ON THE CHARTS THEN AND NOW: Special Holiday Edition, 1 · 12:14am Dec 6th, 2017
Ladies and gentlemen, Jesse Coffey Productions presents in association with Billboard Media . . . a special holiday edition of . . .
ON THE CHARTS
THEN AND NOW
Hello. Hello. I am Jesse Coffey and I think it's time we spread some holiday cheer. This week we peek at the Holiday 100 charts. We look at the charts of now and December 14, 1968. And we would need that holiday cheer if we were in 1968, because that was just a great big year for everything. But let's hear about it later.
Of course it wouldn't be the season if Bing Crosby wasn't dreaming of a White Christmas, now would it? It is at #10 on the Holiday 100 this week.
OK, here we are now with our first instance of 1968. This was quite a monumental year for the world, one where most everybody got to hear of some especially grown-up things like violence at a Democratic National Convention or the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. So naturally Christmas is a happier thought for a child-at-heart who's pondering over the events of a year like that as he approaches the holiday season. We can bet he was remarking, "Christmas is for children." The four words formed the title of the #10 Christmas tune of the 1968 week highlighted, sung by Glen Campbell, who's definitely being missed this season.
Our second instance of 1968 will be commenced now with the #9 Christmas single of the week, Earl Grant playing "Silver Bells" on the piano.
Two years later, another holiday staple was born and Jose Feliciano's Feliz Navidad occupies the #9 spot for this week's Holiday 100:
We pause now.
Here to give us that classic rebuttal of Christmas is Dean Martin uttering the words "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow",
Ah, but it appears that we in 1968 have a man who's having a lonesome Christmas.
Also in 1968, the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra, asked us one simple question at #7: "Whatever happened to Christmas?"
Now here's Bobby Helms performing another holiday staple, 1957's "Jingle Bell Rock." There are so many standards from random years you'd think we're running things out of order! Alas, we aren't. It's #7 this week on the Holiday 100.
MORE TO COME
A couple of guys, one of whom we miss so much, called Wham, are about to perform this week's #6 selection, pondering over what happened "Last Christmas."
And in Christmas 1968, what happened Last Christmas was Santa Claus apparently went straight to the ghetto. Just ask the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown, whose "Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto" hit #6 on December 14, 1968.
Stickin' with the 1968 Christmas chart, Bing Crosby is going to dream of a White Christmas again at #5.
Now for that #5 for this week, and it's a Holly Jolly Christmas with Burl Ives. The tune came out of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a holiday staple that you can see this Saturday at 8:00/7:00 central-mountain on another network.
We come back soon.
Now here we have Andy Williams exclaiming, as usual, that it's the most wonderful time of the year.
Now here are those adventures of a Back Door Santa, and at #4 in 1968, they were told of by Clarence Carter.
Now at #3 in 1968, Charles Brown performs "Please Come Home for Christmas".
At #3 this week is Nat King Cole's rendition of "The Christmas Song".
Our #2-1 selections in a moment.
Now we're gonna go "Rockin' around the Christmas tree" with Brenda Lee:
The #2 Christmas selection of 1968 is from the Harry Simeone Chorale: the Little Drummer Boy. Hearing that in that year I imagine was as soothing as hearing "Silent Night" in a chaotic place and time where the nights were anything but silent.
And now it's time for the 1968 Christmas #1.
THE
#1
HOLIDAY SONG OF THE WEEK ENDING
DECEMBER 14, 1968
It is a rendition of "The Christmas Song" by none other than Herb Alpert.
As for the 2017 Holiday #1, well, here it comes.
THE
#1
HOLIDAY SONG OF THE WEEK ENDING
DECEMBER 16, 2017
You really don't need me to explain the prevalence of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You".
So let's recap our lists now.
Let's read the charts for December 14, 1968.
10. CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN, as sung by Glen Campbell on Capitol Records.
9. SILVER BELLS, played by US Decca's Earl Grant.
8. LONESOME CHRISTMAS, Lowell Fulsom on Hollywood.
7. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CHRISTMAS?, by the man who founded Reprise Records, Frank Sinatra.
6. SANTA CLAUS GOES STRAIGHT TO THE GHETTO, played by the Godfather of Soul James Brown on King Records.
5. WHITE CHRISTMAS, sung by none other than US Decca's Bing Crosby
4. Clarence Carter's Atlantic telling of a BACK DOOR SANTA.
3. Charles Brown begging you on King to PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.
2. LITTLE DRUMMER BOY, as immortalized and originally performed by the Harry Simeone Chorale on 20th Fox Records.
1. THE CHRISTMAS SONG, with the Tijuana Brass, fronted by A&M's co-founder (and co-owner for nearly three decades) Herb Alpert
Now let's read this week's Christmas charts.
10. Bing Crosby's dream of a WHITE CHRISTMAS on Geffen.
9. "FELIZ NAVIDAD." - RCA's Jose Feliciano
8. LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, Dean Martin grumbles on Reprise.
7. Bobby Helms' JINGLE BELL ROCK also on Geffen.
6. Wham! We have pondered over what happened LAST CHRISTMAS on Columbia.
5. A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS with Burl Ives on Geffen.
4. "IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR, I'd like you to know from Heaven." - Andy Williams, Columbia
3. Nat King Cole's CHRISTMAS SONG on Capitol.
2. Brenda Lee taking you for a chance at ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE on Geffen.
1. "Remember, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU." - Mariah Carey, Columbia.
Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! We recommend you visit the Billboard website at www.billboard.com. And follow Billboard on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest and Spotify. And remember, keep the music strong, and let it play on. Happy Holidays! I'll see you next week!
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