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Bah humbug! Why David Brancaccio hates holiday music

Two singer-songwriters convinced David Brancaccio embrace seasonal tunes.
Actor Tommy Steele playing Scrooge in 2006 or David Brancaccio when listening to Paul McCartney's “Wonderful Christmastime?" It may be hard to tell.
MJ Kim/Getty Images

What makes Christmas music so lucrative?

Dec 23, 2020
The Christmas music industry churns out money-making covers every year, but it’s not so easy to pen a new classic.
Queen Of Christmas, Mariah Carey performs her holiday smash hits at the Beacon Theatre in 2014 in New York City.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Maroon Ent

There's only one Spanish-language Christmas classic topping the charts

Dec 22, 2020
That's despite Latin music’s growing strength in the industry.
Only one Spanish-language song has cracked the lucrative Christmas charts: Jose Feliciano’s "Feliz Navidad," released in 1970.
RCA Records/Getty Images

We're still not sick of Christmas music, believe it or not

Dec 24, 2018
Holiday music is more popular than ever, but that doesn't mean it's easy to make jingle bells rock.
The brothers in Hanson — Zac, Taylor and Isaac — are reissuing their 1997 holiday album "Snowed In" this year. Their second holiday album, "Finally it's Christmas," came out in 2017.
Peter Balonon-Rosen/Marketplace

The man behind multiplatinum Mannheim Steamroller

Dec 22, 2015
The group has sold millions of albums covering holiday classics.

Rudolph still has a nose for business

Dec 11, 2015
The story of Rudolph and how the reindeer continues to shine bright in ratings.

Holiday music economics: New artists sing old songs

Dec 24, 2014
Popular artists often rehash holiday standards. But why? Consumer demand.

For public good, not for profit.

All-Christmas music stations make money. Lots of it

Dec 10, 2014
Sick of hearing Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" yet? You will be.