"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a

Christmas song Christmas music comprises a variety of Music genre, genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas and holiday season, Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or in the case of Christmas ...

written by J. Fred Coots and

Haven Gillespie James Lamont Gillespie (February 6, 1888 – March 14, 1975), known under the pen name Haven Gillespie, was an American Tin Pan Alley composer and lyricist. He was the writer of " You Go to My Head", "Honey", "By the Sycamore Tree", " That Luc ...

, and first recorded by Harry Reser and His Orchestra. When it was covered by

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Cantor was one of the prominent entertainers of his era. Some of h ...

on his radio show in November 1934 it became a hit; within 24 hours, 500,000 copies of sheet music and more than 30,000 records were sold. The version for Bluebird Records by George Hall and His Orchestra (vocal by Sonny Schuyler) was very popular in 1934 and reached the various charts of the day. The song has been recorded by over 200 artists including

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

and

the Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (1911–1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (1916–1995), and mezzo ...

the Crystals The Crystals are an American vocal group that originated in New York City. Considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era in the first half of the 1960s, their 1961–1964 chart hits – including " There's No Other (Like My Baby)", ...

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling musicians of all time. He has written and ...

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz, May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, musician, choreographer, and presenter, whose career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He is widely regarded as the "g ...

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Mitch Miller Mitchell William Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010) was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor ...

Boxcar Willie Lecil Travis Martin (September 1, 1931 – April 12, 1999), whose stage name was Boxcar Willie, was an American country music singer-songwriter, who sang in the "old-time hobo" music style, complete with overalls, and a floppy hat. "Boxcar Will ...

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

Chris Isaak Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. Noted for his reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist style and wide vocal range, he is popularly known for his breakthrough hit and sig ...

the Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American female vocal group from Oakland, California, who achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. They have had a repertoire with many genres, they have sold around 50 million records throughout their ...

, Kylie Minogue,

the Carpenters The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining ...

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Regarded as a pop icon, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American ...

Luis Miguel Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (; born 19 April 1970) is a Mexican singer and record producer. Born in Puerto Rico to an Italian mother and a Spanish father, he is often referred to as Honorific nicknames in popular music, ''El Sol de Mexico'' ...

Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in the hard rock and heavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo a ...

, Jschlatt,

the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

and

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

History

Recordings

The earliest known recorded version of the song was by banjoist Harry Reser and His Orchestra on October 24, 1934 (Decca 264A) featuring

Tom Stacks Thomas De Armen Stacks, known professionally as Tom Stacks (November 9, 1899 – February 19, 1936) was an American musician who was the lead singer, drummer, and sound effects man for many of Harry Reser's late-1920s jazz and novelty bands that ...

on vocal, the version shown in the Variety charts of December 1934. The song was a sheet music hit, reaching number 1. The song was also recorded for Victor Records (catalog No. 25145A) on September 26, 1935, by

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...

& His Orchestra with vocals by Cliff Weston and

Edythe Wright Edythe Wright (August 16, 1916 – October 27, 1965) was an American singer who performed from 1935 to 1939 with the band led by Tommy Dorsey. Early life Wright grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey. Early career Wright debuted on radio in Mar ...

. The song is a

traditional A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...

and has been covered by numerous recording artists.

and

reached the ''Billboard'' charts briefly in 1947 with it.

1960s

In 1962, the Four Seasons version charted at number 23 on ''Billboard''. In 1963, producer

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...

included a version of the song on his rock album ''

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector ''A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records'' (later renamed ''A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector'', also known as ''Phil Spector's Christmas Album'') is an LP album, album of Christmas songs, produced by Phil Spector, originally rele ...

'' performed by

. In 1965,

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

' version charted at number 4 in Singapore.

1970s to 1990s

In 1970,

Rankin-Bass Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City. It was known for its seasonal television specials, ...

produced ''

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a Christmas music, Christmas song written by John Frederick Coots, J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, and first recorded by Harry Reser and His Orchestra. When it was covered by Eddie Cantor on his radio show ...

'', an hour-long animated TV film based on the song, with

narrating the origin of

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

. The same year,

included the song on their best-selling album ''

Jackson 5 Christmas Album ''Jackson 5 Christmas Album'' was the first Christmas album, and fourth studio album, by Motown family quintet the Jackson 5, released on October 15, 1970. Included on the ''Christmas Album'' is the Jacksons' hit single version of "Santa Claus Is ...

''. The Jackson 5 version would chart 50 years later on the ''Billboard'' 100 at #33. In 1971,

the Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom created by Bernard Slade, which was broadcast in the United States from September 1970 to March 1974 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. After the final first-run telecast on ABC in March ...

included the song on '' A Partridge Family Christmas Card''. An eccentric 1972 live recording by Joseph Spence has been described as "a performance for the ages" by music critic Peter Margasak.

The Carpenters The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining ...

released the song as a single in 1974. A rock version by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band was recorded on December 12, 1975, at C. W. Post College in

Brookville, New York Brookville is a village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 2,939 at the time of the 2020 census. History The geographic Village of Broo ...

, by Record Plant engineers Jimmy Iovine and Thom Panunzio. This version borrows the chorus refrain from the 1963 recording by the Crystals. It was first released as a track on the 1981 ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...

'' compilation album, '' In Harmony 2'', as well as on a 1981 promotional, radio-only, 7-inch single ( Columbia AE7 1332). Four years later, it was released as the B-side to "

My Hometown "My Hometown" is a single by Bruce Springsteen from his '' Born in the U.S.A.'' album as its closing track, that was the then-record-tying seventh and last top 10 single to come from it, peaking at #7 on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 and #6 on the ...

