"Santa Baby" is a song performed by American singer

Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song " Santa ...

with Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. The song was written by Joan Javits and

Philip Springer Philip Springer (born May 12, 1926) is an American composer, best known for co-writing the classic Christmas song "Santa Baby". In a musical career spanning over 70 years, he is credited in 540 musical pieces, including composing songs for numero ...

, who also used the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

Tony Springer in an attempt to speed up the song's publishing process. Lyrically, the song is a

tongue-in-cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scot ...

look at a Christmas list addressed to

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

by a woman who wants extravagant gifts such as

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s, and decorations from Tiffany's. Music critics gave mixed reviews to the single, with some calling it too suggestive for a holiday-themed song. Springer was initially dissatisfied with "Santa Baby" and called it one of his weakest works. It has since been included on lists of both the best and worst Christmas songs ever written. In the United States, "Santa Baby" became the best-selling Christmas song of 1953 and found more success, retrospectively, when it entered various component charts by ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' in the 2000s and 2010s. Elsewhere, it peaked on the

record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include ...

s in Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. , Kitt's version had sold more than 620,000 copies, having appeared on her self-titled and first extended play in 1954. "Santa Baby" has been parodied, referenced, and featured in various films and television series. It has also been covered by many artists, such as

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...

and Trisha Yearwood. Other musicians, including

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

and

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderweb ...

, released covers of the song as singles. Many of the cover versions experienced major commercial success, with Minogue's version reaching the top 40 of the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and selling over 600,000 copies. Madonna's cover has sold 270,000 copies in the United States and was subject to discussion by many music critics, who believed her version revived the popularity of the song. However, Kitt disliked Madonna's association with the track. Grande's cover was released as a duet with Elizabeth Gillies and managed positions on charts in several countries such as Australia, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

's version has been named multiple times as one of the worst Christmas songs ever.

Background

In August 1953, songwriters

and Joan Javits were commissioned to write a

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

song for

for the upcoming holiday season. The writers had first met in 1950 during Springer's trip to

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where Javits had sought advice about beginning a career as a songwriter, which he advised against. Their professional relationship resumed three years later when Springer was searching for a new writing partner, he recalled:

I was looking for a new lyric writer, so I asked someone who had a lot of contacts and they suggested Joan Javits, the exact person who I suggested stay out of the industry! She said she was too busy. I asked her if she had ever written a hit and she said hadn’t, so I said, ‘l have. Are you going to tell me that you refuse to write songs with a songwriter who’s done more than you in the business?'

In a 2008 interview, Springer told the interviewer that "Philip and Joan (both

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

writers) checked into the song title with the publishers from a company called Trinity Music, owned by BMI. At the time, BMI and ASCAP were entrenched in a 'war,' as Philip described it, so in order to get the song published and settle their differences, they had to create a fictional BMI songwriter who they named Tony Springer."

Recording and release

Kitt recorded the single live with René and his orchestra on October 5, 1953, at a recording studio in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. The song was released later that month by

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

in the United States and Canada. To promote the single, the record label purchased page advertisements in ''Billboard'' as "1953's Big Christmas Record!" It was pressed as a

7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separat ...

for wide release, while a promotional 10-inch single was created for airplay. The RCA Victor 7-inch release featured Kitt and René's version of " Under the Bridges of Paris" as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

. In the United Kingdom and Denmark, "Santa Baby" was released in 1954 under the label

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice (HMV) was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd. The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud, which depicted a Jack Russ ...

. On this version, the B-side was Kitt's cover of " Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)". Kitt also performed the song in the 1954 film '' New Faces'', after which it was used as the closing track of the extended play ''

''. The single received numerous reissues, including in Italy in 1957 when

RCA Italiana RCA Italiana was an Italian record company founded in 1949 and active until 1987, the date on which, together with the parent company RCA Records, it was bought by BMG Entertainment. History Founded in Rome in 1949 under the Vatican's protec ...

released a 7-inch single that was paired with B-side "Thursday's Child". The same label also distributed a four track promotional

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

titled ''White Christmas'' that same year, featuring Kitt's version of "Santa Baby" as the second A-side. In 1987, Collectables Records released a limited edition 7 inch single of Kitt's "

C'est si bon "" (; ) is a French popular song composed in 1947 by Henri Betti with the lyrics by André Hornez. The English lyrics were written in 1949 by Jerry Seelen. The song has been adapted in several languages. History In July 1947, Henri Betti ...

