"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a popular Christmas song written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album. However, the song was not released as a promotional single by Williams' record label (Columbia Records) that year, as they instead opted to promote his cover of "White Christmas" as the official promo single from the album.[1] "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" has consistently made it onto pop singles charts around the world in the 2010s and 2020s. It peaked at No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 2020 and at No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart in 2021.
The song is a celebration and description of activities associated with the Christmas season, focusing primarily on get-togethers between friends and families. Among the activities included in the song is the telling of "scary ghost stories," a Victorian Christmas tradition that has mostly fallen into disuse,[2][3] but survives in the seasonal popularity of numerous adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Other activities mentioned include hosting parties, spontaneous visits from friends, universal social gaiety, spending time with loved ones, sledding for children, roasting marshmallows, sharing stories about previous Christmases, and singing Christmas carols in winter weather.
In a 2005 interview, Williams discusses how The Andy Williams Show figured into his recording of the song, first introduced in the 1962 Christmas episode:[4]
George Wyle, who is a vocal director, who wrote all of the choir stuff and all of the duets and trios and things that I did with all the guests, he wrote a song just for the show – I think the second Christmas show we did – called 'Most Wonderful Time of the Year'. So I did that, you know, every Christmas, and then other people started doing it. And then suddenly it's become – not suddenly but over 30 years – it's become a big standard. I think it's one of the top 10 Christmas songs of all time now.[5]
Although Williams recorded multiple other versions throughout his life,[6][7] the original 1963 version remains the most popular and well-known.[8]
The song was selected as the theme song for Christmas Seals in 1968,[9] 1976,[10] 2009 and 2012.
2008: BarlowGirl, for their album, Home for Christmas. This recording peaked at No. 21 on the BillboardHot Christian Songs chart and at No. 25 on the Billboard Christian AC Songs charts (both on the week ending January 3, 2009).[15][16]
2020: Stevie Mackey, Jennifer Lopez and The Eleven for Mackey's album, The Most Wonderful Time. This recording peaked at No. 24 on the BillboardAdult Contemporary chart on the week ending December 19, 2021.[17]
Since 1995, the song was used humorously in the Staplesoffice supply retail chain's annual back to school advertising campaign. In the commercials, the parents joyously shop for school supplies to this song in anticipation of the upcoming school year while their children sullenly follow.[18]
The UK travel retailer On the Beach has used the song in its advertising since 2021.[19]
The song is a favorite of radio stations that broadcast Christmas music as a "first song" marking the flip to its original format; in 2024, among a sample of 20 stations that changed early (before Veterans Day), five of those stations chose the song (four used the original, while a fifth chose the Johnny Mathis cover version), tied for the most with Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You."[20]
In the issue of Billboard magazine dated November 28, 2009, the list of the "Top 10 Holiday Songs (Since 2001)" places the Williams recording of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" at number five.[21] 2001 also marked the first year in which the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) started compiling data regarding the radio airplay of holiday songs, and although the Williams classic started out at number 25 of twenty-five songs that were ranked that year,[22] it gained steam over the next ten years, reaching number 18 in 2002,[23] number 13 in 2003,[24] and eventually getting to number four in 2010.[25]
Because of its use in an advertisement for Marks & Spencer, a CD single of the Williams recording was released in the UK in 2007 and gave the song its first of many annual appearances on the UK singles chart.[26] In December 2011, Billboard returned to the practice of publishing a seasonal Christmas singles chart, and the Williams song debuted at number eight on the newly christened Holiday 100,[27] where it has reappeared every year since. In December 2016, Williams' original version began a series of annual chart runs on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching the top 10 for the first time in December 2018. On the Hot 100 chart from the 2020 holiday season dated January 2, 2021, it reached an all-time peak position of No. 5.[28]
^Williams, Andy. Interviewed by Karen Herman. Archive of American Television, A Program of the Television Academy Foundation. emmytvlegends.org, September 19, 2005. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
^(1995) We Need a Little Christmas by Andy Williams [CD booklet]. Nashville: Unison Music V20044. "[Andy Williams:] These all-new recordings feature fresh, innovative arrangements of some of my favorite carols. I felt like I was singing them for the very first time."
