Pop Holiday Standards in THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK'N ROLL

On December 11, 2002:
Musicologist  and author Rob Durkee compiled a list of The Top Ten Christmas Songs Of All Time (according to sales and radio air play)

First on HIS list is Bing Crosby's 1942 hit "White Christmas"--a good tune for its day, but vastly upgraded in the late 1950s by Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters. Check it out:

Number Two on Mr. Durkee's list is Bing Crosby's "Silent Night" from 1936--a fine tune, but pales when compared to Motown's Temptations version: 



 

The 1949 original of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry came in a #3  

Brother Ray Charles  slammed that version with his own take on the tune...

  

Durkee has "The Little Drummer Boy"  by Harry Simeone Chorale from 1958 in at #4...But I also gotta give this one to The Temptations...

Of course Bob Seger just did a great version (LIVE) at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti this year (2011)  

The 1957 classic "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms came in at #5 and it's not necessary to argue about that one... But Rascal Flatts did do a very credible cover/upgrade on the tune...

 
#6 is "The Christmas Song" released in 1946 by Nat King Cole, and how do ya top that!?!   Maybe by putting daughter Natalie in the mix?
 



7. The Chipmunk Song - David Seville and the Chipmunks - 1958 

Now, that’s just wrong!!!

 



8. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee - 1958   

 
BUT RONNIE & DARLENE HAVE MY VOTE...



Elvis came in at #9 for his 1957 smash "Blue Christmas" 




And "Jingle Bells" by Bing Crosby / The Andrews Sisters in 1943  rounded out Rob Durkee's list (a list with a lot of "corners" in my opinion)...

My pick for "Jingle Bells" would probably have to be Smokey Robinson and The Miracles take on the tune...



Or maybe Andre Bisson's rendition...

To be fair, it has to be noted that Mr. Durkee's list was based on overall sales and airplay--Sales, I assume being the determiner of airplay, so the list was based on sales.

In THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK 'N ROLL these old time pop classics surely play a part, for sure...But hang on for the next Holiday Season installment of THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK 'N ROLL--There's a LOT more to GREAT Christmas Classics than these dusty old standards...