12/23/14

12 Days of Casey - Day 3


In somewhat of a countdown fashion, HERC will be featuring a different Casey Kasem Christmas show or countdown each day from now until December 25th, in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent and ending with the very first American Top 40 Christmas countdown from 1971.
Day 3 of the 12 Days Of Casey is an episode of American Top 40, featuring the second half of Casey's second "All-Time Christmas Countdown" of the Top 40 Christmas Songs. Casey explains the rankings process:
Our rankings for the All-time Christmas Countdown are based on the AT40 staff's interpretation of thirty-three years' worth of surveys published by Billboard Magazine, including record sales, air-play, jukebox-play, sheet music sales, and continued popularity over the years. In our opinion, a fair ranking of the hit songs of Christmas.
This holiday countdown originally aired on December 22nd, 1973, when HERC was all of seven years old.  Maybe he heard it back then or maybe he didn't but thanks to Premiere Networks, he has heard a replay of that show.  Interesting to note that many of the top 20 songs were played along with medleys of other versions of the same song and #19 wasn't played at all because producers couldn't find a copy of the record in broadcast quality.  (All 20 songs are in playlist below.)  The average release year of the top 20 is 1951 and Bing Crosby has the Top 20 on lock with four songs on the chart.  (It is HERC's humble holiday opinion that Der Bingle's version of #6 should also be on the chart.)  And where in the happy heck is "Jingle Bells" by them ol' Singing Dogs?  It was all over the radio in 1973.

#titleartistyear
20I'll Be Home For ChristmasBing Crosby1943
19You're All I Want For ChristmasFrankie Laine1948
18Nuttin' For ChristmasBarry Gordon1955
17I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa ClausJimmy Boyd1952
16Rockin' Around The Christmas TreeBrenda Lee1958
15Here Comes Santa ClausGene Autry1947
14Sleigh RideLeroy Anderson1948
13Please Come Home For ChristmasCharles Brown1960
12Frosty The SnowmanGene Autry1950
11The Chipmunk SongAlvin & the Chipmunks1958
10Santa Claus Is Coming To TownBing Crosby1942
9Jingle BellsBing Crosby1943
8Blue ChristmasElvis Presely1957
7Winter WonderlandRay Coniff1959
6Silver BellsJimmy Wakely and Margaret Whiting1950
5Jingle Bell RockBobby Helms1957
4The Christmas SongNat "King" Cole1946
3The Little Drummer BoyHarry Simeone Chorale1958
2Rudolph The Red-Nosed RendeerGene Autry1949
1White ChristmasBing Crosby1942


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