Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town facts for kids

Quick facts for kids "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"
One of covers for the 1934 sheet music
Song
Published	1934 by Leo Feist, Inc.
Songwriter(s)	J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie

"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a very famous Christmas song. It was written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie.

The first known recording of the song was made by banjo player Harry Reser and his band on October 24, 1934. Then, in November 1934, it was sung on Eddie Cantor's radio show. This radio performance was a huge success! People ordered 500,000 copies of the sheet music and bought over 30,000 records in just 24 hours.

Many famous artists have recorded this song. Over 200 artists have sung it, including Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, The Jackson 5, and Michael Bublé.

Song's Words and Meaning

The words to "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" were written by Haven Gillespie. They start with a warning: "You better watch out, better not cry / You better not pout, I'm telling you why / Santa Claus is coming to town".

When Eddie Cantor first sang the song on his radio show, it was during a tough time called the Great Depression. His performance included extra verses that encouraged people to be kind and help those who were less fortunate during Christmas.

How the Song Became Popular

Early Recordings

The very first known recording of the song was by Harry Reser and his band. They recorded it on October 24, 1934. This version became a number one hit on the music charts. Another popular recording was made by Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra in 1935.

This song has become a classic Christmas favorite. Many artists have covered it over the years. Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters even had their version appear on the Billboard charts in 1947.

Popular Versions Through the Years

• In 1962, The Four Seasons had their version reach number 23 on the Billboard charts.
• In 1963, producer Phil Spector included a version by The Crystals on his Christmas rock album.
• In 1965, The Supremes' version became very popular in Singapore, reaching number 4 on their charts.

• In 1970, a TV special called Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town was made. It was an animated film based on the song, telling the story of Santa Claus.
• Also in 1970, The Jackson 5 put the song on their popular Jackson 5 Christmas Album. This version became so popular that it charted on the Billboard Hot 100 fifty years later!
• The Carpenters released their version of the song as a single in 1974.

• A rock version by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band was recorded live in 1975. This version is very famous and is often played on the radio during Christmas. Bruce Springsteen's band often encourages the audience to sing along during their concerts. This song is still a favorite at their holiday shows.

• Other well-known versions include one by Mariah Carey from her 1994 album Merry Christmas. Andy Williams also performed the song on his 1990 album I Still Believe in Santa Claus.

Recent Popular Versions

• In 2006, Luis Miguel recorded the song in Spanish as "Santa Claus Llegó a La Ciudad" for his Christmas album.
• The song has also been sung without instruments (called A cappella) by groups like Straight No Chaser (in 2008) and Pentatonix (in 2014).
• In 2019, Sebastián Yatra released a Spanish version as a single, which also charted well.

Who Owns the Song?

The rights to a song mean who gets money when it's used. In 2015, EMI Music Publishing lost the rights to J. Fred Coots' part of the song. In 2017, the family of Haven Gillespie sued Memory Lane Music Group to get a bigger share of the song's rights.

Charts

Many versions of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" have appeared on music charts around the world. Here are some of the highest positions they reached:

Awards and Sales

Many versions of the song have sold enough copies to earn special awards like Gold or Platinum. These awards show how popular a song is!

See also

In Spanish: Santa Claus Is Coming to Town para niños