Welcome back to Country Music 4 Ever! With Christmas being only a few days away, I’m going to conclude my Christmas history series today with a modern classic. That song is “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” was written in 1933 by Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots, reportedly on a subway car in New York City on the way to a music publisher’s office.

The song was first performed on the radio by comedian Eddie Cantor. Since the song was targeted at children, the songwriters thought the appeal was too small to be successful. However, Eddie’s radio performance was successful, and the song became a big hit the following year.

Radio audiences loved the song, and requests for sheet music were off the charts. What started as a comedian singing a children’s Christmas song soon turned into a classic that would turn the songwriters into millionaires.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” was recorded by big names such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams. However, in 1970, the song took on a whole new life when “Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment” produced an animated movie by the same name, answering questions children had about Santa Claus. The song continues to be used in movies such as “Elf,” “The Santa Clause,” and “The Polar Express.”

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” continues to get recorded by artists in all genres of music, including country. Artists such as Faith Hill, The Band Perry, and Brad Paisley have recorded the song along with countless others.

As I end this series, I want to wish you all a merry Christmas. I’ve had a lot of fun with this series, and I hope you’ve enjoyed it as well. Thanks for reading. I’ll be back soon!