" (1953) paired with "Santa Baby" on the flip side. In 1960, Kitt recorded a new studio version of "Santa Baby" for her Kapp album '' Revisited'' with Maurice Levine as musical director. The album featured new versions of songs she had recorded earlier with RCA Victor. The Kapp version is faster and shorter by about a minute, with more emphasis on orchestration and no vocal accompaniment.

Composition and lyrics

According to the official sheet music for the song at Musicnotes.com, "Santa Baby" is set in

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...

with a moderately slow

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

of 84

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ...

. The key of the song is in D-flat major with Kitt maintaining a relatively consistent vocal range that spans from A♭₃ to A♭₄ in

scientific pitch notation Scientific pitch notation (SPN), also known as American standard pitch notation (ASPN) and international pitch notation (IPN), is a method of specifying musical pitch by combining a musical note name (with accidental if needed) and a number id ...

. The song contains chord progressions that follow a D♭-B♭m-E♭-A♭ pattern in the verses and whenever she sings "Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight". Upon completing the lyrical component of "Santa Baby", Philip Springer expressed his dissatisfaction with its content. During a meeting with a group of music publishers in 1953, Springer warned them: "Gentlemen, this is not really the kind of music that I like to write. I hope it's OK. It's the best I could do."

Critical reception

In a 2019 poll created by ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'', Kitt's version of "Santa Baby" was voted the ninth "most annoying festive song" by British listeners.

Commercial performance

According to ''Billboard'', "Santa Baby" was the best-selling Christmas song of 1953, mostly due to the controversy surrounding it. RCA Victor, Kitt's label at the time, referred to the single as "far more than a seasonal success ..but a further tribute to Eartha's art – for, as each of us desires, she can make every day of the year seem like Christmas". On the US ''Billboard'' Best Selling Singles chart, "Santa Baby" debuted at number 16 before rising to number ten the following week, ultimately peaking at number 4. On November 21, 1953, ''Billboard'' reported that the single had sold 200,000 copies, which the magazine called surprising: "Unlike many other Christmas tunes it has broken the deejays' 'We won't play Christmas records in November' sound barrier, and has been getting loads of airtime." "Santa Baby" entered several of the ''

'' charts in the twenty-first century. In 2005, the song had its best week on the

Digital Songs The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally star ...

chart, reaching number 28 in the month of December. It returned to the chart in December 2007, when it re-entered at number 59. During the week of December 21, 2012, "Santa Baby" peaked at number 11 on ''Billboard''s seasonal Holiday Digital Song Sales chart in the United States. In total, the single has spent 101 weeks ranking on the chart. It also reached the similar Holiday Streaming Songs chart where it peaked at number 6. On December 9, 2008, the mastertone recording of "Santa Baby" received a gold certification from the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

, denoting shipments of 500,000 copies or more.

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyou ...

reported that "Santa Baby" is one of the holiday season's most popular ringtones, and that it in addition to six other holiday songs have sold an accumulated 2.3 million units in one year later. The ''Billboard''-published Ringtones chart later listed Kitt's version of the song peaking at number 6 in December 2010. According to the German database '' Statista'', Kitt's version of "Santa Baby" has sold 620,000 copies in the United States as of 2014. In later years, the track found more success and entered the

s in several countries other than the United States. According to Springer, the retrospective success of "Santa Baby" was completely unexpected. In an interview with the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'', he said: "I ask myself, ‘How come?' I've written so many songs that, to me, musically are much better than 'Santa Baby', and they're not popular. The answer has to be that 'Santa Baby' has a magic that goes beyond a composer's plans." In Canada, the single reached number 43 on the Digital Song Sales chart in 2007 and peaked at number 42 in 2008. In the United Kingdom, Kitt's version of "Santa Baby" debuted on the

in 2007, when it hit number 85. It had previously reached number 30 on the accompanying

