Christmas Hits of The 50s
Written by Cameron K
Gene Autry, along with Roy Rogers, were the best known singing cowboys from movies and television. Besides Gene Autry’s many popular western hits, like "Back in the Saddle Again," Gene also sang several perennial Christmas song classics including "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," written by songwriter Johnny Marks in 1949. A year later Gene Autry was back in the charts with Frosty the snowman, then later he co-wrote with Oakley Haldeman, entitled, "Here Comes Santa Claus."
UK song writer Tommie Conner could not get anyone in the UK to record his Christmas song so he went to the US and found a 12 year old student from the Hollywood School for Children . The song sold 700,000 in ten days, it became a record industry phenomenon selling over two and a half million records in its first months release. It became a hit twelve months later in the UK. Boyd tried to repeat his initial success but never quite made it. I saw mummy kissing Santa Clause has reportedly sold over 60,000,000 records since its initial release. The Beverly Sisters in the UK in 1953. White Christmas is by far the most popular Christmas recording ever. Written by Irvin Berlin (also wrote God Bless America and many, many other Broadway hits) it was composed in early 1940. The original verse poked fun at people who lived in the sun (California) and yearned for the snow at Christmas. The verse was later dropped but kept Berlin kept the now-famous chorus. "White Christmas" was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1942 musical Holiday Inn. In the film, he actually sings it in a duet with Marjorie Reynolds. Here is a version that went to number one in the UK in 1952 and it is by Mantovani and his Orchestra. Bing Crosby was Mr Christmas with his recording of White Christmas but he also had other Christmas hits including Silent Night which went to Number One in the UK (1952). This is a rather lovely rendition of the nineteenth century carol, and certainly one of my favourites. The sexy, Ertha Kitt was once described by "Orson Wells as "the most exciting woman in the world". And that she certainly is, but back in 1953 she had a Christmas hit with Santa Baby. This is probably the most sexiest Christmas song, ever.

The next Christmas hit came from an entirely different quarter. Harry Belafonti had brought Jamaica's calypso beat to mainstream audiences and was very popular. He was given a TV Spectacular and sang "Mary's Boy Child," It went straight to number one in the UK. The end of the decade saw Russ Conway emerge as piano player extraordinaire. He lost the tip of one of his fingers which he always attributed to his unique piano playing style. 1959 was the zenith of his chart success and much of this was due to him writing his own material. Snow Coach took the Brits by storm and was the last Christmas hit of the 50s.
Article Kippen C. 2013 Cameron K's blog Retrieved from
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