Jingle Bell Pop cover art

Jingle Bell Pop

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About this listen

It seems like every year, the holiday season arrives earlier and earlier. Before Halloween’s ghosts and ghouls have even had their chance to come out of the shadows, sleigh bells and ribbons begin to materialize at the mall and towering tinsel-tinged trees appear in our living rooms. But the most telltale sign of the arrival of yuletide festivities is the unceasingly merry melody of the seasonal songbook, from "Silent Night" to "Santa Baby." Love them or loathe them, these holiday earworms are here to stay. But how do these songs endure for decades? And why are there so few contemporary Christmas carols?

In this holly jolly Audible Original, New York Times bestselling author and New Yorker columnist John Seabrook uncovers the mysteries of the holiday music machine, exploring how these hits were made and why they’ve dominated the soundwaves each and every winter. From the mid-century reign of songwriter Johnny Marks ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer") to the manufactured musical nostalgia of modern holiday hits like "All I Want for Christmas Is You," Seabrook, alongside a cast of singers, songwriters, and producers, reveals the untold stories behind the songs that have us rockin’ around the Christmas tree year after year.

©2018 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC. Instruction & Technique Music Winter Christmas
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This is really just a bit of Christmas song trivia. From carols through to more modern pop songs it notes what makes them work and how they become best sellers. Interesting little snippets of info too.

Interesting short listen if you like Christmas

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Interesting enough to hold my attention with the back story to some of the Christmas classics, but it only covers American songs, and no mention of the British Christmas hits by Slade, Wizzard, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Cliff Richard (to name a few),which surely deserve a mention.

American Based

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I really enjoyed listening to this in the days before Christmas. Lots of music industry insights, but also a light enjoyable listen during this hectic time. I particularly liked the interviews with legendary songwriters Paul Williams and Philip Springer (co-writer of the classic Santa Baby).

Great insights into Holiday song writing

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