Turns out Elvis is the king of modern carols:
According to the latest data and certifications of the Recording Industry of America, Elvis’ Christmas Album, recorded by Elvis Presley (who else?) has shipped at least 13 million copies since its original release in 1957. That makes it the biggest-selling Christmas album of all time. The album has been re-issued and repackaged several times, and continues to be a perennial holiday best-seller. It sold three million copies upon its original release in 1957 and has sold an additional ten million copies in the various forms it has been reissued in.
Titi Nguyen surveys the history of Christmas songs:
The songs that most of us recognize as carols date back thousands of years. They were originally pagan songs sung during celebrations of fruitful harvests and seasonal solstices in Europe. During the early seventeenth century, after Christians adapted these songs to celebrate the birth of Christ, carolers began singing door-to-door, in public spaces, and at home. Peasants roamed about singing for their suppers at the doors of the wealthy, and the celebration of the birth of Christ was an especially generous time when lords invited poor villagers to their manors to feast and drink. Groups of young men called wassailers would sing good tidings in exchange for food or money. Neighbors learned the same songs and sang them in unison with and for each other; caroling was a community event.
Meanwhile, Robert Bound considers contemporary offerings:
So what makes a good Christmas song? Well, not being too good is key. There’s a kitschness to Christmas that’s not the opposite of quality but a sister to silliness (see Slade’s “Merry Xmas Everybody”). Smells and bells in both musical and metaphorical form are also important at Christmas. This is when you can add the extras that would seem extraneous in other seasons. “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, belted out by Mariah Carey with the full compliment of trills and vocal tricks seems just about suitable when there are sleigh bells and choirs in (and on) the mix. Like wearing a reindeer-busy Christmas jumper for sitting around the house, this is a time when there’s almost no such thing as too much.
An extensive collection of Christmas songs from around the world is here.
The Dish 