FEATURE:
Silent Night
PHOTO CREDIT: RDNE Stock project/Pexels
The Difficulty of Releasing New Christmas Songs and Rivalling Nostalgic Classics
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I guess overexposure…
PHOTO CREDIT: George Dolgikh/Pexels
gives us a bit of an antipathy to Christmas songs. I have not heard many played at the time of writing this feature (2nd November), though by the time we get to late-November, shops are playing all the classics. I am forty-two, and a lot of the Christmas classics that are played at this time of the year were ones I grew up on. You can look back at those from the likes of Slade, Mud and Wham! Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody was released in 1973. Wizard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday was also released that year. Wham! released Last Christmas in 1984. Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You came out in 1994. So I got some Christmas songs that were released a decade before I was born. That Wham! classic came out when I was one. Mariah Carey’s when I was ten. So, when I was ten, I pretty much had heard all of the best and most-played Christmas songs. Of course, every year brings us new Christmas songs. We will soon see this year’s come through. Of course, I think Christmas songs are a generational thing. In terms of people of my age grew up listening to the very best. Songs older than that, from the 1950s and 1960s, are ones my parents heard but are not played as much. I think there is a sweet spot in terms of time period. Maybe from the 1970s to the 1990s. Of course, you do hear shops play Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (1958), White Christmas by Bing Crosby (1942) and, ah yes, I forgot to mention 1987’s Fairytale of New York by The Pogues (feat. Kirsty MacColl).
Whilst some of the much older Christmas songs will remain, I think we are starting to see them fade out. Last year, I did not hear them played as much as I did years previous. There is a reliance on that time period I mentioned. I do think that, in a few years’ time, those classics of the 1950s and 1960s might die altogether. It also is bad news for new Christmas songs. I would advise people to buy Annie Zaleski’s wonderful This Is Christmas, Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits, as it takes you inside some of the most cherished Christmas songs. I have written before how it is hard to release a new Christmas song. Not only are these tracks seasonal. They are unlikely to get much airplay at all. Maybe some shops will play them, though most will go with the reliable classics. Familiarity means that people will stay shopping and in the shop. However, there is also that risk every year that, as we hear the same songs over and over, it just drives people nuts. In general, it is a risk releasing music in December. It is a quiet period for albums, as people are geared for Christmas and the music press slows. Of course, there is that chance to exploit the Christmas window, though artists tend to get their albums release before December. In terms of Christmas music, physical singles aren’t a thing anymore and the likelihood of most artists getting good streaming numbers for a Christmas song is low. Unless you a major artist like Taylor Swift who has released a Christmas song – 2019’s Christmas Tree Farm -, then it might be waste of time. However, it is interesting hearing new releases.
What angle they take and whether they go for the more traditional route in terms of themes and imagery or go a bit off piste. I do like something more alternative, as it is rarer and you can get bored of artists saying the same thing. It is important that we have new Christmas songs so that they can sit with the tried and tested. However, it is such a gamble for artists. Also, a lot of the best Christmas songs have been around so long that they have worn into our brains. It is harder to make that same impact now. I also feel like Christmas songs lack a certain purpose. Sure, they do remind us of the big day is coming. Beyond that and their use at parties and on T.V., do most of us sit around listening to Christmas songs in December? They seem more for background and when you are shopping. I am always less inclined to make Christmas playlists, though I am pleased when I hear my favourite Christmas song, Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody – which I have heard hundreds of time and do tire of! I do sympathise with artists who put out a Christmas track now, knowing it will be popular (or not) for such a brief time and is a bit of a gamble. Artists releasing albums of Christmas covers. You hear interesting interpretations through, as I say, most of us come back to the songs we heard as children. Even for children now, I feel like they will be more exposed to the songs I heard and, when they are my age, these tracks will still be in their mind. It is interesting to think it Christmas songs will even be played in a few decades. I can imagine that they will be less rare, as more people will shop online.
Rather than Being down on Christmas music, I wanted to examine it in the modern day. The psychology behind the Christmas songs we gravitate towards. If there is a formula that exists. I would say that the songs need a big chorus and a feelgood vibe. That sounds obvious, but some of the more mournful or slower Christmas songs are becoming less popular. Shops playing them earlier and earlier each year is meant to compel us to shop for Christmas goods, but it can be irksome. A challenge for artists wanting to release their own Christmas song. At best, artists can release them for fun and add their name to the list if Christmas tracks. They have to know that there is limited upside in terms of exposure, airplay and financial reward. I think that generational thing is true. Christmas songs from the past couple of decades rarely played. Those from the 1960s and before will start to fade and become less demanded, aside from the odd few which you do need. That will leave a smaller number of seasonable regulars that you are likely to hear now if you go out. The joy of Christmas music is nostalgia. The fact Wham! were the Christmas number one last year emphasises that. This feature explores why Christmas music isn’t timeless anymore. How artists have a very high bar to reach to when it comes to releasing their own songs. Some of the obstacles they face:
“The Challenge of Modern Holiday Music
Artists still put out new Christmas songs every year, but they often struggle to find the right balance between tradition and innovation. A classic Christmas song doesn’t just reflect the musical style of the time—it embodies the mood and sentiment of the holiday itself. Modern Christmas music tends to lean heavily on reinterpreting existing Christmas standards, with a few new additions each year. Artists like Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, and Michael Bublé are more likely to release albums full of covers and reimagined classics rather than trying to craft something brand-new that could join the ranks of “Jingle Bells” or “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
And while there’s nothing wrong with a great cover—Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” is a holiday bop that has definitely earned its place on holiday playlists—there’s something about a fresh, original holiday tune that carries a lot of weight when it becomes part of our tradition. But writing a song that has the ability to capture that elusive sense of holiday magic? Now that’s the tricky part.