UK Singles Downloads Chart The UK Singles Downloads Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the music industry. Since July 2015, the chart week runs from Friday to Thursday, with the chart date given as the following Thursday. The main chart con ...

in 2006. The single had its best-performing period during the last week of 2019 when it re-entered the main chart at number 55, its highest peak to date. The

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...

later awarded "Santa Baby" a gold certification, signifying certified units of 400,000 copies. In France, the single debuted with a peak of number 92 on December 28, 2013; it dropped to 113 the following week but rose to 96 the week after that, marking its last appearance overall. "Santa Baby" also charted in Germany and Switzerland and positions 73 in 2018 and 94 in 2019, respectively.

Impact and legacy

Following the mixed reception that music critics gave to "Santa Baby" in 1953, Springer and Javits reworked the song completely for the upcoming year. In 1954, Kitt recorded a new holiday song titled "This Year's Santa Baby", featuring new lyrics but identical songwriter credits. The publishing company who handled the song's legal matters promoted the new release by distributing "Santa Baby"-themed apparel, in addition to releasing country pop and children-specific versions of the song. Rob LeDonne from ''Billboard'' called "Santa Baby" one of the "most recognizable non-traditional yuletide recordings" in a piece commemorating its 65th anniversary. In 2019, Kelly O'Sullivan of ''

Country Living ''Country Living'' is an American lifestyle and home magazine published by the Hearst Corporation since 1978. The monthly magazine focuses on food, home renovation, home decor, DIY and lifestyle. The magazine hosts four Country Living Fairs a ye ...

'' ranked "Santa Baby" at number 56 on her list of the "60 Best Christmas Songs". On August 4, 1989, ''Billboard'' released ''Christmas Greatest Hits 1935-1954'', a collection of 10 popular Christmas tracks in the United States, in which "Santa Baby" was included in the track listing. Kitt has since featured "Santa Baby" on several of her

compilation albums A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...

in her discography. She also reprised the tune for her seventh studio album, '' Revisited'' (1960), and her first live album, ''Eartha Kitt at Tivoli'' (1962). In later years, it appeared on catalog albums such as ''Eartha Kitt'' (1979), ''At Her Very Best'' (1981), ''The Best of Eartha Kitt'' (1982), ''Mink Shmink'' (1989), ''Eartha-Quake'' (1993), ''After Dark'' (1995), ''That Seductive Eartha'' (1996), ''The Ultimate Collection'' (1996), ''Purr-Fect: Greatest Hits'' (1999), ''Greatest Hits'' (2000), ''Legendary'' (2001), and ''Heavenly Eartha'' (2002).

Track listings and formats

United States and Canada 7" single # "Santa Baby" – 3:22 # " Under the Bridges of Paris" – 2:40 United States promotional 10" single # "Santa Baby" – 3:22 # "Under the Bridges of Paris" – 2:40 United Kingdom and Denmark 7" single (1954) # "Santa Baby" – 3:22 # " Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)" – 3:11 Italy 7" single (1957) # "Santa Baby" – 3:22 # "Thursday's Child" – 4:00 United States 7" limited edition single (1987) # "

" – 3:01 # "Santa Baby" – 3:22

Charts

Certifications

Madonna version

recorded a cover of "Santa Baby" for the 1987

charity album A charity record or charity single is a song released by musicians with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. George Harrison's " Bangla Desh" single in 1971 is commonly acknowledged as the first ever purpose-mad ...

'' A Very Special Christmas''. It was released on November 12, 1987, by

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

. Caroline Framke from '' the A.V. Club'' argued that Madonna's version increased the popularity of the song, initiating an "explosion of covers and parodies ofollow". When asked about his thoughts on Madonna's cover, Phil Springer said he was happy she covered the original Kitt rendition instead of the revised "This Year's Santa Baby" from 1954. Randall Norberts from the ''

'' insisted that "Madonna was the perfect adapter for the song when she recorded it in 1987", comparing the lyrical messages between "Santa Baby" and her 1985 single "

Material Girl "Material Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album, '' Like a Virgin'' (1984). It was released on November 30, 1984, by the Sire label as the second single from ''Like a Virgin''. It also appears slightly ...

