Episode 85: Christmas Special 2024

Episode 85: Christmas Special 2024

Author: Mark Roback December 21, 2024 Duration: 1:54:49

Hark; the herald angels sing, “Do you hear what I hear”? I think it’s the most wonderful time of year again. Do you have a favorite that you consider to be the Christmas song? I looked out the window this morning, and it looked like a winter wonderland. I can’t deny that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. This week we take a sleigh ride through the AT10 from December 24th, 2005, the top 29 Christmas songs based on airplay. We promise to have you rockin’ around the Tannenbaum.


Link to a listing of the songs in this week’s episode: http://www.american-top-40.bplaced.net/AT_10,_All-time_Top_60_Christmas_Songs,_2005.pdf


Data Sources: Billboard Magazine, where the charts came from and on what the countdown was based.

Websites: allmusic.com, songfacts.com, wikipedia.com (because Mark’s lazy)

Books: “Ranking the 70’s” by Dann Isbell, and Bill Carroll

“American Top 40 With Casey Kasem (The 1970’s)" by Pete Battistini.


Rejected Episode Titles:


Have a Holly Jolly Sleigh Ride


Rockin’ Around the Tannenbaum


Rudolph the Little Drummer Boy



Things we talked about in the episode:


Christmastime For The Jews – SNL: https://youtu.be/BGzO1ghRKp4?si=BqDdssQKDo4yP106


The Narrator That Ruined Christmas – SNL: https://youtu.be/UihZm6T2T5g?si=p17LjvzlI2aRJ6by


SNL TV Funhouse Charlie Brown Christmas: https://youtu.be/R_Ejc3N9JKU?si=LIUtLWfUqe1KM8Hg


Daryl Hall & John Oates - Jingle Bell Rock: https://youtu.be/5vyMuxxLsD0?si=uIex0hhwwLwOXDo1


Beavis and Butt-Head - Do 'Hall & Oates - Jingle Bell Rock': https://youtu.be/vPjLNOUH7uw?si=V5jEd6dJj3WU12Me


Sonny & Cher Christmas Show 1972 Excerpts (William Conrad, and Oh Holy Night): https://youtu.be/GZCkI-hGzPg?si=p3AoMf3-zGVmGROu


Paul Shaffer’s Impression of Cher Singing "O Holy Night" Promo | Letterman: https://youtu.be/BGNjJ8WwJCY?si=uwf9buQzPY4XvFL3


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Every week, Mark Roback and his friend Pete dust off a random episode of Casey Kasem's American Top 40 from the 1970s. 70s Weekly Countdown with Mark and Pete is more than just a nostalgic trip through the charts. Each song in that week's lineup gets a thoughtful rating and a deep dive-they unpack the stories behind the music, the artists' trajectories, and what made those particular tracks resonate. But the context is just as important as the countdown. The conversation naturally expands to include the major headlines, the TV shows everyone was watching, and the cultural moments that defined that specific week in history. Woven into the analysis are personal anecdotes from Mark and Pete, connecting the music to their own coming-of-age experiences during that era. This podcast is a layered exploration of a decade, using the pop chart as a starting point to examine the sound, the spirit, and the surprising details of the 1970s. You'll hear passionate debates, learn obscure facts, and get a feel for what it was like to live through that time, all through the shared lens of two friends who genuinely love the material.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

70s Weekly Countdown with Mark and Pete
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