It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
| "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Released | 1963 |
| Genre | Christmas music |
| Writer | Edward Pola and George Wyle |
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a popular Christmas song written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album. However, the song was not released as a promotional single by Williams' record label (Columbia Records) that year, as they instead opted to promote his cover of "White Christmas" as the official promo single from the album.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The song is a celebration and description of activities associated with the holiday season, focusing primarily on get-togethers between friends and families. Among the activities included in the song is the telling of "scary ghost stories," an activity that is more commonly associated with Halloween than Christmas (although one such story, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, is indeed told most often around Christmas). Other activities mentioned include hosting parties for friends that come to call, roasting marshmallows (presumably over a fireplace and not a campfire as in the summer), and singing Christmas carols.
The original version of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams has since become a radio airplay standard, attaining more and more popularity with each passing holiday season since the song's original release.[citation needed] It was also selected as the theme song for Christmas Seals in both 1968 and 1976.
[edit] Other recordings
- 1986: Johnny Mathis released a version of the song that was included on his fourth holiday album, Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis.
- 1999: Country singer Garth Brooks released a version of the song that was included on his second holiday album, Garth Brooks and the Magic of Christmas. Brooks also became the first artist to chart a version of the song in North America, as his country remake peaked at # 56 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
- 1999: Kathy Troccoli recorded the song as a duet with Williams.
- 2006: Gonzo the Great and Rizzo the Rat released a cover of the song that was included on the Muppets holiday album, The Muppets: A Green and Red Christmas.
- 2008: Harry Connick, Jr. released a version of the song that was included on his third holiday album, What a Night! A Christmas Album. This cover version of the song peaked at # 9 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart (the highest charting version of the song to date in the United States).[2]
- 2010: Celtic Thunder released a cover of the song as part a medley with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" on their holiday album, Christmas.
- 2011: The band Chicago released a cover version of the song on their third holiday album, Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three.
[edit] Use in advertising and parodies
For years, the song was used in a humorous fashion in the Staples office supply retail chain's annual back to school advertising campaign. In the commercials, the parents joyously shop for school supplies to this song in anticipation of the upcoming school year while their children sullenly follow.
In the fall and early winter of 2011, Nissan Motors advertising for their annual sale included a production number featuring an Andy Williams-like voice actor, with lyrics modified to promote the sale event.[1]
In 1997, Bob Rivers teamed up with Richard Simmons to record a parody version, "It's the Most Fattening Time of the Year." The song is the lead track to the album More Twisted Christmas. In the parody, Simmons appears as himself, panicked at numerous indulgences occurring in the song, scolding Rivers when he asks for a hot buttered roll, ominously warning him that "I'm watching!!"
[edit] References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920-2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc.. p. 65. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ^ Artist Chart History - Harry Connick, Jr., Billboard.com
