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A Classic Cartoon ChristmasFor those of us born in the mid-fifties or later, our first Christmas music favorites came not from Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, or the Beach Boys, but from animated Christmas television specials. Rapt and amused, we watched these programs year after year, and the tunes lodged in our brains like bubblegum in curly hair. The shows, which featured songwriting of the highest order, include Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer starring Burl Ives (1964); Charles Schultz's A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965, read more); Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966, read more); Frosty The Snow Man starring Jimmy Durante (1969); Santa Claus Is Coming To Town starring Fred Astaire (1970); and A Year Without A Santa Claus starring Mickey Rooney (1974). Many, many cartoon specials have followed in their wake, but I'd dare say that these early shows - most of which continue to air every year, and which eventually became available on newfangled media like VHS, DVD, and streaming - continue to entrance new generations.

In the late 1990's, two compact discs from cable television channel Nickelodeon (in association with Sony) compiled many highlights from this sacred cartoon canon, plus some real head-scratchers. A Classic Cartoon Christmas (1996) is the better of the two: 14 tracks consisting primarily of songs from the specials listed above including three each from Rudolph and Charlie Brown, two each from The Grinch and Santa Claus, and one from Frosty. The rest of the program was filled out with the theme song from The Little Drummer Boy (1969), a stop-motion animated special that never quite achieved the beloved status of the aforementioned, and two tracks from A Muppet Family Christmas (1987), which seem badly out of context, historically if not musically.

A second volume, A Classic Cartoon Christmas, Too (1997), has its moments, and it fills in some gaps, but it is far less impressive taken on its own. Most importantly, it features the wonderfully malevolent "Heat Miser" (and its chilly counterpoint, "Snow Miser") from A Year Without A Santa Claus and Burl Ives' immortal "Silver And Gold" from Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. The rest of its meager 10 tracks are second-tier songs from the same TV shows plus from an even older special, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962), and three contemporary songs that suffer badly in comparison. While I give Nickelodeon points for including something from Ren & Stimpy's twisted Crock O' Christmas (1993), "We Wish You A Hairy Chestwig" is not the album's best song. That would be the poisonous "I Hate Christmas," which even I would admit is inappropriate for a children's album....

A Classic Cartoon Christmas, TooCartoon Quibbles

In general, I would quibble a bit over the song selections on the Classic Cartoon Christmas series, particularly those from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Predictably, A Classic Cartoon Christmas chose the tracks that would appeal most to children and families, rather than brilliant, original Vince Guaraldi instrumentals like "Skating" or "Christmas Is Coming." But, really, everyone should own the whole soundtrack - so problem solved.

I should also point out that the definitive version of Jimmy Durante's "Frosty The Snowman" is the original 1950 recording which is included on Rhino Records' fine survey of vintage holiday pop, Santamental Journey, not the 1969 cartoon version. And, I prefer the new studio recordings of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas" that appeared on Burl Ives' 1965 Decca album Have A Holly Jolly Christmas. They sound much cleaner, they're in stereo, and the arrangements are more fully fleshed out. But, should you decide to purchase something, The Very Best of Burl Ives Christmas (1999, reissued as 20th Century Masters: Christmas Collection) is a better choice.

It's also worth mentioning that some of these songs cease sounding much like Christmas songs when removed from the context of their cartoons. For instance, "We're A Couple Of Misfits" from Rudolph and "Put One Foot In Front Of The Other" from Santa Claus are both amusing set pieces in their narratives, but neither mentions the holidays at all.

Vince Guaraldi, "A Charlie Brown Christmas"But, Exactly How Is This Stuff "Hip"?

The Classic Cartoon Christmas series was a product of Nickelodeon's long-running "Nick At Nite" programming block, and that tells us something. While Nickelodeon was designed for children, "Nick At Nite" was designed to appeal to adults by running old television shows that appealed to nostalgia - while still conforming to the channel's family-friendly standards. Classic Cartoon Christmas appealed to the same demographic - Boomers, basically, who grew up on the stuff.

On the face of it, the music in the Classic Cartoon Christmas series isn't really hip at all. Is Vince Guaraldi hip? Absolutely. Burl Ives? Not really. The Vienna Boys Choir? Not even close. Most of the holiday music I spotlight on this website is based on American roots music - that is, country and blues - including rock 'n' roll, rhythm 'n' blues, jazz, and swing. Most of the music on A Classic Cartoon Christmas, however, is pure Tin Pan Alley pop, devoid of any elements of the counterculture. But, a lot of musicians who came of age in the late 1960's or thereafter grew up with this stuff, and their aesthetic of Christmas music was as influenced by Rudolph, Charlie Brown, and The Grinch as it was by Bing Crosby.

So, no, the Classic Cartoon Christmas series isn't remotely hip, and the compilations aren't that great. Barely half the songs qualify as essential listening (see below), and the albums are sparsely annotated. The colorful packaging, in fact, is dominated by goofy illustrations and silly humor - not helpful facts or insightful commentary. But, this music - or its place in history - is definitely, um, hip adjacent. For most people who start a band and record some Christmas music, cartoon anthems like "Christmas Time Is Here," "Heat Miser," and "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" are an important reference point - and they frequently cover those songs with great affection. [top of page]

Albums Albums

SongsEssential Songs

  • Christmas Time Is Here (Vince Guaraldi Trio, 1965)
  • The First Toymaker To The King (Joan Gardner, 1970)
  • Frosty The Snowman (Jimmy Durante, 1969)
  • Heat Miser (George S. Irving, 1974)
  • A Holly Jolly Christmas (Burl Ives, 1964)
  • O Tannenbaum (Vince Guaraldi Trio, 1965)
  • Put One Foot In Front Of The Other (Mickey Rooney & Keenan Wynn, 1970)
  • Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (Burl Ives, 1964)
  • Silver And Gold (Burl Ives, 1964)
  • Snow Miser (Dick Shawn, 1974)
  • We're A Couple Of Misfits (Billie Richards & Paul Soles, 1964)
  • Welcome Christmas (MGM Studio Chorus, 1966)
  • You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch (Thurl Ravenscroft, 1966) Top 100 Song

Further ListeningFurther Listening

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