Hoping Everyone Has a Cool Yule

With Christmas right around the corner, let me say it in the famous words of Santa himself—A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

“Cool Yule” is a 1953 Christmas song that was written by Steve Allen and recorded by the American jazz musician, trumpeter, and singer Louis Armstrong. The song was featured over the opening and closing credits of the 2001 film “Serendipity.” It was also heard on the NBC holiday special “Merry Madagascar” and was used in the UK for a Christmas advert for DFS in 2013.

“Frosty the Snowman” is a song that was written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson. It was first recorded by the American singing cowboy Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. That same year it was also recorded by the American actor, comedian, and singer Jimmy Durante. The song tells the story of Frosty, a snowman who comes to life after a group of children places a magical silk hat on his head. Frosty laughs and plays with the children until the hot sun threatens to melt him. After leading them through the village streets and running afoul of a traffic policeman, Frosty says goodbye to the children, reassuring them he'll be back again someday, while in the Jimmy Durante version, he says he'll be back on Christmas Day.

“Silver Bells” is a Christmas song that was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. It made its debut in the 1951 film “The Lemon Drop Kid.” In the film it was started by American actor William Frawley and picked up and sung by American entertainer Bob Hope and American actress and singer Marilyn Maxwell. The first recorded version was made by the American singer and actor Bing Crosby and American singer Carol Richards with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra. The inspiration for the song came from the bells used by sidewalk Santas and Salvation Army solicitors on the street corners of New York City.

“O Come All Ye Faithful” is a Christmas song also known as “Adeste Fideles.” The carol has been credited to various authors, among them John Francis Wade, John Reading, King John IV of Portugal, and anonymous Cistercian monks. The earliest printed version is in a book published by Wade. The original four verses of the carol were extended to eight and have been translated into many languages. It was translated into English by the English Catholic priest Frederick Oakeley.

“The Christmas Waltz” is a Christmas song that was written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne for the American singer and actor Frank Sinatra. He recorded the song in 1954 and it is featured on his album A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra.

“Blue Christmas” is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson. The most famous recording was made by the American singer Elvis. This song of unrequited love became a Christmas standard, with Elvis making it a rock and roll holiday classic.

“Jingle Bell Rock” is an American Christmas song that was first recorded by the American singer Bobby Helms. It receives a lot of airplay every Christmas and became Helms’ signature song. His original version charted on Billboard’s Most Played C&W Song by Jockey’s chart. The song also crossed over to the pop charts. It is featured on the soundtrack album to the 1996 film “Jingle All the Way.” The version recorded by Helms entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the week ending January 9, 2016. In other words, it is a long-standing and most-played Christmas classic.

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is a popular Christmas song. It was written by Johnny Marks and first recorded in 1958 by the American singer Brenda Lee. When the 50th anniversary of this song rolled around in 2008, Lee’s original version had sold more than 15 million copies around the world with the 4th most digital downloads sold of any Christmas single. In 2023 Lee released a music video for the song and in December the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Lee, at age 78, the oldest artist ever to top the chart.