^Lenniger, Shea (December 4, 2018). "Here Are the Lyrics to Andy Williams' 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year'". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020. Andy Williams' 1963 holiday hit "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" returns to the Billboard Hot 100 chart once again. Last December was the first time the song broke into the top 40 of the Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 32. This year, it has already re-entered at the No. 21 spot... Since its 1963 release, the lovable track has continued to put listeners into a joyful spirit leading up to the holidays.
^(1968) "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year/The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" by Andy Williams [7-inch single]. New York: Columbia Records 4-44709.
^(1976) "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year/Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells" by Andy Williams [7-inch single]. New York: Columbia Records AE7 1108.
^Ramirez, Anthony (January 26, 1995). "A wacky campaign pushes the envelope for abrasive humor". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2009. Perhaps the most daring Staples spot was the back-to-school commercial broadcast in August. Filmed in a Staples store, of all places, the commercial pulled out the stops in abrasive bravado. As the Christmas song 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' plays in the background, an overjoyed father in baggy shorts and loafers dances down the aisles.
^"IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved January 27, 2019. In the drop down box for the year, select 2014. In the drop down box for the date, select 26-Dec-14. In the drop down box for the number of positions shown, select 100.
^"IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved January 27, 2019. In the drop down box for the year, select 2015. In the drop down box for the date, select 25-Dec-15. In the drop down box for the number of positions shown, select 100.
^"IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved January 27, 2019. In the drop down box for the year, select 2016. In the drop down box for the date, select 30-Dec-16. In the drop down box for the number of positions shown, select 30.
^"ČNS IFPI". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 25, 2019. In the drop down box for charts, select CZ – Singles Digital – Top 100. In the drop down box for dates, select 201751, 52.
^"Top 100 Single-Charts". GfK Entertainment Charts. December 30, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
^"IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved January 27, 2019. In the drop down box for the year, select 2017. In the drop down box for the date, select 29-Dec-17. In the drop down box for the number of positions shown, select 30.
^"ČNS IFPI". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 1, 2019. In the drop down box for charts, select SK – Singles Digital – Top 100. In the drop down box for dates, select 201751, 52.
^"ČNS IFPI". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 25, 2019. In the drop down box for charts, select CZ – Singles Digital – Top 100. In the drop down box for dates, select 201851, 52.
^"IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved January 27, 2019. In the drop down box for the year, select 2018. In the drop down box for the date, select 28-Dec-18. In the drop down box for the number of positions shown, select 30.
^"ČNS IFPI". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 1, 2019. In the drop down box for charts, select SK – Singles Digital – Top 100. In the drop down box for dates, select 201851, 52.
^"ČNS IFPI". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 14, 2020. In the drop down box for charts, select CZ – Singles Digital – Top 100. In the drop down box for dates, select 201952, 01.
^"ČNS IFPI". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 14, 2020. In the drop down box for charts, select SK – Singles Digital – Top 100. In the drop down box for dates, select 201950.
^"ČNS IFPI". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 8, 2021. In the drop down box for charts, select CZ – Singles Digital – Top 100. In the drop down box for dates, select 202052, 53.
^"ČNS IFPI". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 7, 2021. In the drop down box for charts, select SK – Singles Digital – Top 100. In the drop down box for dates, select 202052, 53.
^"ČNS IFPI". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 11, 2022. In the drop down box for charts, select CZ – Singles Digital – Top 100. In the drop down box for dates, select 202151, 52.
^"ČNS IFPI". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 13, 2022. In the drop down box for charts, select SK – Singles Digital – Top 100. In the drop down box for dates, select 202151, 52.
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