The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) today released a list of the Top 25 most-performed holiday songs of the decade penned by its members.

Heading the list is “Winter Wonderland,” which was written in 1934 by ASCAP members Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith and is one of the two oldest songs on the list. A No. 2 hit on the Billboard charts that year for legendary bandleader Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians, it was established as a holiday favorite in 1946 via recordings by the Andrews Sisters and Perry Como. Versions by the Eurythmics, Jewel and Air Supply are frequently heard on radio today.

“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” by Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, was also written in 1934, and is No. 5 on the list. The newest song is "Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)," written in 1984 by Midge Ure and Bob Geldof, and ranked at No. 25.

The most recorded song, not surprisingly, is Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” (No. 6), with over 500 versions in dozens of languages. Introduced in the 1942 movie classic Holiday Inn, it joins "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" (No. 4, written by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin and introduced in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis), "Silver Bells" (No. 14, written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and introduced in the 1950 movie The Lemon Drop Kid) and "A Holly Jolly Christmas" (No. 17, written by Johnny Marks and introduced in the 1962 TV special Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) as songs introduced in film and television.

Marks is also the writer with the most top holiday songs, having also penned "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" (No. 9) and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (No. 13).

"Sleigh Ride," meanwhile, is the only holiday song on the list written originally as an instrumental piece for a symphony orchestra. Written by Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish, the No. 3 entry was first performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1948, with Parish adding the lyrics the following year.

The list reflects airplay data compiled with the help of digital audio performance tracking technology company Mediaguide, which is co-owned by ASCAP.

“It’s a tough list for any of us to break into,” said ASCAP president/chairman Paul Williams, who received an Emmy nomination this year for "I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus" from A Muppets Christmas: Letters To Santa—the original Christmas special based on a story that he also wrote. “There's a sense that people tend to gravitate towards tradition, especially at the holidays, and our top 25 list confirms this. So, whether you're listening to holiday music on an iPod or a vintage record player, these time-honored favorites are sure to evoke the magic of the season and memories of holidays past."

ASCAP is the U.S. Performing Rights Organization representing over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 365,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. It licenses the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributes royalties based upon surveyed performances.

The Top 25 most performed ASCAP holiday songs of the decade are listed below and include songwriter credits along with the most popular artist version played on radio today.

1. "Winter Wonderland"
Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
Performed by: Eurythmics

2. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"
Written by: Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
Performed by: Nat "King" Cole

3. "Sleigh Ride"
Written by: Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
Performed by: The Ronettes

4. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
Written by: Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
Performed by: The Pretenders

5. "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"
Written by: Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
Performed by: Bruce Springsteen

6. "White Christmas"
Written by: Irving Berlin
Performed by: Bing Crosby

7. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
Written by: Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
Performed by: Michael Bublé

8. "Jingle Bell Rock"
Written by: Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe
Performed by: Daryl Hall & John Oates

9. "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer"
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Gene Autry

10. "Little Drummer Boy"
Written by: Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone
Performed by: The Harry Simeone Chorale & Orchestra

11. "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year"
Written by: Edward Pola, George Wyle
Performed by: Andy Williams

12. "I'll Be Home For Christmas"
Written by: Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram
Performed by: Josh Groban

13. "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Brenda Lee

14. "Silver Bells"
Written by: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
Performed by: Anne Murray

15. "Feliz Navidad"
Written by: José Feliciano
Performed by: José Feliciano

16. "Frosty The Snowman"
Written by: Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins
Performed by: The Beach Boys

17. "A Holly Jolly Christmas"
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Burl Ives

18. "Blue Christmas"
Written by: Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson
Performed by: Elvis Presley

19. "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas"
Written by: Meredith Willson
Performed by: Johnny Mathis

20. "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
Written by: Tommie Connor (PRS)
Performed by: John Mellencamp

21. "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)"
Written by: Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman
Performed by: Gene Autry

22. "(There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays"
Written by: Bob Allen, Al Stillman
Performed by: Perry Como

23. "Carol Of The Bells"
Written by: Peter J. Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich
Performed by: David Foster (instrumental version)

24. "Wonderful Christmastime"
Written by: Paul McCartney (PRS)
Performed by: Paul McCartney

25. "Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)"
Written by: Midge Ure (PRS), Bob Geldof (PRS)
Performed by: Band Aid
 

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