keeping the contents and the catalogue number unchanged. Historic Columbia celebrates African-American heritage this weekend with singing, art, dance, drama", "Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame member brings quartet to Jackpot", "Andy Williams' Yule Mark: Tops 2 Charts", "White Christmas-bianco Natale by Andrea Bocelli - Music Charts", "Italian Charts – Marco Mengoni – White Christmas (song)", I Got the Sun in the Mornin' (and the Moon at Night), I'm Gonna Pin My Medal on the Girl I Left Behind, The Song Is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On), Bing Crosby Sings with Al Jolson, Bob Hope, Dick Haymes and the Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby Sings with Judy Garland, Mary Martin, Johnny Mercer, Bing Crosby Sings with Lionel Hampton, Eddie Heywood, Louis Jordan, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Bing Crosby Sings Songs by George Gershwin, A Christmas Sing with Bing Around the World, Songs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around, Songs Bing Crosby recorded multiple times, High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin'), Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=White_Christmas_(song)&oldid=1016683879, Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songs, Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements, United States National Recording Registry recordings, Short description is different from Wikidata, Singlechart usages for Billboardglobal200, Singlechart usages for Billboardadultcontemporary, Singlechart usages for Billboardcanadianhot100, Singlechart usages for Billboardbubbling100, Singlechart usages for Billboardadultpopsongs, Certification Table Entry usages for Denmark, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming figures, Certification Table Entry usages for Sweden, Pages using certification Table Entry with shipments figures, Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom, Pages using certification Table Entry with shipments footnote, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming footnote, Certification Table Entry usages for Italy, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2017, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Wikipedia articles with multiple identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 1942, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1970, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1998, This page was last edited on 8 April 2021, at 14:50. 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