". After the release of Madonna's "Santa Baby" in 1987, the song became licensed and was used in various theatrical releases and television series, such as ''

Driving Miss Daisy '' Driving Miss Daisy'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford and written by Alfred Uhry, based on his 1987 play of the same name. The film stars Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, and Dan Aykroyd. Freeman reprised his r ...

'' (1989), ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

'' (1999), and '' Elf'' (2003).

Musical structure

In Madonna's version of "Santa Baby", the singer heightened her range by half of an octave in order to "reach the aggressively cutesy 'baby voice' that the song has come to be associated with".

Critical reception

Madonna's cover of "Santa Baby" was met with divided opinions from music critics. The staff at '' BlackBook'' gave a positive review, finding Madonna's version to contain "a sense of humor she's long since replaced". According to Framke from ''the A.V. Club'' wrote of the song: "There is no Christmas song more polarizing than 'Santa Baby'". She stated that part of the song's commercial appeal stems from its sexual implications and claimed that although Kitt's version contained sensual vocals, Madonna's version is what "cranked the sex appeal up to 11". It was also reported by Framke that Kitt was displeased with Madonna's cover of her single. During a live performance of "Santa Baby" years after Madonna's version was released, Kitt was quoted saying: "I used to have a lot of fun with this song, and then Madonna sang it". In his review for ''Kansas Pitch'', David Cantwell said "Madonna's recording of 'Santa Boy' is so lame that it actually succeeds in making the phrase 'merry Christmas' seem like a contradiction in terms". Xavier Piedra from ''Billboard'' included Madonna's version in an unranked list of the top ten best covers of "Santa Baby". His review stated: "This cover from the legendary pop singer is guaranteed to be stuck in your head, and on your holiday playlist, for days." Paris Close, also a writer for ''Billboard'', included the cover in her list of "15 Songs For an LGBTQ Holiday Kiki" and claimed its sex appeal would be enough to "spice up any occasion".

Chart performance

Many years after its initial release, Madonna's version of "Santa Baby" entered various holiday-centric charts in the United States. On the main Holiday 100 chart, it peaked at number 44 in December 2011 during its fourth and final week. On the Holiday Airplay chart compiled by ''Billboard'', it peaked at number 24 during the week ending December 13, 2003, marking Madonna's first entry on that chart. It spent a total of 11 non-consecutive weeks among the Holiday Airplay chart. In the United States, "Santa Baby" did not enter ''Billboard''s

chart, but rather the Holiday Digital Song Sales component chart. In 2010, the song peaked at number 46; in total, her cover spent three weeks tallied on the chart. ''Statista'' reported in 2014 that Madonna's cover of "Santa Baby" has sold 270,000 copies in the United States.

Charts

Kylie Minogue version

Background and release

originally recorded a cover of "Santa Baby" in 2000. It was used as the B-side to her single " Please Stay", from her seventh studio album '' Light Years'' (2000), on select physical releases in 2000. A promotional

CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any s ...

for "Santa Baby" was distributed by

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...

in the United Kingdom in December 2000, with "Please Stay" as a bonus track. A different promotional CDR was released on August 21, 2003, by Parlophone, in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. Minogue's version of "Santa Baby" was produced by Chong Lim and credited Javits and Phillip Springer as the writers. In November 2010, the cover was included on Minogue's

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

'' A Kylie Christmas'', alongside a newly recorded cover of " Let It Snow". She released a different holiday-themed extended play in Europe titled '' A Christmas Gift'', which featured two tracks from her eleventh studio album ''

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols incl ...

'' (2010) and closed with "Santa Baby". On November 13, 2015, Minogue released her thirteenth studio album, and first Christmas album, titled ''

Kylie Christmas ''Kylie Christmas'' is the thirteenth studio album, and first Christmas album, by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on 13 November 2015 by Parlophone. Following the release of her twelfth studio album, ''Kiss Me Once'', Minogue an ...

