Prompt Cast
The History and Evolution of Christmas Carols
TLDR Christmas carols have a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages, with origins in joyous songs accompanied by dance. Over the centuries, they have been adopted for religious Christmas celebrations, with modern Christmas music developing in the 19th century. From traditional songs of unknown origin to popular hits like "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey, Christmas carols have become a significant part of Christmas culture and big business in the music industry.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Christmas carols, which have been passed down for centuries, originated from the Middle Ages and the word "carol" comes from Old French.
02:29
Christmas carols were originally joyous songs, often accompanied by dance, and were later adopted for religious Christmas celebrations, with the first English language carols documented in 1426, and modern Christmas music starting to develop in the early 19th century.
04:19
The first published Christmas songs were traditional songs of unknown origin, such as "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "I Saw Three Ships," with some dating back to the 16th century, while "Hark the Herald Angel Sing" and "The First Noel" had their origins in the 18th century and earlier, and "Silent Night" is the most popular Christmas song in terms of the number of recordings made.
06:23
Jingle Bells, written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont, is the most popular Christmas song despite having nothing to do with Christmas and being originally written for Thanksgiving.
08:20
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Silver Bells, The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), The Little Drummer Boy, Jingle Bell Rock, and the Chipmunks song are some of the most popular Christmas songs written in the 20th century.
10:19
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey has dominated all other modern Christmas songs in terms of sales, chart rankings, and royalties, reaching number one in 25 countries, selling 16 million physical copies, and making over $106 million in worldwide royalties as of 2021.
12:28
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey is not just a popular song, but a yearly annuity that has become a significant part of Christmas culture and big business in the music industry.
