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| Popularity of Christmas songs over time, Which songs got more popular, which got less etc |
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 1st December 2016, 06:04 PM
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#1
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 BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 10 July 2008
Posts: 2,146 User: 6,614 
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So December's began and with it the same lineup of songs we'll all be well and truly sick of in a few weeks time. But how has that lineup changed over the last few decades? When did the most well-known Christmas songs become true 'classics' - immediately on release or much later? And what festive tracks used to be played and widely loved but seem much less of a deal today?
I'll start with one from the latter group - Slade. Ok, still one of the most famous festive songs around. But go back to the 1990s and earlier and it was the most famous festive song, recharting every few years and the one you easily heard the most out of the then-classics available. Today it's a straight battle between Mariah and The Pogues every year and Slade's track seems much less of a deal than it was back in the 20th century. Or is that just me? |
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1st December 2016, 09:20 PM
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#2
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 3,445 User: 366
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QUOTE(BillyH @ Dec 1 2016, 06:04 PM)  So December's began and with it the same lineup of songs we'll all be well and truly sick of in a few weeks time. But how has that lineup changed over the last few decades? When did the most well-known Christmas songs become true 'classics' - immediately on release or much later? And what festive tracks used to be played and widely loved but seem much less of a deal today? I was going to say Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' has become much less popular in recent years but you beat me to it. I think it's just too raucous for modern day tastes and has definitely suffered a dip in popularity. The record was released back in 1973 and the other famous Christmas record from that year, 'I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday' by Wizzard is by far now more popular.I'll start with one from the latter group - Slade. Ok, still one of the most famous festive songs around. But go back to the 1990s and earlier and it was the most famous festive song, recharting every few years and the one you easily heard the most out of the then-classics available. Today it's a straight battle between Mariah and The Pogues every year and Slade's track seems much less of a deal than it was back in the 20th century. Or is that just me? Mariah, The Pogues and Wham seem to be the top 3 Christmas records these days, with Wham well behind the other two. |
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1st December 2016, 09:31 PM
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#3
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 3,445 User: 366
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^
and to think George Michael took legal action back in 1986 to stop Epic Records from re-releasing 'Last Christmas' for a third time (effective from 1987) which still exists to this day, but only as a physical release. George couldn't stop its release as a digital release... it's the one song by him which is guaranteed to sell every December. Never bite the hand that feeds is a good motto. |
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1st December 2016, 10:25 PM
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 Howdy, disco citizens
Joined: 16 January 2010
Posts: 12,775 User: 10,455
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"Another Rock & Roll Christmas" suddenly got a lot less popular after 1997 for some reason.
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1st December 2016, 10:31 PM
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Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,151 User: 5,138
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QUOTE(Brett-Butler @ Dec 1 2016, 10:25 PM) "Another Rock & Roll Christmas" suddenly got a lot less popular after 1997 for some reason. 
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1st December 2016, 10:36 PM
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#6
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Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,151 User: 5,138
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QUOTE(Robbie @ Dec 1 2016, 09:20 PM) I was going to say Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' has become much less popular in recent years but you beat me to it. I think it's just too raucous for modern day tastes and has definitely suffered a dip in popularity. The record was released back in 1973 and the other famous Christmas record from that year, 'I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday' by Wizzard is by far now more popular. Mariah, The Pogues and Wham seem to be the top 3 Christmas records these days, with Wham well behind the other two. It is true - Merrry Xmas Everybody although a classic Xmas hit does sound like a glam rock hit whereas Wizzard just sounds like a Christmas song. My favourite is Slades by far. Another impact is the lack of true video for Slade at a time when video channels and YouTube are how a lot of modern people hear Xmas tracks in comparison to the classic Xmas videos including Wizzard. Slade just have a studio performance from 1983 which I think was from TOTPs when they had a big comeback single which hit no2 in the chart in late November 83 (they're first top 10 single in nearly 8 years! I much prefer the 1973 TOTPs video when Noddy gets a pie in the face lol. |
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1st December 2016, 10:37 PM
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#7
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It's still will be the return of the Mack 4eva
Joined: 1 February 2011
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John Lennon's 'Happy Xmas' (War Is Over) for me has declined in recent years.
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1st December 2016, 10:41 PM
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#8
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Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,151 User: 5,138
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Obvious songs going the other way include Waitresses Christmas Wrapping which charged at 45 in 1982 and is now huge on AirPlay each year making the top 50 each year.
Another obvious one is Chris Rea which has become one of the top 10 most popular on sales and AirPlay each year when it only just charged in 1989! This post has been edited by Steve201: 1st December 2016, 10:43 PM |
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1st December 2016, 10:43 PM
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#9
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 10 July 2008
Posts: 2,146 User: 6,614
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There's at least one Slade performance - definitely from TOTP - that has an unavoidable appearance from a certain DJ currently being airbrushed out of history at the very end of the song, which for obvious reasons hasn't been seen since 2011ish.
The 'video' of Merry Xmas Everybody I always used to see on music channels looked 1980s and from European television (maybe Germany?), the band looked a lot older and were obviously miming, as the drummer starts randomly bashing the drums over the pre-recorded soundtrack at the end. I've also seen a more recently-edited version of the same clip where they've made it widescreen and overdubbed the original studio soundtrack over the top, missing the mad live drumming. |
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1st December 2016, 10:46 PM
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#10
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Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,151 User: 5,138
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Yeh it's the one where the crowd all have 'Slade' banners - I'm pretty certain it was from 1983, not certain of the show though!