It’s All About Timing and Luck
You also can’t underestimate how much luck and timing play a role in a song becoming a classic. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” wasn’t a chart-topper the moment it was released in 1994. It took several years for the song to gain the cultural traction it needed, but now it’s arguably the most enduring modern Christmas song of all time. The timing was right, the song captured the magic of Christmas in a fresh way, and it resonated with millions of listeners—eventually becoming a holiday anthem.
This is why it’s so hard to predict what will become the next big Christmas hit. It requires more than just a catchy melody—it requires something that connects with the spirit of the season in a way that feels both new and timeless at the same time. And while a few artists may create songs that could become future classics, there’s no guaranteed formula for success.
In the end, the reason we don’t see new Christmas classics every year is because it’s hard to capture lightning in a bottle. We may get a few newer songs that rise to prominence (and some even become holiday favorites), but truly joining the ranks of the all-time greats? That’s a much rarer feat. Christmas classics are built over time, through cultural moments, memories, and a kind of magic that’s difficult to predict. And for now, the old standards are likely to continue reigning supreme”.
Have we reached a point where we genuinely do not need new Christmas songs? If the same ones are played every year, artists face releasing their music into the void. The pull of nostalgia is one that applies to people of my age and those who grew up listening to the all-time best. I don’t think it will apply to younger generations. Their nostalgia is going to be the same as mine, which is quite weird! Although, if it is hard to write a Christmas original that stands the test of time, there are artists who put their stamp on existing Christmas songs that provide a pleasing alternative. This article goes into more detail:
“According to Berklee College of Music’s forensic musicologist Joe Bennett, it’s all about the nostalgia. In 2017, he analyzed the elements of holiday music that bring in the most monetary and commercial success, including Spotify-charting hits during the week of Dec. 25. From a lyrical standpoint, they all had an element related to “the home, being in love, lost love, parties, Santa or reindeers, snow or coldness, religion, and peace on Earth.”
It is clear most people desire songs that are comforting, transporting listeners to an idealized version of Christmas past with universal themes of joy and warmth. New releases are not meeting this mark and cannot deliver the kind of warm nostalgia that a Bing Crosby tune executes so well.
In his iconic song “White Christmas,” Crosby longs to return to a simpler, more idyllic time: “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas / Just like the ones I used to know / Where the treetops glisten and children listen / To hear sleigh bells in the snow.” With its fluttering flute and gentle piano, the song evokes a warm fireplace and fall of snow.
However, one artist who I think does not fall into this category of failed contemporary Christmas is Laufey, an Icelandic jazz singer. She delivers covers of classics with beautiful accuracy of the original songs while bringing a fresh new production. Having been classically trained in violin and piano, she has a deeper understanding and implementation of the older sound we have grown to love. Her background in jazz and Norah Jones-inspired style distinguishes her from the many pop singers attempting to stake their claim in the niche of holiday music.
Ultimately, we do not need more Christmas tunes from today’s musicians. The nostalgic charm and fond memories tied to the past bring an unmatched element of ambience to these songs that new releases lack. For those who want to enjoy such classic Christmas music, I would suggest turning to the greats of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Ella Fitzgerald. For a taste of the holiday spirit with a modern twist, I would recommend Laufey’s newest EP, “A Very Laufey Holiday”.
It is a tricky thing! I would love to discover a modern-day Christmas song that rivals the best, though I think we are predisposed to the ones we already know and are a bit blinkered. I would say to people to check out new Christmas songs, even if you are only adding them to a playlist. It adds variety and freshens things up. However, it is difficult to penetrate the market and rial the best with such a narrow lyrical framework. All the traditional and clinches imagery has been mined and taken. Artists need to look beyond that, which can alienate people who prefer their Christmas songs more traditional. That may, in turn, put artists off releasing Christmas songs at all. Which would be a shame. It just goes to show that those Christmas gems we have heard for decades and listen to every year…
ARE impossible to rival.