Christmastime is here again, and the songs of the season are streaming, playing, and blaring all over TV screens, speakers, and radiowaves. From "Deck the Halls" to "Holly Jolly Christmas," it's hard to tune into any form of media or even just go to the grocery store without hearing some form of holiday hit in the air.
It's easy to wrap the music all in one festively-themed box, but some of these songs had big careers before they became classic Christmas carols. Whether they premiered on the large or small screen, many of the songs, tunes, and jingles people associate with the holidays owe their origins to Christmas movies or animated TV specials before becoming merry mainstays.
You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)
When it comes to villain songs, there are perhaps few better known than the big green curmudgeon of Mt. Crumpet, the Grinch. While listeners will find no mention of mistletoe or holly in this somewhat ghoulish description of the character, its association with the TV special continues to bring it back into circulation year after year.
Although Jim Carrey had his colorful cover and it was even modernized with help from Tyler the Creator, the original performed by Thurl Ravenscroft will always be the one fans instantly think of the most.
Where Are You, Christmas? (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)
Jim Carrey's live-action adaptation of the Grinch didn't just revive an old classic but gave audiences a new beloved Christmas tune for when their holiday spirit feels a little light. Faith Hill's contemporary Christmas song asks the question many have probably had on their minds at some point in their life, but it's not without the intoxicating sentimentality that the holiday is known for.
Christmas hits adults differently than it does the younger generation, and sometimes not for the best. Sometimes many are left wondering what happened to the warm and joyous feeling they used to know, but there's still a way to find it.
We Need A Little Christmas (Mame)
No matter if it's by Johnny Mathis, Lucille Ball, or Pentatonix, this song always feels like it belongs in some grand and spectacular Broadway musical, probably because it does. Originally in the musical, Mame, this number is one of those songs that's practically dripping with the holiday spirit.
Performed in the film by Lucile Ball but originally performed on stage by Angela Lansbury, this bright and brassy carol is exactly what one needs to fully welcome in the holiday season with all the festive fanfare it deserves. This time of year, everyone needs a little Christmas.
Mr. Snowmiser/Mr. Heatmiser (A Year Without A Santa Claus)
It's surprisingly comical to see that TikTok has brought the Miser Brothers back into the public eye. Whether it's through memes or covers, their titular tune has come back for another season and it's as enjoyable now as it was way back when.
To put it in the simplest of terms, the song is just fun. It's a catchy earworm about two polar-opposite characters and has stayed in the public consciousness for decades and it won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
Silver And Gold (Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer)
The Miser Brothers weren't the only Rankin/Bass creations to come with a timeless Christmas song. While some might associate Burl Ives and his iconic Sam the Snowman with the song "Holly Jolly Christmas," the performer's strengths are better represented with the folksy "Silver and Gold."
The image of a bearded snowman playing the banjo practically owes its very existence to this song. Despite its title, the lyrics concern more simplistic riches that come associated with the holiday. It's a song that serves as a reminder to stop and smell the roses.
Silver Bells (The Lemon Drop Kid)
While not many will recognize the movie, The Lemon Drop Kid, nearly everyone will know its most famous song. Though more often associated with Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, or even Michael Bublé, the song's true origin was in this black-and-white musical from 1951.
Understandably, this is the big scene everyone who's seen the film takes away from it. The motifs of "Christmastime in the city" don't end at just the lyrics, as Bob Hope and Marylin Maxwell walk down the streets of a snowy New York. Paired with unforgettable music, a holiday favorite was soon born.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Neptune’s Daughter & Elf)
Although it's been viewed as problematic in recent years, so many have forgotten both the origins and its original arrangement. While it's undoubtedly a holiday favorite, the song's origins weren't even in a Christmas movie, to begin with, but rather a romantic comedy where it earned an Academy Award.
While the rendition in Neptune's Daughter was the first, it was far from the most famous version seen in film. That claim could very well belong to the duet between Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel in the modern Christmas classic, Elf. Either way, it's still one that remains in rotation every year.
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Meet Me In St. Louis)
Though perhaps more memorable than the previous tune, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is as associated with Judy Garland as much as "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." Next to "The Trolley Song" it's more than likely the most well-known song from Meet Me In St. Louis.
Though perhaps not as watched as her journey to the Merry Old Land of Oz, the film has Garland spend a year in the turn of the century leading up to the 1904 World's Fair, and it's just as merry and musical as can be. While not strictly a Christmas film, it is one that resulted in a timeless classic.
Christmas Time Is Here (A Charlie Brown Christmas)
"Christmas Time is Here" is a strange phenomenon in terms of Christmas classics. Its music, melody, and lyrics are all wonderful, everything one should want from a good, old-fashioned, Christmas carol. But in terms of delivery, things get a little weird.
Like the movie, A Charlie Brown Christmas, which contains more than a few upsetting things, the song sounds somewhat sad and nostalgic and is performed by a children's choir. The audience can't help but get sucked in and almost all listeners will recognize the tune and get swept away in a matter of moments.
White Christmas (Holiday Inn/White Christmas)
"White Christmas" has the advantage of not only being the centerpiece of one movie but two. Originally premiering in Holiday Inn but making a bigger splash in White Christmas, the Irving Berlin classic wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Hollywood and Bing Crosby.
One of the most covered Christmas songs in or out of movies, the tune truly incorporates all the wintery and cozy imagery associated with the holiday, as well as an unforgettable melody that has played across the airwaves every year since its conception. To call it an instant classic would be an absolute understatement.