''. Her cover of "Santa Baby" was included in the project's track listing with Steve Anderson, the album's

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...

, being attributed as an additional producer. ''The A.V. Club''s Caroline Framke compared Minogue's cover to Madonna's, suggesting that they channel similar "inner pin-up girl .

Critical reception

In 2018, ''

''s Xavier Piedra listed Minogue's cover in a list of the ten best covers of "Santa Baby", writing: "Kylie Minogue's 'Santa Baby' cover remains very true to the original track. ..This cover truly is an updated version of the classic that will not disappoint." Piedra also praised Minogue's vocal delivery for embodying the "cheekiness" of Kitt's original version. The ''

Herald Sun The ''Herald Sun'' is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of the Murdoch owned News Corp. The ''Herald ...

''s Cameron Adams described Minogue's version as an "old school, feel-good festive fave".

Commercial performance

With the inclusion of streaming data in chart tabulations in the late 2010s, Minogue's version of "Santa Baby" attained most of its commercial success nearly two decades after its initial release. It charted in Australia and various European countries. In the former region, Minogue's cover spent one week on the

ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

. After the release of ''A Kylie Christmas'', "Santa Baby" debuted at number 85 for the week of December 27, 2010; her cover of "Let It Snow", the other track on ''A Kylie Christmas'', charted closely to "Santa Baby" at number 89. In Germany, "Santa Baby" reached number 60 on the

German Singles Chart The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...

. It also appeared on the

Dutch Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Du ...

chart in the Netherlands, where it peaked at number 68. In Denmark, Minogue's cover did not reach the country's top 40 singles chart, but was issued a Gold certification from

International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...

for shipments of 45,000 copies in that country. On the streaming component chart in Hungary, Minogue's cover of "Santa Baby" hit number 27. In Switzerland and on Sweden's Heatseeker chart, the song peaked at numbers 57 and 10, respectively. Her cover achieved its highest-peaking position in the United Kingdom during the 2020–2021

holiday season The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late November ...

. On their

singles chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include rec ...

, it debuted on the list dated December 16, 2007, at number 93, the same week that Kitt's original version entered at number 85. Minogue's cover later reached number 38 during the week of December 29, 2017, becoming Minogue's fiftieth top 40 entry, collectively. It reached a new peak at number 31 on the chart dated January 1, 2021. Her cover made a second appearance on the chart in 2010 when it was paired as a double A-side single with "Let It Snow"; the dual single charted at number 188 on Christmas Day. As of December 2019, her cover had sold 330,000 copies in the United Kingdom. It went on to receive a Platinum certification from the

in December 2021, denoting combined sales and shipments figures of 600,000 copies. In Ireland, her cover charted at number 52 in 2017 on the country's official single chart. It reappeared at number 56 the following year, which led Jack White from the Official Charts Company to predict that it would reach the top 50 in Ireland during 2019. It also entered the Ö3 Austria singles chart, peaking at number 67 during the chart dated January 4, 2019. As of 2021, Minogue's version of "Santa Baby" has earned in excess of £417,000 in streaming revenue.

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of "Santa Baby". *

performer * Joan Javitswriter * Philip Springerwriter * Chong Limproducer, arranger * Steve Andersonvocal production * Doug Bradyengineer, mixer

Charts

Certifications

Release history

Kellie Pickler version

Background and release

In 2007, American singer

Kellie Pickler Kellie Dawn Pickler (born June 28, 1986) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and television personality. Pickler gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of ''American Idol'' and finished in sixth place. In 2006, she signed ...

recorded a cover of "Santa Baby" for the

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...

-themed compilation album, ''Hear Something Country Christmas''. The song was released for digital download and

streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content i ...

in North and South America on September 18, 2007, through

19 Recordings 19 Recordings Inc. (registered in the United Kingdom as 19 Recordings Ltd.) is a New York-based record label owned by 19 Entertainment. Founded in London by British entrepreneur Simon Fuller in 1999 as the music division of 19 Entertainment, the ...

