During the Christmas season, CBS News published an interview with musicologist Joe Bennett, 56, titled "What makes a great Christmas song?". Bennett, a professor and vice president of academic affairs and strategic initiatives at Berklee College of Music, US, explained that to answer this question, he analyzed numerous pop charts each holiday season, identifying commonalities among popular Christmas songs over many years.
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Music expert Joe Bennett. Photo: Joe Bennett Music Services |
Music expert Joe Bennett. Photo: Joe Bennett Music Services
According to the professor, most hit songs revolve around one of six themes: family reunion, snow, Santa Claus, partying, love, and heartbreak. Among these, the message of returning home for Christmas is the most prevalent. He cited Mariah Carey's hit "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (1994), explaining its popularity stems from its inclusion of all characteristic holiday elements: gifts, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, and snowy scenes. Consequently, the song is considered a celebratory anthem for the festive season.
He also noted that a commonality between Mariah Carey's song and most other hits is the consistent sound of sleigh bells. Bennett stated that over 65% of the Christmas songs in his database incorporate this sound, inspired by horse-drawn sleigh rides in the mid-1800s. The professor explained that horses in earlier times often wore bells to alert pedestrians of their approach. "That inadvertently created Christmas music for the next 100 years", he said.
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" music video. Video: YouTube/ Mariah Carey
Additionally, he addressed technical elements in songwriting. According to the professor, approximately 98% of the songs in his research collection are written in a major key, conveying a cheerful energy. In contrast, a minor key evokes a somber feeling.
Furthermore, Christmas music is often designed for all ages to sing. Therefore, compositions are typically simple with narrow intervals between notes; for example, "Jingle Bells" (1857) uses only five notes. "That's why children find this song easy to sing", he stated. Another commonality is that melodies in many songs often ascend or descend sequentially along the scale, as seen in "Joy to the World" (1719), "Let It Snow" (1945), and "Winter Wonderland" (1934).
The song "Jingle Bells", composed by James Lord Pierpont around the 1850s. Video: YouTube/ Christmas Songs and Carols - Love to Sing
Despite these observations, Professor Bennett asserts that simply applying all "traditional ingredients" does not guarantee a great song. In an interview, songwriter Walter Afanasieff, who co-wrote "All I Want For Christmas Is You", shared a similar view, stating that no formula or algorithm can create a classic piece of music.
"The Sound of Christmas" performed by singer Kerry Butler. Video: YouTube/ CBS Sunday Morning
