Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas again this year, with “O Tannenbaum” and the gang singing, “Christmas Time is Here,” got me thinking about all the other songs I loved as a kid. So, recalling what I heard on the radio, on my albums, and from Christmas TV specials, I created a list of the best children’s Christmas songs playing in the ’70s.
We’ll start with my earliest memories which are the songs related to the central characters in Christmas specials.
1. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
You’ve gotta root for the misfit Rudolph who finds his calling on a snowy night when Santa was on the verge of canceling Christmas.
Here is Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman, the narrator, singing to us.
I also have strong memories of hearing Gene Autry’s version on the radio
2. “A Holly Jolly Christmas”
Burl Ives sings another song from the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special. It starts at 1:56.
3. “Frosty the Snowman”
Who didn’t have compassion for the snowman who magically came to life, was saved by Santa, and promised to come back every year on Christmas day?
Jimmy Durante’s distinctive voice tells us all about this snowman’s journey.
4. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”
The unique and deep voice of Thurl Ravenscroft combined with the amusing, rhyming lyrics by Theodor S. Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, made this a great track.
5. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
Fred Astaire sings this on the 1970s TV special of the same name.
I heard Jackson 5’s version more often on the radio.
6. “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
I couldn’t resist the singing chipmunks, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore with their high-pitched voices and their crazy antics. Their wrangler, Dave, who I just learned was their adoptive father, did his best to rein them in.
This album was on repeat at home. Christmas With the Chipmunks, Vol. 2 was released in 1963, but I was singing along to it in the ’70s.
The chipmunks made this repetitive song silly, by singing complaints to Dave (2:15) and then getting creative with the lyrics (3:19). I could picture “Eleven pipers peeping, Ten milking jumpers, Nine jumping …”
7. “All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)”
My affection for Theodore Chipmunk and his unusual Christmas request put this tune on my list. He wants a simple gift that any chipmunk would want, his missing teeth replaced so that he can … wish people “Merry Christmas,” and whistle, and once again be able to say, “Sister Suzie sitting on a thistle.”
8. “Snow Miser” and “Heat Miser”
This is the biggest ear worm on the list. Don’t click on the video, unless you’re prepared.
For a little background, the misers are step-brothers who fight a lot and do it musically.
As you’ll learn after listening, Heat Miser also goes by Mr. Sun, Mr. Heat Blister, Mr. 101, and Mr. Green Christmas. Snow Miser’s got some nicknames too, including Mr. White Christmas, Mr. Snow, Mr. Icicle, Mr. Ten Below, and Snowy.
Mrs. Claus is on a mission to get the brothers’ help to have a snowy Christmas so that people will believe in Santa Claus. Santa canceled Christmas that year because people didn’t have Christmas spirit anymore.
9. “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”
A laughable premise for a catchy ditty and I had no idea back then when it first came out.
Strangely, Gayla’s local newspaper started a hippo fund for her and raised money to give Gayla a baby hippo. That hippo, Matilda, was given to a zoo.
10. “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron”
The Royal Guardsman recorded this track in 1966. That was a year after Snoopy had a storyline in his comic strip of his imagining himself as a WWI Flying Ace fighting his enemy, the Red Baron.
11. “Christmas Time is Here”
Since A Charlie Brown Christmas is part of my annual tradition, this song is a feel-good reminder of the Christmas spirit. As a kid, I liked that Charlie Brown was accepted and that the Peanuts gang were together as one big family singing together on Christmas.
That concludes my list of favorite children’s Christmas songs in the ’70s. Looking back, most of the music I enjoyed was not originally written or performed in the ’70s. The tunes were well-established by the time I heard them. I hope they continue to be recognized for their greatness.
Karen M. Free 