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1st December 2016, 10:53 PM
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Say that hiss with your chest, and...
Joined: 24 May 2016
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QUOTE(BillyH @ Dec 1 2016, 10:43 PM) There's at least one Slade performance - definitely from TOTP - that has an unavoidable appearance from a certain DJ currently being airbrushed out of history at the very end of the song, which for obvious reasons hasn't been seen since 2011ish. Why can"t they just keep the performance and cut off the bit at the end with the certain DJ so he doesn't appear? |
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1st December 2016, 10:57 PM
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#12
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 1 January 2016
Posts: 907 User: 22,819
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Stay Another Day seems to be a continuous staple of the Holiday season - even though it has jacks*it to do with Christmas
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1st December 2016, 10:59 PM
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#13
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Say that hiss with your chest, and...
Joined: 24 May 2016
Posts: 18,460 User: 23,308
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QUOTE(Robbie @ Dec 1 2016, 09:20 PM) I was going to say Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' has become much less popular in recent years but you beat me to it. I think it's just too raucous for modern day tastes and has definitely suffered a dip in popularity. The record was released back in 1973 and the other famous Christmas record from that year, 'I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday' by Wizzard is by far now more popular. Mariah, The Pogues and Wham seem to be the top 3 Christmas records these days, with Wham well behind the other two. Plenty of raucous songs still about - in pop - Zara Larsson's Aint My Fault for example |
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1st December 2016, 10:59 PM
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#14
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 3,445 User: 366
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QUOTE(Brett-Butler @ Dec 1 2016, 10:25 PM) "Another Rock & Roll Christmas" suddenly got a lot less popular after 1997 for some reason. Indeed. It's a great record - from my all time favourite Christmas chart, back in 1984 when the chart was choc-a-bloc with Christmas related songs - but I doubt it will ever turn up on a Christmas Hits album ever again... |
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1st December 2016, 11:05 PM
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#15
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 3,445 User: 366
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QUOTE(Emperor Blizzard @ Dec 1 2016, 10:59 PM) Plenty of raucous songs still about - in pop - Zara Larsson's Aint My Fault for example Noddy Holder of Slade took the raucousness to a different level with the song and to many people his ending scream of "IT'S CHRISTMAAASSSSS! might feel like nails down a chalk board... personally I still love it! |
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1st December 2016, 11:33 PM
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#16
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Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,151 User: 5,138
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QUOTE(Robbie @ Dec 1 2016, 10:59 PM) Indeed. It's a great record - from my all time favourite Christmas chart, back in 1984 when the chart was choc-a-bloc with Christmas related songs - but I doubt it will ever turn up on a Christmas Hits album ever again... Yeh the 1984 chart was when record labels seemed to realise the potential of the seasonal record which was around 10 years after the first modern Xmas pop songs were released in Britain (Slade vs Wizzard) so I guess that's why. On Another Rock and Roll - I love it and still listen to it each year and don't care �� From guessing the 1984 chart had the following Xmas tracks in the top 40 - Band Aid Wham Queen Thank God it's Christmas Gary Glitter Paul McCarthey The frog song Frankie goes to Hollywood (no1 the week before band aid I think??) This post has been edited by Steve201: 1st December 2016, 11:33 PM |
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1st December 2016, 11:34 PM
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#17
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Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,151 User: 5,138
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QUOTE(Emperor Blizzard @ Dec 1 2016, 10:53 PM) Why can"t they just keep the performance and cut off the bit at the end with the certain DJ so he doesn't appear? It was the number one with the crowd and the fore mentioned presenter dancing around the band so he was it it for most of the recording from memory which is maybe why? |
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1st December 2016, 11:39 PM
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#18
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 there's nothing straight about plump Elvis
Pronouns: they/any
Joined: 21 January 2016 Posts: 13,144 User: 22,895 
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You don't hear Rockin Around The Christmas Tree so much any more.
On the flipside I would say the Frankie Goes To Hollywood song has seen something of a small resurgence, as well as Boney M's Mary's Boy Child. Not the ability to compete with the Pogues or Mariah, but holding their own as Christmas staples where they might not have in the past. I haven't heard Leona Lewis's Christmas song since the year she released it. Good going, Syco. |
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1st December 2016, 11:53 PM
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#19
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 9 May 2009
Posts: 3,615 User: 8,809
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QUOTE(Emperor Blizzard @ Dec 2 2016, 12:53 AM) Why can"t they just keep the performance and cut off the bit at the end with the certain DJ so he doesn't appear? Slade did another TOTP performance of the song in 1983 for a re-release. |
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2nd December 2016, 01:00 AM
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#20
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Say that hiss with your chest, and...
Joined: 24 May 2016
Posts: 18,460 User: 23,308
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QUOTE(Steve201 @ Dec 1 2016, 11:34 PM) It was the number one with the crowd and the fore mentioned presenter dancing around the band so he was it it for most of the recording from memory which is maybe why? Sorry never saw the recording. Would that be the same with every number 1 for a show where that presenter presented, or are there times when he appeared only at the start and the end when presenting, so it could be edited? This post has been edited by Emperor Blizzard: 2nd December 2016, 01:01 AM |
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