21 Days of Christmas

To get you in a festive mood, here's a 21-song playlist for the holidays.

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DAY 1:

I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas was written by John Rox and first performed by Oklahoma native, Gayla Peevey. Released as a single on Nov. 11 1953, Gayla was ten years-old at the time of recording. In December, it peaked at No. 24 on Billboard Top Pop Songs.

DAY 2:

Written by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town was first sung on Eddie Cantor’s radio show in November 1934. It has been covered by over 200 artists since its release. The Supremes recorded their version for the 1965 album, Merry Christmas.

DAY 3:

There are several Christmas songs titled What Christmas Means to Me, but the most-popular was written by Allen Story, Anna Gordy Gaye, and George Gordy. It's been covered by dozens of artist, starting with Stevie Wonder for his 1967 album, Someday at Christmas.

DAY 4:

My Little Drum is by Vince Guaraldi Trio from the 1965 album, A Charlie Brown Christmas. The song's a jazz arrangement of The Little Drummer Boy, originally Carol of the Drum, which was written by Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941 and first recorded by the Trapp Family Singers in 1951.

DAY 5:

Written by Johnny Marks, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is based on a 1939 story created by Robert L. May and published by Montgomery Ward. It was first sung by Harry Brannon, but Gene Autry's version is most popular. Jewel covered it for her 1999 album, Joy: A Holiday Collection.

DAY 6:

Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell first performed Silver Bells in The Lemon Drop Kid (1951). Writers Jay Livingston and Ray Evans originally titled it Tinkle Bells but Livingston's wife pointed out the meaning of 'tinkle'. Elvis Presley recorded it for his 1971 Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas.

DAY 7:

I Pray on Christmas was written and recorded by Harry Connick Jr. and originally released on his 1993 album, When My Heart Finds Christmas. The album is the twelfth best-selling holiday album of all time, and the song has been recorded by several artists, including The Oak Ridge Boys.

DAY 8:

Little Saint Nick is a hot rod Christmas song about Santa and his sleigh written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love and included on the Beach Boys' 1964 album, The Beach Boys' Christmas Album. Released in December 1963, the song peaked at No. 3 on Billboard Hot Holiday 100.

DAY 9:

Feliz Navidad was written and recorded by José Feliciano for his 1970 album, Feliz Navidad. The original release didn’t chart on Billboard Hot 100 until 1998 and has since become one of the Top 25 most-played Christmas songs around the world.

DAY 10:

Written by Edward Pola and George Wyle, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year was first recorded by Andy Williams for The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963). It's now one of the Top 10 best-selling holiday songs of all time, but it wasn't the album's first single. White Christmas was.

DAY 11:

Written by Johnny Marks, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree was recorded by Brenda Lee for the album, Merry Christmas from Brenda Lee (1958). Lee was only 13 years-old when she recorded the song. It didn't chart until 1960. Today, it's the fourth most downloaded digital holiday single of all time.

DAY 12:

Pretty Paper was the first Christmas album from Willie Nelson. Produced by Booker T. Jones and released in 1979, Nelson had recorded the album's title track, Pretty Paper, in 1964, after Roy Orbison recorded a hit version of the song and released it in 1963.

DAY 13:

Merry Christmas Baby was written by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore and originally recorded in 1947 by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring Charles Brown. Artists from Elvis Presley to Etta James have covered it. Otis Redding's version was released in 1968 as b-side for White Christmas.

DAY 14:

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was first sung by Judy Garland for the 1944 musical, Meet Me in St. Louis. Written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, several artists have covered the song, but Judy Garland’s is the most-popular and has been included on several Christmas compilations.

DAY 15:

Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) is an instrumental medley of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman and Shchedryk first recorded by Savatage for their album, Dead Winter Dead (1995). It was re-released in 1996 on the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's 1996 Christmas album, Christmas Eve and Other Stories.

DAY 16:

The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You) was written by Bob Wells and Mel Tormé in 1945. It was written during the summer in an effort to stay cool by thinking cool. Nat King Cole Trio was the first to record the song in 1946. His version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.

DAY 17:

Written by George Michael and recorded by Wham!, Last Christmas hit No. 2 for UK's top Christmas song in 1984, knocked out of the top spot by Band Aid project's Do They Know It's Christmas?. Michael was involved with project and donated all proceeds from Last Christmas to Band Aid.

DAY 18:

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) was released in 1971 by John Lennon and Yoko Ono's The Plastic Ono Band. Featuring the Harlem Community Choir, it's a protest against the Vietnam War and hit No. 4 on the UK charts in 1972 and No. 2 in 1980, following John Lennon's death.

DAY 19:

Up on the House Top was written by Benjamin Hanby in 1864. It's the first song written about Santa Claus and is the second-oldest Christmas carol, with Jingle Bells (1857) ringing in at number one. Jackson 5 released their version of in 1970 on Jackson 5 Christmas Album.

DAY 20:

Jingle Bells is the most-known Christmas song in the world. Originally titled One Horse Open Sleigh, it was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857. It was intended for the Thanksgiving season. Frank Sinatra released his version a hundred years later on his 1957 A Jolly Christmas album.

DAY 21:

O Holy Night was composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem by Placide Cappeau, Minuit, chrétiens (Midnight, Christians). The carol's been recorded by countless artists, including Josh Groban for Josh Groban in Concert (2002).

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A DASH OF CHRISTMAS

14 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

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