The Stories Behind America’s Most Famous Christmas Songs by State

With Halloween just put to rest in its grizzly tomb until next year, you’re bound to hear all manner of classic American Christmas songs playing on local radio stations across the U.S. as 2024 comes to a swift close. The Musically Sound thought it would be nice to take a look at the most popular Christmas songs from each U.S. state. Was a particularly well-beloved tune birthed in your state? Find out in our guide to America’s most famous Christmas songs by state!

Famous Christmas Songs from Alabama

There are several popular Christmas tunes that originated in Alabama. They include:

• “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”: This comical Christmas Classic was penned by Randy Brooks and became a Christmas novelty hit in 1979 when it was performed by Elmo Shropshire (Dr. Elmo) and Patsy Trigg. Before achieving musical fame with the chart-topping holiday song, Shropshire had Alabama ties – he spent several years studying at Auburn University where he earned his veterinary degree.
• “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”: Hugh Martin, a Birmingham, Alabama native (1914-2011), wrote this gorgeous holiday classic, which Judy Garland performed in the 1944 film “Meet Me in St. Louis.” After initially writing darker lyrics that Garland rejected as too depressing, Martin revised the song to be more optimistic, creating the beloved holiday standard we know today.

Famous Christmas Songs from Arkansas

While there are a variety of famous Arkansans who recorded Christmas classics, one song stands out. “Run, Run Rudolph” was written by country music star Justin Moore and released in 2012. The Arkansas native, who grew up in the town of Poyen, also recorded a duet of “Christmastime in Arkansas Again” with fellow Arkansas musician Jason Campbell.

Famous Christmas Songs from California

You’d think that more Christmas classics originated in California than the ones that made our list, given Hollywood has pushed out so many holiday movies. But here are a few favorites to add to your holiday playlist:

• “Let It Snow!”: This famous tune was written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn in Hollywood during a July 1945 heat wave, as they tried to imagine cooler weather while sweating in Southern California. The song, which became a number-one hit after being recorded by Vaughn Monroe and the Norton Sisters for RCA Victor in 1945, has since become a Christmas classic despite never actually mentioning the holiday.
• “Feliz Navidad”: José Feliciano wrote and recorded this toe-tapping bilingual Christmas song in Los Angeles, California in 1970. While feeling homesick for his family in New York and Puerto Rico, Feliciano wrote it at RCA’s Los Angeles facility. Little did he know it would become one of the most widely played Christmas songs in the world.
• “River”: While Joni Mitchell is Canadian, she settled in Laurel Canyon, California in the 60s, and wrote and recorded her iconic album “Blue” in 1974, featuring the melancholy tune “River.” With echoes of “Jingle Bells” woven into a poetic lyric of longing to escape her pain via a pair of ice skates, this tune will never grow old.

Famous Christmas Songs from Colorado

It’s hard not to think about Colorado’s music without remembering the late, great John Denver. But another famous band also put out a classic American Christmas song that is still played today on popular radio.

• “Rocky Mountain Christmas”: This title track from John Denver’s first Christmas album, released in 1975 by RCA Records, has his famous Colorado stamp, conjuring visions of the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. This album sparked a 1975 TV special by the same name and is among the best-selling Christmas albums ever recorded.
• “Colorado Christmas”: Though the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was not technically from Colorado, their members relocated to the Aspen area, and founding member Jeff Hanna refers to the state as their “spiritual home.” Written by Steve Goodman, the song was originally released in 1983, with Emmylou Harris adding harmony vocals to this classic.

Famous Christmas Songs from Illinois

Our list of famous Christmas songs by state would not be complete without including Illinois, home of one of our top U.S. cities–Chicago.

• “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)”: Mel Tormé, nicknamed “The Velvet Fog,” composed this nostalgic holiday classic song with help on lyrics by Bob Wells in 1944. Nat King Cole’s version of the song has become the most famous and widely played during the holiday season.

