The names Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber have largely vanished into the annals of Christmas tormentors, but their greatest triumph lives on. “Silent Night,” which Mohr wrote the lyrics for (in German) in 1816 and Gruber put to music two years later, is the most recorded Christmas song in the modern era of the holiday’s substantial oeuvre.
To determine this fact, TIME crawled the records at the U.S. Copyright Office, which offers digitized registrations going back to 1978, and collected data on every Christmas album recorded since that time. “Silent Night,” it turns out, is not merely the most popular carol; with 733 copyrighted recordings since 1978, it is nearly twice as dominant as “Joy to the World,” a distant second with 391 records to its name.
As one might surmise, songs that are no longer under their original copyright are considerably more prominent on modern Christmas albums, given that one needn’t share the holiday windfall. This lends an obvious advantage to the ecclesiastical hymns and tunes, like “O Holy Night” and “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” As intellectual property lawyer Paul C. Jorgensen explains, this does nothing to prevent artists from copyrighting their own recording of a song and collecting royalties whenever a radio station wants to play it–assuming the other 732 renditions weren’t to taste.
Nor is it strictly limited to American recording artists. “A lot of international artists will go ahead and register things in the United States,” Jorgensen said.
To determine secularity, TIME measured the likelihood that a song appears on the same album with either “What Child Is This?”, a decidedly devout 1865 tune, or “Jingle Bell Rock,” roughly it’s polar opposite. (The choice of those two songs is rather arbitrary, but proved in trial and error to offer the clearest dichotomy.) In true Christmas spirit, “Silent Night” aptly bridges that great divide: It co-headlines with just about anyone.
Methodology
This project began by downloading every copyrighted recording of “Jingle Bells,” then expanding to every song on the same album as “Jingle Bells,” and so forth until the universe of Christmas music was exhausted. The data only includes “sound recording” records from the Copyright Office, as opposed to sheet music arrangements, videos, and other formats in which one might copyright a song. Variations on the same material, such as “O Christmas Tree” and “O Tannenbaum,” where grouped as one song.
Design by Alexander Ho
As a seasoned music historian and enthusiast, I've delved deeply into the rich tapestry of Christmas carols and their historical significance. My expertise extends to the works of iconic figures in the genre, and one such masterpiece that stands out is "Silent Night." Authored by Joseph Mohr in 1816 and set to music by Franz Xaver Gruber two years later, this timeless carol has left an indelible mark on the Christmas musical landscape.
To establish the enduring popularity of "Silent Night," Time magazine conducted a meticulous investigation, crawling records at the U.S. Copyright Office. Drawing on digitized registrations dating back to 1978, Time collected data on every Christmas album recorded during that period. The evidence is unequivocal: "Silent Night" reigns supreme as the most recorded Christmas song in the modern era, with a staggering 733 copyrighted recordings since 1978. This figure is nearly double that of the second-ranking carol, "Joy to the World," which boasts 391 records.
One intriguing aspect explored in the article is the impact of copyright status on the prevalence of songs in modern Christmas albums. Songs that are no longer under their original copyright, such as ecclesiastical hymns like "O Holy Night" and "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," enjoy increased prominence. Intellectual property lawyer Paul C. Jorgensen sheds light on the fact that artists can still copyright their own recordings of public domain songs, creating a dynamic where they can collect royalties for their rendition.
The international reach of "Silent Night" is also highlighted, with Jorgensen noting that many international artists register their works in the United States. This speaks to the global resonance and cross-cultural appeal of the carol.
The article delves into an interesting dimension of secularity in Christmas music, measuring the likelihood of a song appearing on the same album as either the devout "What Child Is This?" or the more secular "Jingle Bell Rock." "Silent Night" emerges as a unifying force, bridging the gap between sacred and secular themes, co-headlining with a diverse array of artists.
The methodology employed in this comprehensive analysis involved starting with the iconic "Jingle Bells" and expanding the scope to encompass every song on the same album, creating a thorough exploration of the Christmas music universe. The data, sourced exclusively from "sound recording" records at the Copyright Office, ensures a focused examination of the musical landscape.
In conclusion, "Silent Night" stands not only as a cherished Christmas carol but also as a testament to the enduring power of music to traverse cultural, temporal, and geographical boundaries. The evidence presented in this article solidifies its status as a perennial favorite in the festive repertoire, perpetuating the legacy of Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber for generations to come.
