At the beginning of the 1970s’, people’s lives have been changing. Life was very different from what people have been used to, but they were adapting. The technology was taking over, and we were making progress, we even sent men to the moon.
But the only thing that hasn’t change were the holidays, and what better to celebrate them if not to listen to classic rock songs.
Below are the 7 Classic Rock Holiday Songs In The 70s’:
1. David Bowie & Bing Crosby – “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy”
When Bowie and Crosby collaborated in the 70s’, they created one of the best holiday music. Just a short month before Bing Crosby would pass away due to heart attack they recorded and released Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy in 1977.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADbJLo4x-tk
2. Carpenters – “Merry Christmas, Darling”
The first attempt of the duo at recording holiday music. The lyrics were originally written by Frank Pooler in 1946. Frank was a choir director at California State University, Long Beach where Karen and Richard Carpenter were a member of. The song was released in 1970 on their album Christmas Portrait and peaked #25 in the UK during its re-release in 1990.
3. Eagles – “Please Come Home for Christmas”
A Charles Brown original song – he recorded it in 1960 from his album Charles Brown Sings Christmas Songs. The song a popular holiday song among musicians and many have covered it – but Eagles version was the one who took it to #18 in the US in 1978.
4. George Harrison – “Ding Dong; Ding Dong”
One of the best songs from George’s solo album, Dark Horse. And you know what’s amazing about this song? He wrote it under three minutes and signaled his fresh start after the Beatles. “Ding Dong, Ding Dong was the quickest one I ever wrote, he says. It took me three minutes, except it took me four years of looking at the thing, which was written on the wall at my home, ‘Ring out the old, ring in the new.“
5. Jethro Tull – “Ring Out, Solstice Bells”
There are many Holiday songs in the 70s’ but one of them that caught our attention was Tull’s Ring Out, Solstice Bells. Ian Anderson wrote the song, and according to him, it’s one of the few songs that he wished to be a hit song. It was released in 1977, from the album Songs from the Wood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ShwcA8KkkM
6. The Kinks – “Father Christmas”
The Kinks have their ways of twisting the words, as they see fit. But there is always a message behind their music, and the ultimate message of this song was, ‘remember the poor kids.‘ Like they were speaking directly to Santa. Released in 1977 from the album The Misfits.
7. Bruce Springsteen – “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
Written by Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots in 1932, but the most notable modern era version of the song was Bruce Springsteen’s, and probably one of the most overplayed holiday songs of all time. Bruce released the song in 1978 on the album, The Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia USA 30th September 1978 (Live Radio Broadcast Concert – Remastered).