Famous Christmas Songs from Indiana

Bobby Helms, a native of Bloomington, Indiana, released the “Jingle Bell Rock” in 1957, an iconic tune that ranks among the best classic American Christmas songs ever recorded. However, the song’s authorship was later disputed between credited writers Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe and both Helms and session guitarist Hank Garland. It was recorded at the historic Owen Bradley Studio in Nashville (now known as Bradley’s Barn).

Famous Christmas Songs from Iowa

“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” was written by Mason City, Iowa native Meredith Willson in 1951. The song quickly became a holiday hit with popular recordings by Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra, as well as Bing Crosby later that same year. Wilson’s other biggest claim to fame was writing the lyrics, music, and book for the Broadway musical “The Music Man.”

Famous Christmas Songs from Massachusetts

One of the oldest and most popular Christmas songs worldwide came out of the great state of Massachusetts.

• “Jingle Bells”: James Lord Pierpont composed “Jingle Bells” in 1850 at Simpson Tavern in Medford, Massachusetts, where he was inspired by the popular winter activity of sleigh racing on Salem Street. Though not originally intended as a Christmas song, his creation would go on to become one of the most widely recognized holiday tunes in the world.
• “The Little Drummer Boy”: “The Little Drummer Boy,” originally titled “Carol of the Drum,” was written in 1941 by Katherine Kennicott Davis while she was teaching music at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. The Christmas classic was first recorded by the Trapp Family in 1951 before becoming widely popular through the Harry Simeone Chorale’s 1958 version.
• “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”: Edmund Sears wrote the Christmas poem “It Came Upon The Midnight Clear” in 1849 while working as a Massachusetts preacher, and fellow Bostonian Richard Storrs Willis set it to music in 1850 using his melody “Carol.” The beloved holiday song originated entirely in Massachusetts, with both its lyricist and composer having strong ties to the state – Sears was born and raised there while Willis was from Boston.
• “Sleigh Ride”: This upbeat holiday classic was composed in Massachusetts from July 1946 to February 1948 by Cambridge-born Leroy Anderson, inspired by a summer heat wave. Its premier performance was on May 4, 1948, by the Boston Pops Orchestra at Symphony Hall in Boston, directed by Arthur Fielder.
• “Do You Hear What I Hear?”: Penned in 1962, this song came from Massachusetts native Gloria Shayne and her husband Noël Regney, intended as a heartfelt plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This iconic U.S. Christmas hymn has since sold millions of copies and has been covered by hundreds of artists.

Famous Christmas Songs from Mississippi

A comedic Christmas classic that always inspires a chuckle, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” was recorded by Mississippi native Jimmy Boyd on July 15, 1952. Amazingly, he was only 13 years old at the time. This hit, written by British songwriter Tommie Connor, hit #1 on the Billboard charts in December of 1952, while it hit #3 in the UK Singles Charts in November of the same year.

Famous Christmas Songs from New York

The Big Apple has lent a very large hand to producing Christmas hits that have long endured the test of time. One New York composer wrote multiple popular holiday tunes, while another is considered the most “popular” Christmas song of all time!

• Composer Johnny Marks: Rather than start with the song title, we must put the name of the New York songwriter Johnny Marks (November 10, 1909 – September 3, 1985), who in his lifetime wrote multiple timeless top Christmas songs in the U.S. His contributions to classic American Christmas songs include: “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (sung by Gene Autry), along with many other songs as part of the 1964 television special; “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (Brenda Lee); “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (Bing Crosby); “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (Burl Ives); “The Night Before Christmas Song,” and many more holiday tunes.
• “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”: Written in 1944 by Frank Loesser as a party song to sing to his wife (intended to signal party guests it was time to leave), it became popular once it was heard in the 1949 film “Neptune’s Daughter,” starring Ricardo Montalban and Esther Williams.

