Customer Reviews

Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits: 1955-Present

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This is one a series of "budget" releases covering various aspects of Christmas to be released over the years by Rhino/Wea in conjunction with Billboard, all with 10-tracks each and liner notes in the form of track-by-track comments. Sound quality is generally good to excellent, and all selections are the original renditions despite what you may read elsewhere, with one exception in this volume where they tell you that Little Drummer Boy is a re-recording of the 1958 hit. All have "Billboard" as part of the title.

Some others are: Family Christmas Classics; Top Christmas Hymns; R&B Christmas Hits; Rock & Roll Christmas; Greatest Christmas Hits (1935-1954); and Greatest Country Christmas Hits. Some of the foregoing are also offered in 4-pack and 5-pack editions. In essence, these are the one you have to have if you want to recapture the delightful seasonal sounds of your childhood (assuming you're old enough to recall the periods covered).

This one repeats one from the Country edition, Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms, but does give you the original White Christmas by The Drifters Featuring Clyde McPhatter and Bill Pinkney, a # 1 2 R&B in 1954, and both a R&B and Pop chart entry for several years thereafter.

Here you get the following staples: Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, actually recored and released in 1958 when she was 14, but not a hit until 1960 when it went to # 14, and then appeared on the charts every Christmas from then on into the 1970s/80s; The Chipmunk Song by The Chipmunks with The Music Of David Seville (# 1 Billboard Pop Hot 100 for 4 weeks in 1958 and # 5 R&B, and seldom missed charting for the next several years); Mary's Boy Child by Harry Belafone (# 12 Top 100 in 1956); Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley (recorded in 1957 and part of his first Christmas album, later a # 1 Christmas Charts hit in 1964 and a charter for years thereafter); Nuttin' For Christmas by Art Mooney & His Orchestra - Vocal by Barry Gordon (# 6 Top 100 in 1955); Please Come Home For Christmas by Charles Brown (# 21 R&B in 1960, and on the charts for ten years in a row); Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer by Elmo & Patsy(# 1 on the Christmas charts in 1983 and a repeat hit over the next few years).

Regarding The Little Drummer Boy, the original, recorded for 20th Fox, charted at # 13 in 1958 and almost every year after up to 1970. In 1972 a new recording was done for Kapp Winners Circle and this is the version heard here. It charted at # 9 on the Christmas charts.

Loads and loads of fun and memories.

When I was in the third grade, our school chorus sang Jingle Bell Rock for the Christmas program. I wanted to learn that song so badly that my mom went out and bought this for me. I couldn't stand it! I thought that it was the wrong version. But eventually, I grew to love this album. I listened to it all the time through the holiday season, and I lost my tape. My grandma bought me a new one and the following year, I found my old one. To this day, I still listen to and love this album. If you have just one Christmas album in your holiday colection, let it be this one. However, off that note, though I'm sure none of you care, we ended up singing the same sets of songs both years I was allowed to be in chorus, and none of them were Jingle Bell Rock.

I bought this specifically for songs such as "Nuttin' for Christmas" and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," and this collection didn't let me down. They sounded exactly the way I remembered them. That's the benefit of buying a Billboard Christmas album; you can be sure the songs will be sung by the original artists and not by poor quality lip-sync people. If you enjoy the songs listed and like them sung by the artists on this list, this is for you.

Apart from what other posters have said, not all the singles here are the originals. Most notably, I found out the hard way that "Please Come For Christmas" by Charles Brown is NOT the original 1961 version, but instead a later version recorded by the same artist, and very over-produced. I was rather disappointed, as this was the main reason I bought the CD.

Other than that, the songs are all the originals as we've heard on the radio and such.....

I enjoyed this CD very much. It contained all of the "classic" Christmas hits. Nothing beats sitting around with your family at Christmas singing like Chipmunks!

With Christmas just edging right around the corner, I have been trying to accumulate as many of my favorite versions of classic Christmas caroles for my ipod. Christmas just isn't Christmas without The Chipmunks' squeaking out "The Christmas Song" or Brenda Lee belting out "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree". Thankfully Billboard has my favorite Christmas songs on one cd on their "1955 - 1983 (or "present" as it is noted on the cd packaging). As for the rest of the cd, I liked most of the songs however I can so live without hearing that tiresome novelty track "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" which has been satirized one too many times over the years, and the equally obnoxious "Nuttin' For Christmas". Other than those two annoying songs, I enjoyed listening to the cd.

My daughter loves this CD. When I first got it I had to make a tape copy for her so she could listen to it in her room. And know I have to get another CD for my mother. She got a CD player for Christmas last year and has been looking for this CD you are the only ones who have it. This CD is listen to every Christmas since I first found it. I think it should be a part of everyone's CD collection of holiday music.

I loved the collection and thankfully, although originally the CD skipped - after a few attempts it stopped doing so - I just wished I had known that many of the songs on it were already playing on the radio - Had no idea how many beloved Xmas songs of the past continue to play - makes me feel LESS old :)

Product arrived before promised. Brand new as promised and properly packaged. When the CD was shipped, the seller contacted me to advise me of shipping and to offer assistance if I needed any. Great customer service! Listened to the CD right away. I've been looking for this Christmas Album in a CD for awhile as I had it in cassette a long time ago and was very happy to find it and to get such a great price and so quickly! That made my holiday alot brighter! I would buy from this seller again definitely! Thank you!!!

My sister had this album in cassette form in the 90's. I wanted to give this to her as an early Christmas present so she would have it to remember out wonderful holiday together. Singing at the top of the stairs while brining in the holiday together will always be one of our cherished season memories. She loved it and will continue to do so thanks to this album!