Year after year, the same catchy Christmas classics made decades ago blast on radio stations and throughout stores. Iconic songs like “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” and “Jingle Bell Rock” signal the start of the season.
Many critics suggest they are tired of the same songs and artists being recycled over and over again. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas is You” and holiday hits from the 1950’s eventually become tiring as the Christmas season progresses, yet most people seem unwilling to play new Christmas songs. While other musical genres are constantly changing, holiday music seems to resist progression and alteration– why is that?
A possible reason for why we listen to the same Christmas songs every year is because it’s a tradition to listen to those songs. The holidays are a time of sentimental customs, such as building gingerbread houses or decorating fir trees, so it’s natural for people to gravitate towards tradition in the music they listen to as well. New songs aren’t necessarily worse, but they lack the same reminscience as the Christmas tunes passed down by our parents.
Christmas music in America originally consisted of religious carols. However, as Christmas became increasingly commercialized, non-religious music centered around the holiday like “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” became more common in the 1930’s. The most beloved Christmas songs date all the way back to the 1940’s and 50’s, and were made shortly after a time of war. These songs focus on unity, love and yearning rather than gifts.
Old songs are popular during the holiday season because they feel nostalgic and safe. Christmas music’s stagnation reflects the desire for consistency and comfort during the holidays. In a time where family, love and tradition is emphasized, and people crave what is familiar– it typically takes about a decade for a song to become customary, so the Christmas music that’s played anytime soon will likely be the ones that were played the previous year too.
Although it’s a challenge to create new Christmas music with a balance of tradition and creativity, groundbreaking artists like Micheal Bublé, Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande have proved that it is possible to create modern holiday classics. In 2011, Micheal Bublé created a Christmas album primarily consisting of covers of pre-existing Christmas songs, but with his own spin. Bublés’ album quickly became one of the most successful Christmas albums despite its novelty.
Like Bublé, who took a twist on the typical Christmas tune, Kelly Clarkson wrote and released “Underneath the Tree” (2013), which reached number eight on the Billboard Global 200 and the top ten in multiple countries. Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (2014) , which also is an original song, quickly climbed up the charts as well and has now become a modern Christmas classic. Both artists showed that recent, original Christmas songs are able to make a splash in the holiday music industry.
The Christmas music industry doesn’t have to be a broken record. The classics will always be an integral part of the holidays, but there’s room for new songs and ideas too. As pop culture shifts and new generations explore different types of musical expression, the typical holiday music industry may begin to slightly change. In order for Christmas to stay magical to future generations, the possibility that Christmas music can adapt while retaining its soul has to be embraced.