• “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”: This popular children’s holiday song, written in 1934 by Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, was first performed by Eddie Cantor on his radio show, then by singers and groups like Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, The Jackson 5, The Supremes, Glenn Campbell, and the Beach Boys. It has the honor of being the most-played holiday song of the last 50 years.
• “All I Want for Christmas Is You”: If you’re already impressed with New York’s holiday song output, don’t forget this modern classic by the legendary vocalist Mariah Carey. This New York native recorded this ultra-popular song as part of her 1994 album “Merry Christmas.” Having sold 16 million copies around the world, it has become one of the top-selling digital singles of all time. It’s also raked in royalties of $100 million!
• “White Christmas”: This American Christmas classic was written by New York composer Irving Berlin for the 1942 musical film Holiday Inn. Bing Crosby’s memorable rendition, released the same year, topped the Billboard charts for 11 weeks and became the world’s best-selling single in physical sales, with over 50 million copies sold. Crosby’s version won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and has since held a firm place among the most popular U.S. holiday standards.

Famous Christmas Songs from Ohio

Ohio is home to one of the oldest secular Christmas songs written in America as well as another of the U.S.’s most famous Christmas songs by state.

• “Up on the Housetop”/”Jolly Old Saint Nicholas”: Benjamin Hanby wore many hats, being a composer, pastor, educator, and abolitionist. He wrote around 80 songs and hymns, among them the Christmas classic “Up on the Housetop” in 1864 and “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” in 1865, though the origin of the lyrics has been debated. A poem by Emily Clark Huntington Miller of Connecticut, published under the title “Lily’s Secret” in 1865 seem to be the lyrics more widely used.
• “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”: Though written by composers Edward Pola and George Wyle, this classic was made famous upon being recorded by Andy Williams in 1963 as part of his Christmas album “The Andy Williams Christmas Album.” While he spent part of his teen years in Cheviot, Ohio, he was in California by the time he rose to music fame.

Famous Christmas Songs from Pennsylvania

• “Winter Wonderland”: Richard Bernhard Smith, a native of Honesdale, Pennsylvania, wrote the lyrics to “Winter Wonderland” after being inspired by the snow-covered Central Park in his hometown while he was receiving treatment for tuberculosis at Scranton’s West Mountain Sanitarium. The song, composed by Felix Bernard and released in 1934 with its first recording by Richard Himber, has become a Christmas season classic that originated from Smith’s Pennsylvania winter observations.
• “Frosty the Snowman”: The first member of the co-writing pair–Walter “Jack” Rollins–was originally from Scottdale, Pennsylvania, while his partner Steve Nelson was from New York. First recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950, the song quickly became a U.S. seasonal favorite. On the heels of the success of Autry’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Rollins and Nelson hoped this song would also become a Christmas holiday hit. Their wish came true!

Famous Christmas Songs from Tennessee

Our famous Christmas songs by state list would be remiss not to make a stop in the country music capital of the world! Though this state has not specialized in Christmas classics per se, we have a couple of great songs to mention.

• “Blue Christmas“: Though this song was not technically written by Elvis Presley (Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson get credit for that), the Memphis King of Rock and Roll definitely made this classic American Christmas song famous with his iconic rock croon, backed by The Jordanaires. His recording was made in 1957 as part of the LP Elvis’ Christmas Album.
• “Country Christmas”: Loretta Lynn’s 1966 song Country Christmas captures a warm, homespun holiday feel, celebrating the simple joys of a down-home Christmas. Recorded at Bradley’s Barn in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, Lynn’s heartfelt lyrics and traditional country sound make this song a nostalgic favorite for fans of classic country holiday music.

Famous Christmas Songs from Texas

While Gene Autry recorded many of the top Christmas songs in the U.S., there’s another holiday classic that he wrote himself–“Here Comes Santa Claus.” He was inspired by his experience at the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade in Los Angeles, where excited fans chanted, “Here comes Santa Claus!” The song blends the secular Santa Claus with a nod to the nativity message of “peace on Earth,” and Autry recorded it with the help of sleigh bells for an authentic holiday feel. Released by Columbia Records in 1947, it became a hit that has tugged heartstrings for going on 80 years.

Wrap-Up of Famous Christmas Songs by State

We hit on the most classic American Christmas songs as of 2024, but this list is not exhaustive. We also didn’t hit all 50 states, but it will definitely be on our Christmas wish list to dig deeper and reveal more top Christmas songs in the U.S. for 2025. Until then, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Season’s Greetings!