Holiday music is one area of pop music where being dead is no obstacle. A small majority of the songs Bulletin board's Holiday 100, which is being re-released this week, is from artists who have passed on. (The exact tally is 52 out of 100 – and six out of the top 10.)
Several of the artists who provide the soundtrack to holiday specials, parties and trips to the mall have been dead longer than most of the current pop audience has been alive. Bing Crosby, who sang the Oscar-winning “White Christmas” in the 1942 film Holiday Innhe died in 1977. Elvis Presley, who gave us “Blue Christmas” in 1957, also died that year.
Vince Guaraldi, whose music for A Charlie Brown Christmas it's been part of every holiday season since that Peabody Award-winning TV special that first aired in 1965 died in 1976. Judy Garland, whose “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” made us all misty-eyed, introduced it to her 1944 film Meet me in St. Louisdied 1969. Nat “King” Cole, who performed “The Christmas Song” in 1946 when fronting The King Cole Trio, died 1965.
Crosby has seven songs on the current Holiday 100, more than any other departed artist. Cole is tied for second with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams, with four songs each.
Holiday music has greatly extended the era of relevance of these and many other artists. Williams' last non-holiday song to crack the Hot 100 was in 1976. Martin last had a non-holiday song in 1969. Crosby in 1957, the year before the Hot 100 began.
When it comes to holiday music, whether an artist is alive or dead doesn't really matter. In a way, this fits. Family members who are no longer with us are often still part of our holiday traditions. You can serve your holiday dinner on your grandmother's treasured china, or always make your aunt's special cranberry sauce, or make a point to play your mom's favorite Johnny Mathis Christmas album. You might remember those departed family members when you say goodbye before dinner – or even bother to say goodbye because they would have wanted it that way.
More than any other time of year, it is a time of tradition. And music is very much a part of these traditions.
Here are all the artists on the current Holiday 100 (as of December 7, 2024) who are no longer with us. They are ranked in order of their highest charting song's current chart position, with other songs by the same artist grouped together. Duets and group songs are included if the singer in that song is deceased. We also feature the leaders of two primarily orchestral acts – Guaraldi, leader of the Vince Guaraldi Trio, and Paul O'Neill, founder, instrumentalist and composer of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The year in parentheses is the year the song was first released by that artist. (Some were re-recorded by the same artist multiple times.)
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George Michael
No. 3, “Last Christmas” (Wham!, 1984)
Died: 2016
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Bobby Helms
No. 4, “Jingle Bell Rock” (1957)
Died: 1997
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Burl Ives
No. 5, “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (1964)
No. 53, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964)
Died: 1995
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Andy Williams
Image credit: CBS/Everett Collection
No. 6, “It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (1963)
No. 21, “Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season” (1963)
No. 74, “Silver Bells” (1965)
No. 87, “The First Noel” (1963)
Died: 2012
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Dean Martin
No. 7, “Let It Snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!” (1959)
No. 36, “Baby It's Cold Outside” (1959)
No. 85, “Silver Bells” (1966)
No. 88, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1959)
Died: 1995
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Ronnie Spector
No. 9, “Sleigh Ride” (The Ronettes, 1963)
Died: 2022
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Nat “King” Cole
No. 12, “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)” (The King Cole Trio, 1946)
No. 18, “Deck the Halls” (1960)
No. 54, “O Come All Ye Faithful” (1960)
No. 93, “Joy to the World” (1960)
Died: 1965
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Peri Como
Image credit: CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection
No. 14, “It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters With Mitchell Ayres And His Orchestra, 1951)
No. 47, “(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays” (1959 recording) (Perry Como With Mitchell Ayers and His Orchestra, 1954)
No. 80, “(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays” (1954 recording) (Perry Como With Mitchell Ayers and His Orchestra, 1954)
Died: 2001
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Frank Sinatra
No. 15, “Jingle Bells” (Frank Sinatra with the Gordon Jenkins Orchestra & Chorus, 1948)
No. 46, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (Frank Sinatra With the Ken Lane Singers / Axel Stordahl, 1948)
No. 73, “Let It Snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!” (Frank Sinatra with the B. Swanson Quartet, 1950)
No. 94, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (1948)
Died: 1998
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Chuck Berry
No. 17, “Run Rudolph Run” (1958)
Died: 2017
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Bing Crosby
Image credit: George Rinhart/Corbis/Getty Images
No. 19, “White Christmas” (Bing Crosby with Ken Darby Singers & John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra, 1942)
No. 45, “Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas)” (Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters, 1950)
No. 49, “I'll Be Home for Christmas” (Bing Crosby With John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra, 1943)
No. 75, “It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (Bing Crosby With Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires & John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra, 1957)
No. 78, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” (Bing Crosby with the Ralph Carmichael Orchestra and Chorus, 1963)
No. 89, “Winter Wonderland” (1962)
No. 92, “The Little Drummer Boy” (1962)
Died: 1977
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Gene Autry
No. 20, “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)” (1949)
No. 27, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (Gene Autry & The Pinafores) (1949)
No. 83, “Up on the Housetop (Ho! Ho! Ho!)” (Gene Autry with Carl Conter's Orchestra, 1952)
Died: 1998
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Elvis Presley
No. 22, “Blue Christmas” (1957)
No. 81, “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)” (1957)
Died: 1977
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Eartha Kitt
Image credit: Courtesy of the Everett Collection
No. 23, “Santa Baby” (Eartha Kitt with Henri Rene and His Orchestra, 1953)
Died: 2008
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Thurl Ravenscroft
No. 24, “You're a Mean One, Mr. The Grinch” (1966)
Died: 2005
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Michael Jackson
No. 30, “Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town” (The Jackson 5, 1970)
No. 42, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (The Jackson 5, 1970)
Died: 2009
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Vince Guaraldi
No. 31, “Christmastime Is Here” (Vince Guaraldi Trio, 1965)
No. 32, “Linus and Lucy (Peanuts Theme)” (Vince Guaraldi Trio, 1965)
No. 62, “O Tannenbaum” (Vince Guaraldi Trio, 1965)
Died: 1976
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Donny Hathaway
No. 33, “This Christmas” (1970)
Died: 1979
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Paul O'Neill
No. 35, “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 24/12)” (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 1995)
No. 72, “Christmas Rule” (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 1998)
Died: 2017
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John Lennon
Image credit: Frank Barrett/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
No. 37, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” (John & Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band With the Harlem Community Choir, 1971)
Died: 1980
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Jimmy Durant
No. 66, “Frosty the Snowman” (1950)
Died: 1980
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Clyde McPhatter and Bill Pinkey
No. 69, “White Christmas” (The Drifters Featuring Clyde McPhatter and Bill Pinkney, 1954)
Died: 1972 (McPhatter); 2007 (Pinky)
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Judy Garland
No. 97, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (Judy Garland With Georgie Stoll & His Orchestra, 1944)
Died: 1969
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Karen Carpenter
No. 98, “Merry Christmas, My Love” (Carpenters, 1970)
Died: 1983
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/lists/christmas-songs-by-late-artists/
