It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a popular Christmas song written in triple time in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album. However, the song was not released as a promotional single by Williams' record label (Columbia Records) that year, as they instead opted to promote his cover of "White Christmas" as the official promo single from the album.[1]

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
Song by Andy Williams
from the album The Andy Williams Christmas Album
ReleasedOctober 14, 1963
GenreChristmas
Length2:33
Songwriter(s)Edward Pola and George Wyle

Song content

The song is a celebration and description of activities associated with the Christmas season, focusing primarily on get-togethers between friends and families. Among the activities included in the song is the telling of "scary ghost stories," a Victorian Christmas tradition that has mostly fallen into disuse,[2][3] but survives in the seasonal popularity of numerous adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Other activities mentioned include hosting parties, spontaneous visits from friends, universal social gaiety, spending time with loved ones, sledding for children, roasting marshmallows, sharing stories about previous Christmases, and singing Christmas carols in winter weather.

In a 2005 interview, Williams discusses how The Andy Williams Show figured into his recording of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year": "George Wyle, who is a vocal director, who wrote all of the choir stuff and all of the duets and trios and things that I did with all the guests, he wrote a song just for the show – I think the second Christmas show we did – called 'Most Wonderful Time of the Year'. So I did that, you know, every Christmas, and then other people started doing it. And then suddenly it's become – not suddenly but over 30 years – it's become a big standard. I think it's one of the top 10 Christmas songs of all time now."[4]

Although Williams recorded multiple other versions throughout his life[5][6], the original 1963 version remains the most popular and well-known.[7]

The song was selected as the theme song for Christmas Seals in both 2009 and 2012.

Other notable versions

Use in advertising and parodies

Since 1995, the song was used humorously in the Staples office supply retail chain's annual back to school advertising campaign. In the commercials, the parents joyously shop for school supplies to this song in anticipation of the upcoming school year while their children sullenly follow.[14]

The Johnny Mathis rendition of the song is used to comic effect in the 1996 film, Jingle All the Way.[15]

BarlowGirl's cover of the song was used to promote Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Winfrey Special.[16]

In the Autumn and early winter of 2011, Nissan Motors advertising for their annual sale included a production number featuring an Andy Williams-like voice actor, with lyrics modified to promote the sale event.[17]

A 2013 YouTube video promoting the Disneyland Resort's Halloween celebrations humorously used the song over shots of various Disney villains spreading mischief throughout resort's theme parks.[18]

In June 2013, Co-op Food used the song for its summer advert, but removed the Christmas references from it.

The song also played by Ellen DeGeneres during the segment of "12 Days of Giveaways".

The song was parodied by singer, songwriter, and producer Dana Kamide in November 2016 on YouTube, just days after President Donald Trump won the election. The parody title was called "It's the Most Wonderful Time in 8 Years". The video begins with George Bailey from the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life, asking God to help Donald Trump to "Make America Great Again".[19]

The song was spoofed again by The Coca-Cola Company in a Sprite Cranberry commercial in 2017. The spoof's title was called "It's the Thirstiest Time of the Year". It became popular as a meme in December 2018.

Chart performance

In the issue of Billboard magazine dated November 28, 2009, the list of the "Top 10 Holiday Songs (Since 2001)" places the Williams recording of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" at number five.[20] 2001 also marked the first year in which the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) started compiling data regarding the radio airplay of holiday songs, and although the Williams classic started out at number 25 of twenty-five songs that were ranked that year,[21] it gained steam over the next ten years, reaching number 18 in 2002,[22] number 13 in 2003,[23] and eventually getting to number four in 2010.[24]

Because of its use in an advertisement for Marks & Spencer,< a CD single of the Williams recording was released in the UK in 2007 and gave the song its first of many annual appearances on the UK singles chart.[25] In December 2011, Billboard returned to the practice of publishing a seasonal Christmas singles chart, and the Williams song debuted at number eight on the newly-christened Holiday 100,[26] where it has reappeared every year since. In December 2016, Williams' original version began a series of annual chart runs on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching the top 10 for the first time in December 2018. On the Hot 100 chart dated January 4, 2020, it reached a new all-time peak of No. 7.[27]

Weekly charts

With Robert Mersey and his orchestra
Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Rolling Stone Top 100[77] 6

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[78] Gold 45,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[79] Gold 400,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
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  3. "Told After Supper by Jerome K. Jerome" – via www.gutenberg.org.
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  6. (1995) We Need a Little Christmas by Andy Williams [CD booklet]. Nashville: Unison Music V20044. "[Andy Williams:] These all-new recordings feature fresh, innovative arrangements of some of my favorite carols. I felt like I was singing them for the very first time."
  7. Lenniger, Shea (4 Dec 2018). "Here Are the Lyrics to Andy Williams' 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year'". Billboard.com. Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020. Andy Williams' 1963 holiday hit "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" returns to the Billboard Hot 100 chart once again. Last December was the first time the song broke into the top 40 of the Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 32. This year, it has already re-entered at the No. 21 spot... Since its 1963 release, the lovable track has continued to put listeners into a joyful spirit leading up to the holidays.
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