. Following the album's release, the song was distributed as a promotional

in the United States by BNA Records and Sony BMG Nashville in 2007. The CD featured three different

radio edit In music, a radio edit or radio mix is a modification, typically truncated or censored, intended to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form. Radio edits may als ...

versions of the song, including one with a cold ending. Pickler's cover of "Santa Baby" was produced by

Blake Chancey Blake Chancey (born September 11, 1962) is an American record producer and music business executive, known primarily for his work in country music. Formerly an executive vice president and chief creative officer for Sony Music, he later formed a ...

and mastered by

Joseph M. Palmaccio Joseph M. Palmaccio also credited as Joe Palmaccio was an American mastering engineer born in rural South Carolina. Palmaccio has been nominated for six Grammy Awards and has won 4 in the Best Historical Album category for mastering. Those projec ...

at The Place... For Mastering studios in

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...

. Pickler's version of "Santa Baby" was described as a sultry Christmas song with a "classic arrangement fhorns". According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, her cover is set in the

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...

of common time and has a moderately slow

of 86 beats per minute. The key of the song is in

G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable com ...

and Pickler's vocal range advances in the

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

of G–Em–Am–D. Her voice spans one octave, from D₄ to D₅. Pickler's cover also made an appearance on the compilation ''

Now That's What I Call a Country Christmas ''Now That's What I Call a Country Christmas'' is a compilation album released on October 6, 2009, as part of the (US) ''Now That's What I Call Music! ''Now That's What I Call Music!'' (often shortened to ''Now!'') is a series of various a ...

'' (2009) and the

, ''

A Very Special Christmas 7 ''A Very Special Christmas 7'' is a collection of Christmas songs covered by current artists. The compilation album is the seventh in the '' A Very Special Christmas'' series of albums. The album was released on November 23, 2009, and proceeds fr ...

'' (2009). Proceeds from the latter album's sales benefitted

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in ...

. In 2010, Pickler was invited to appear as a guest musical act on the inaugural '' CMA Country Christmas''

television special A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of e ...

. For the appearance, she performed her cover of "Santa Baby" while dressed in a red dress "and matching gloves". A contributor to the ''Country Music Family'' website lauded Pickler's performance, calling it enjoyable and fun to watch. They also enjoyed her vocals, writing that she "used the song to display her talents as a vocalist". David Drew from

WUBE-FM WUBE-FM (105.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a country music radio format. Licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio, it is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. WUBE-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 14,500 watts. It broadcasts using HD Radio t ...

referred to this performance of "Santa Baby" by Pickler as the song's official music video. On December 15, 2013, Pickler uploaded a promotional audio clip of the song to her

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

channel.

Reception

Pickler's cover of "Santa Baby" was frequently labeled a standout by critics. Lea Weatherby from Mic included her version in a playlist of the best country Christmas songs. After listing several other covers of the song, she wrote: "Though Pickler had some pretty big boots to fill, this rendition gives the song the wholesome, southern charm it needed." Eric Cornish from

WKDQ WKDQ (99.5 FM) is a country music formatted radio station in Henderson, Kentucky radio market, broadcasting to Evansville, Indiana. The owner is Townsquare Media. History Begun by Hecht Lackey, owner of WSON (860 AM), the station received the ...

liked her cover, calling it hot. Drew also liked the song, finding it to be cute and including it on his annual list of "12 Days of Christmas Music". In 2012, Sterling Whitaker from ''Taste of Country'' named Pickler's version as one of the "Top 50 Country Christmas Songs" of all time. He called the song sexy, and sultry, and appreciated the classic-style arrangements. Pickler's cover of "Santa Baby" reached two ''Billboard'' charts in the US. On December 8, 2007, the song debuted at number 49 on the

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sa ...

chart, becoming the week's second-highest new entry after

's cover of " Last Christmas" (2007), which debuted at number 48. After rising for five weeks, it peaked at number 33 on the issue dated January 5, 2008. The song's performance was replicated exactly on the

Country Airplay Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990. This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...

chart. On both charts, the song spent a total of six weeks appearing. As of December 2014, her version has sold approximately 140,000 digital downloads in the US.

