Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

1934

John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie

Covered by just about every artist known to man

This one is very literally an ‘Oldie’, but it's still managed to get covered by just about every artist who's ever even contemplated singing!

Santa Clause Is Coming To Town was originally written in 1934 by a John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie, sung on Eddie Canter’s radio show in November of 1934, and apparently became a mega hit something under five minutes later. By the end of that week 100, 000  copies of the sheet music had been purchased. By Christmas Day, that number had climbed to 400, 000.

Not many songs in any  genre  can claim that kind of sales record in any pre-digital media format.

The song, of course, became as much a part of Christmas as Mistletoe, Christmas trees, and After-Christmas sales, and all of us have sung it, and heard it sung...hundreds of times. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town became the second most popular Christmas tune, ever...the only song that beat it out is a little tune about a Reindeer with a shiny nose. It’s also seriously in the running as the most covered song…of any genre…ever. Bar none..

 

The version we hear's actually missing something, though. The original first verse. Yep, the song originally had a first verse, and 'You Better Watch Out...' etc was the chorus. It's included below, in the vids. The only cover I've heard that includes it is by The Crystals, also included in the vids.

I didn’t even begin to try to listen to every version of it…but I did listen to about ten or twelve, and trust me on this there are plenty of really good covers of it out there! I picked a few that…IMHO…really rock! 

A couple of theses versions have become Christmas Radio Must-plays. And it goes without saying that Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town will get played…and covered by new artists…until time ends. 

First up, the original 1934 release of Santa Claus Is Comin' to town, which includes the long-unheard first verse that probably 95% of modern humanity...me included...had no idea even existed. This is legitimately and deservedly classic!

The Four Season's 1962 cover of Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town is the only one that actually cracked the Billboard Hot 100, and they almost cracked the top 20, peaking at #23. They gave the tune a very unique flair...this is the song that pretty much ensured The Four Seasons soon to be mega-success, BTW. They were legitimate mega-stars even when facing off with The British Invasion.

The Crystals...one of the early 60's best known and best loved girl-groups...covered 'Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town' on the Phil Spector produced 1963 Christmas album 'A Christmas Gift For You', and when they did they kept that elusive first verse, yet went up-tempo and gave the song the high-energy beat and tempo that most modern artists have copied when they covered it. Don't let the intro fool ya on this one either...they kick it about 38 seconds in! This is a truly classic and awesome cover from a legendary group!

The Jackson 5 covered 'Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town' in 1970 with their signature high, high energy tempo and sound and made it one of the two covers of the song that you're most likely to hear on the radio over Christmas. The J-5 were, and still are, always fun to listen to. You can't not like their music, especially if you were a young teen about the time they came out, and you can not stay perfectly still when you listen to this. It's finger poppin, head boppin' fun at the early 70's finest! 

The cover that edges out The J-6 as the cover you're most likely to hear on the radio over Christmas? This one, by none other than 'The Boss' himself, Bruce Springsteen. It's 'The Boss'...Do I even have to say that Bruce and his E Street Band flat out nailed it? My favorite cover of this classic, and I have a feeling a few (Tens of) Million people agree with me!. The graphics on the video absolutely rock, too!

 

 

Mariah Carey covered Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town on her 1994 Christ,as Album 'Merry Christmas...it's Mariah Carey. She injected her signature style and sound into it, and turned it into a rockin' little dance tune.

Out Southern-Cali way a very lovely and talented group of sisters...six of 'em...decided they wanted to sing...not just sing but form a group. So they did!

 Meet Cimorelli, They've released a few hundred covers on YouTube, amassing millions of views and fans, and trust me on this...these gals have serious  pipes...all six of 'em. They had a blast covering 'Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town, and made it fun to watch and listen to, at the same time proving that 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town' will just continue to be loved...and get covered!