This is Christmas, song by song The stories behind 100 holiday hits

Music for Christmas is a soundtrack for TV commercials and Hallmark movies, background music in shopping malls and on radio stations, not to mention religious observances, family gatherings, and other social occasions of the season. Christmas music includes some of the most beloved tunes and some of the most annoying earworms ever composed, and Zaleski's selection of 100 holiday hits includes both. Songs are presented chronologically by year of release, beginning with "The Twelve Days of Christmas," attributed to English composer Frederic Austin, who set the words of an eighteenth-century children's rhyme to music in 1909. What follows is a survey of songs from 1942 through 2019. Each entry includes the song title, composer and/or lyricist, the original recording artists, a list of cover artists, and a brief essay that charts the song's history. A wide variety of songs are here, from chestnuts like Mel Tormé and Robert Wells' "The Christmas Song" to children's classics like Johnny Marks' "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Zaleski's prose is crisp and informative and the page layouts are sprinkled with whimsical illustrations by Darling Clementine. An excellent choice for public library collections.

Music journalist Zaleski (Lady Gaga: Applause) spreads holiday cheer by highlighting the exuberant backstories of Christmas songs. She reveals that perennial staples, such as "Here Comes Santa Claus" and "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," were written in the middle of summer; that "Carol of the Bells" is adapted from the 1916 Ukrainian song "Shchedryk," a tune that wishes a successful new year; and that the inspiration for "Do You Hear What I Hear?" was its songwriter's fearful walk home during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Chronologically ordered, each song listing includes the artists; songwriters; cover versions; background about the year of its first recording; the song's origins and review; and in some cases, its status on Billboard or UK music charts. Regardless of popularity, Zaleski gleefully writes about the songs with warm and cozy descriptors. The brisk song reviews vividly capture their beats and sounds. VERDICT The eclectic mix of pop standards, songs from TV specials, contemporary hits from Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift, and lesser-known punk and heavy metal Christmas tunes makes this an essential read for trivia buffs, music enthusiasts, and holiday revelers.--Anjelica Rufus-Barnes