While Bing and Bowie are perhaps the most famous faces of Christmas – Santa aside – it’s Crosby’s “White Christmas” that best sets the tone for the most wonderful time of year.
Last.fm Trends takes a look at how it stacks up against a few of the hundreds of covers of the Christmas classic.
Every year Bing Crosby’s charts at Last.fm become dominated by Christmas tracks; not a single spot in the top fifteen is free for less-than-festive tunes. With 653,849 plays to date “White Christmas” is the song that, year-after-year, tops that chart and it’s far and away the most popular version of the track.
Crosby’s laid back style defined the era of crooner, a style that Frank Sinatra took to heart. Sinatra’s take on “White Christmas” doesn’t have the pulling power of Bing – only 198,592 plays from listeners – but it’s still a holiday hit for the singer, appearing at number three in his weekly chart just behind “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “Jingle Bells.”
Meanwhile Bright Eyes offers a somewhat more emo take on the song. That cover has seen 131,564 plays, some way short of Bing’s total but still respectable for what many fans regard as a novelty record.
Whichever version graces your stereo today, have a merry and bright Christmas.
