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John: Christmas music seems to be everywhere these days, on the radio, in stores and in waiting rooms.
But if history is any guide, it essentially disappears on Tuesday, despite its lifespan being the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas music is an important part of the music industry.
Nate Sloane is an Assistant Professor at the USC Thornton School of Music.
He is also the co-host of a podcast called “switch on pop.”
Nate, why is Christmas music so popular and why do people love it so much?
Nate: I think the main thing is that it sounds different than what you’re going to hear on the radio the rest of the year.
Christmas music is nostalgic.
It’s from a different era.
It uses acoustic instruments.
You’ll hear the likes of Bing Crosby and Brenda Lee.
>> ♪ Rocking around the Christmas tree ♪ Nate: It stands out in the midst of business as usual in the American music industry.
John: I mean, you mentioned Bing Crosby, Brenda Lee.
I mean, that brings up another point, which is that a lot of Christmas music is old, from the 1940s or 1950s.
The top five records on the Billboard Hot 100 this week or last week are all Christmas songs.
Three of them were performed by deceased artists.
why is that?
Is there no new music being written?
Is it not up to standard?
Nate: The antiquity of this music is part of its appeal.
Because Christmas, the holidays, is a time when you crave familiarity and comfort.
The fact that these are the same artists you’ve been hearing your whole life is exactly why they remain so popular.
John: It seems like every artist feels the need or must to make a Christmas album.
When I look back, there was a heavy metal album with Alice Cooper.
♪ Snoop Dogg has a hip-hop album.
♪ Of course, there was a Bob Dylan album a few years ago.
♪ Why do artists feel the need to do this or why do they do this?
Nate: Well, like you said, John, it’s very difficult to join this exclusive club of Christmas hitmakers.
But if you can do that, it can be a very lucrative proposition because it means people will be listening to, downloading, streaming, playing your music on the radio year after year.
If you can join this club, it’s a really great place to be an artist.
John: Well, we can’t talk about year after year without talking about Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
>> ♪ There’s not much I want for Christmas ♪ John: This is a song that was written almost thirty years ago and was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
How to explain its staying power?
Nate: Well, I think there’s something about Mariah Carey’s songs.
I think one thing is you have to give her credit as a songwriter and as a performer.
Her singing voice is incredible.
She is able to reach stratospheric notes that few other singers can.
>> ♪ For Christmas is you ♪ Nate: Also, this song was also used in the very popular movie “Love Actually” which was released in 2003.
So people watched that movie, which enhanced the popularity of the song.
I think, thirdly, this song has a lot of the hallmarks of classic Christmas music in terms of instrumentation, harmonies.
So it’s really fitting for Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby and all the other Christmas greats.
John: You’re a musicologist, and I think we’ve discussed this in bits and pieces here, but putting it all together.
What makes a great Christmas song?
Nate: Okay, I think you need some basic elements.
One is that there should be some sleigh bells in there.
It also helps if you have a good string orchestra, some rich orchestral accompaniment, and then you want more complex harmonies than you typically hear on the pop charts.
The harmonies that people like Irving Berlin wrote in his song “White Christmas.”
>> ♪ I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas ♪ Nate: This really takes you back to the days of the Great American Songbook, when many Christmas classics were written.
John: That’s a classic.
Are there any new or updated Christmas songs that have caught your attention?
Nate: Well, I noticed that Kelly Clarkson’s 2013 hit “Under the Trees” is currently at No. 11 on the Billboard charts.
♪ So after a decade of growing popularity, I think Kelly Clarkson is ready to join the pantheon of Christmas hits.
John: What is your favorite Christmas song?
Nate: I’m partial to Nat King Cole’s “A Christmas Song,” Chestnuts Roasting over an Open Fire.
To me, this song is full of deceptive simplicity.
Singing is so easy.
It rolls off the tongue.
>> ♪ Roasting chestnuts over an open fire ♪ Nate: But once you start playing on the piano, and I’m a pianist, I love playing during the holidays.
You’ll notice there are some very clever harmonies and rhythms here.
I think that’s what keeps us coming back to this song year after year.
John: Nate Sloan from USC, thank you very much.
Nate: Thanks for having me.
♪
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