Another Christmas gone - I hope despite the present instability, you managed to spend some time with family or friends.

At Christmas time each year for at least 15 years I have done a 60s, 70s, 80s disco for charity.

Usually they sell out a month before but this year like so many other events we only sold about half the usual amount of tickets. Lots of other events were cancelled.

It’s been a really challenging time for hospitality so I do hope things become more positive in the time ahead.

Lots of people have been very cautious after hearing the news each day. After Christmas is usually a quieter period so I appreciate ongoing support into the spring for business and I trust it reaches all who need it.

In time we must be positive in order to see consumer confidence return to previous levels.

One of the things I enjoy about Christmas is the music, which brings back nostalgic and happy memories.

A few weeks ago I said I would set out a few thoughts about Christmas popular music. I’m a fan but I know not everyone is, so for those who aren’t stop reading now!

If you are still reading let’s lighten things up as I intend to randomly review a number of Christmas hits from back in the 50s to more recently.

Let’s start with a classic. From the 1942 movie ’Holiday Inn’ Irving Berlin penned ’White Christmas’ for Bing Crosby.

It won an Academy award for the best original song at the 15th anniversary ceremony.

Noted by Guinness World records as the best selling single of all time. Who can forget: ’I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know, where the treetops glisten and children listen, to hear sleigh bells in the snow.’

In 1953 Eartha Kitt released ’Santa Baby’ which was considered quite controversial back then.

Let’s just look at one verse: ’Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight, think of all the fun I’ve missed, think of all the fellas I haven’t kissed, next year I could be just as good, if you check off my Christmas list.’

Brenda Lee was only 13 when she recorded ’Rockin around the Christmas tree’ in 1958.

A total of 25 million copies had been sold by 2008 and in 2017 it was back in the top 10 for the first time since 1963. It peaked more recently in 2020 at number two.

Released in 1963 by Andy Williams wa ’It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ who remembers: ’There’ll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting and carolling out in the snow?’

Which well-known UK store used it for its advertising? Contact me on this or any other matter by emailing [email protected]

I think one of the most popular Christmas songs from another country is ’Feliz Navidad’ a Christmas greeting from Spain recorded in 1970 by Jose Feliciano.

In 1971 my favourite female singer Joni Mitchell released ’River’ and I’m ashamed to say I didn’t know this one until Christie De Haven played it recently on Manx Radio.

’Happy Christmas (War is Over)’ a protest song against the USA involvement in the war in Vietnam was adapted from an 18th century ballad.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono recorded it accompanied by the Harlem Community Choir which included 30 children aged between four and 12.

It was produced by Phil Spector and has since been covered by Celine Dion.

In 1973 British folk rock group Steeleye Span reached number 14 in the UK chart with a carol thought to be from the 16th century.

It is one of only three top-50 UK hits to be sung fully in Latin.

Still played at Christmas is the distinctive ’Gaudete’.

Who can forget, or would want to, glam rockers Slade whose all time favourite ’Merry Christmas Everybody!’

Can you believe it has sold 1.2 million copies in the UK alone and always features at Christmas discos.

In the same year Wizzard brought us ’I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day’ which charted at number four and has again every year since downloads and streams were included.

I once supported Roy Wood with a backing disco and still play the song.

Elton John’s ’Step into Christmas’ was another favourite released in this year.

It reached 24 in 1973 and was even more popular more recently hitting 11 in 2017. The year 1975 saw the release by Mike Oldfield of ’In Dulci Jubilo’ a prog rock version of a JS Bach setting of a carol dating to the 14th century.

It got to number four in the UK charts and is still popular today.

Bruce Springsteen also rocked us with his version of ’Santa Claus is Coming to Town’.

Number one in 1976 was Johnny Mathis with ’When a Child is Born’. It has sold 800,000 copies with its familiar words: ’It’s all a dream, an illusion now, it must come true, sometime soon somehow, all across the land, dawns a brand new morn, this comes to pass when a child is born’.

In the same year, reaching number 28 in the charts, Jethro Tull brought us ’Ring out Solstice Bells!’

We had the shortest day last week so I’m sure the dancing druids were ringing their bells with optimism for better times ahead.

Adding to further variation was Chris de Burgh with ’A Spaceman Came Travelling’.

An unusual combination of rocker and crooner got together in 1977.

Recorded for the Bing Crosby Christmas special a month before his death together with David Bowie, who said his mum was a Crosby fan.

’Little Drummer Boy’, a 1941 song, with new song ’Peace on Earth’ is often shown on TV.

In 1978 I was doing the Allsorts under-18s disco and Boney M had a big hit with ’Mary’s Boy Child’ a cover of the 1956 hit from Harry Belafonte.

In 1979 who remembers ’the party’s on,the feeling’s here, that only comes, this time of year?’ Paul McCartney of course with ’Wonderful Christmas Time’.

Jona Lewie never intended ’Stop the Cavalry’ to be a Christmas hit. He had written it as a protest song against war.

David Essex reached number three with a hit written by Tim Rice and Mike Batt ’A Winter’s Tale’ in 1983.

There have been more than 1,200 versions of 1984 Wham! hit ’Last Christmas’. It has sold two million copies but didn’t top the chart at number two until 2017 after George Michael had died and was number one in 2021.

When it was originally released it was up against ’Do They Know it’s Christmas’ which was number one for five weeks.

The biggest chart success of the decade, has been number one three times in the UK and included Bob Geldoff, George Michael, Duran Duran, Midge Ure and Bono.

Shaking Stevens cleverly held back ’Merry Christmas Everyone’ and was rewarded with number one in 1985.

I know I will have missed some favourites as I have run out of space, so let me know.

The most played Christmas record of the 21st century in the UK and Ireland is ’Fairy Tale of New York’ from 1987 with the Pogues and featuring Kirsty MacColl.

I finished this year’s Christmas disco with it and will finish here and sincerely wish you peace, health and happiness for a better year in 2022.