", a single off the '' Born in the U.S.A.'' album. Springsteen's rendition of the song has received radio airplay perennially at Christmastime for years; it appeared on ''Billboard'' magazine's Hot Singles Recurrents chart each year from 2002 to 2009 due to seasonal air play. Live performances of the song often saw the band encouraging the audience to sing some of the lyrics with—or in place of—the band's vocalists (usually the line "you'd better be good for goodness sake", and occasionally the key line "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" as well). Sometimes, concert crowds would sing along with the entire song, and the band, who were known to encourage this behavior for the song, would do nothing to dissuade those audiences from doing so, instead welcoming the crowds' enthusiasm. This version remains a Springsteen concert favorite during the months of November and December (often concluding the show), and the band is among the few that keep it in their roster of songs during the holidays. In 1977, an instrumental version was recorded by

Snuff Garrett Thomas Lesslie Garrett (July 5, 1938 – December 16, 2015) known as Snuff Garrett or Tommy Garrett, was an American record producer whose most famous work was during the 1960s and 1970s. Early years Garrett was born in Dallas, Texas, United ...

and his 50 Guitars. Australian ABBA tribute act

Björn Again Björn Again is an ABBA-inspired tribute act, tribute band from Australia, consisting of performers from various countries. The name is a reference to ABBA guitarist and vocalist Björn Ulvaeus. The band has performed worldwide since it was fo ...

released a version in 1992 which reached number 55 on the UK Singles Chart. Other well-known versions of this song include

from the album ''

Merry Christmas The Christmas season or the festive season, also known as the holiday season or the holidays, is an annual period generally spanning from November or December to early January. Incorporating Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the various celebrat ...

'' (1994) and the Pointer Sisters version off the album '' A Very Special Christmas'', also borrowing from the Crystals' arrangement.

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

performed the song on his album '' I Still Believe in Santa Claus'', which was released on October 1, 1990.

2000s to present

recorded the song in Spanish as "Santa Claus Llegó a La Ciudad" for his Christmas album ''

Navidades ''Navidades'' () is the 17th studio album by Mexican singer Luis Miguel, which Warner Music Latina released on 14 November 2006. It is Miguel's first Christmas album, and features Spanish-language adaptations of English-language songs and carol ...

'' (2006). His version of the song peaked at number 26 on the ''Billboard'' Latin Pop Songs chart. The song has also been recorded in

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

versions. First by Straight No Chaser on their 2008 album ''Holiday Spirits'', and later by

Pentatonix Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) are an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Matt Sallee, and Kevin Olusola. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements wit ...

on their 2014 album '' That's Christmas to Me''. In October 2015,

EMI Music Publishing EMI Music Publishing Ltd. is a British multinational music publishing company headquartered in London, owned by Sony Music Publishing. In May 2018, Sony Music Publishing agreed to increase its stake in EMI to 90%, pending regulatory approva ...

lost the rights to J. Fred Coot's stake in the song. EMI had earned the rights to the song via

Leo Feist Leopold Feist (January 3, 1869, New York City or Mount Verson, New York – June 21, 1930, Mount Vernon, New York) was a pioneer in the popular music publishing business. In 1897, Feist founded and ran a music publishing firm bearing his name. In ...

's publishing company in the 1980s. In September 2017, the family of Haven Gillespie sued

Memory Lane Music Group Memory Lane Music Group is a worldwide independent music publishing company established in 1923 by Larry Spier Sr. History The company began in 1923 when Larry Spier Sr., composed "Memory Lane" with Con Conrad, and Buddy DeSylva (words). It wa ...

for $700,000, asking for an 85% stake in "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town".

Sebastián Yatra Sebastián Obando Giraldo (born 15 October 1994), known professionally as Sebastián Yatra, is a Colombian singer, songwriter and stage actor. He began as a Latin pop artist and has recorded many ballads, but has released several successful regg ...

recorded a Spanish version for Christmas 2019 and released it as a single. The song charted in Spain and on ''Billboard''

Hot Latin Songs The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin music, Latin songs, published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart ranki ...

chart and was certified gold by the RIAA in the US. In November 2024,

YouTuber A YouTuber is a content creator and social media influencer who uploads or creates videos on the online video-sharing website YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006 ...

jschlatt released a cover of the song as the first single from his Christmas album, "A Very 1999 Christmas".

Charts

The Supremes version

The Jackson 5 version

Michael Bublé version

Glee Cast version

Mariah Carey version

Various artists version

Bruce Springsteen version

Luis Miguel version

Sebastián Yatra version

Frank Sinatra version

Lady Gaga version

Certifications and sales

Frank Sinatra version

The Crystals version

The Jackson 5 version

Michael Bublé version

Bruce Springsteen version

Sebastián Yatra version

Mariah Carey version

Justin Bieber version

References

External links

* (original lyrics) * {{Authority control 1934 songs Songs with lyrics by Haven Gillespie Songs with music by J. Fred Coots American Christmas songs Bing Crosby songs Bluebird Records singles Bruce Springsteen songs Björn Again songs Eddie Cantor songs Mariah Carey songs Michael Bublé songs The Andrews Sisters songs The Carpenters songs The Crystals songs The Four Seasons (band) songs The Jackson 5 songs Song recordings produced by Phil Spector Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements Songs about Santa Claus

History

Recordings

1960s

1970s to 1990s

2000s to present

Charts

The Supremes version

The Jackson 5 version

Michael Bublé version

Glee Cast version

Mariah Carey version

Various artists version

Bruce Springsteen version

Luis Miguel version

Sebastián Yatra version

Frank Sinatra version

Lady Gaga version

Certifications and sales

Frank Sinatra version

The Crystals version

The Jackson 5 version

Michael Bublé version

Bruce Springsteen version

Sebastián Yatra version

Mariah Carey version

Justin Bieber version

See also

References

External links