Track listings and formats

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Hear Something Country Christmas'' and Tidal. *

performer * Joan Javitscomposer, lyricist * Phil Springercomposer, lyricist * Tony Springercomposer, lyricist *

producer *

mastering

Charts

Release history

Taylor Swift version

recorded a cover of "Santa Baby" for her first extended play, '' The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection'' (2007).

Reception

Dan MacIntosh from '' Country Standard Time'' liked Swift's cover, calling her version "sexy".

Charts

Michael Bublé version

recorded a cover of "Santa Baby" for his seventh studio album, ''

'' (2011). Bublé's version made extensive changes to the lyrics, including saying "Santa Buddy", "Santa Pally" and "Santa Poppy" instead of "Santa Baby". Richard Evans from '' Best Life'' included Bublé's version of "Santa Baby" in his list of "The Most Hated Christmas Songs of All Time", primarily for the changes in lyrics to ensure "everyone knows he is not attracted to Santa". Steve Eighinger listed Bublé's cover as number 6 on his list of the worst Christmas songs ever made.

Composition and structure

According to Musicnotes.com, Bublé's version has a

with a 12/8 feel and has a moderately slow

of 96

. The key of the song is in

F major F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor. The F major scale is: : F major is ...

, with Bublé's vocal range spanning from A₂ to C₄ in

. The song progresses in the chord progressions of F–F/A–C in the first verses, followed by F-F/A-G-C.

Charts

Certifications

Ariana Grande version

On November 6, 2013,

announced via

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

she would be releasing new music each week leading up to Christmas. On the fourth and final week she released a cover of "Santa Baby", which features Grande's former ''

Victorious ''Victorious'' (stylized as ''VICTORiOUS'') is an American sitcom created by Dan Schneider that originally aired on Nickelodeon, debuting on March 27, 2010, and concluding on February 2, 2013 after four seasons. The series revolves around asp ...

'' co-star Elizabeth Gillies. It was distributed to digital retailers such as Amazon Music on December 10, 2013. It was then placed as the fourth and closing track to her first extended play, '' Christmas Kisses'', which was released the same week.

Critical reception

Grande's version of "Santa Baby" received largely positive reviews from music critics. Jocelyn Vena from

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

enjoyed Grande's take on "Santa Baby", comparing it with Kitt's original version. Carolyn Menyes from ''Music Times'' ranked it as the best song on ''Christmas Kisses'', awarding particular praise to its production and Grande and Gillies's chemistry. However, Menyes felt the mix of their vocals together could have been improved. ''Billboard''s Piedra described the collaboration as a "fun duet" and an "experience like no other".

Chart performance

Grande's collaboration with Gillies enjoyed commercial success in several countries, reaching number 36 on the Holiday 100 in the United States.

Track listing

Charts

Trisha Yearwood version

Background

Trisha Yearwood recorded a cover of "Santa Baby" for her collaborative album with husband

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

, '' Christmas Together'' (2016). The project was first unveiled in mid-October 2016 and was billed as the couple's first collaborative album, consisting of a combination of duets and solo works from both Yearwood and Brooks. "Santa Baby" does not feature a guest performance from Brooks but Yearwood is joined by Tania Hancheroff, Jon Mark Ivey, Shane McConnell, Lisa Silver, and Kira Small who provide backing vocals. Her cover, along with the rest of ''Christmas Together'' was released on November 11, 2016, by Gwendolyn Records and Brook's personal label, Pearl Records. Brooks' long-time collaborator Mark Miller produced the track. Yearwood performed the track along with a cover of " Hard Candy Christmas" for the 2017

'' CMA Country Christmas''.

Reception

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''s Raphael Chestang wrote that "Yearwood shines on 'Santa Baby'", while a staff member at the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

was glad that Yearwood had fun while recording the track. A writer for KNCI provided a positive review of Yearwood's cover, calling it "fun and flirty". MacIntosh from ''Country Standard Time'' agreed, lauding her vocals: "Yearwood sounds like a truly sexy hotty". Christopher Bohlsen from '' Renowned for Sound'', on the other hand, panned the track, claiming that "Yearwood makes the mistake of trying to make Christmas sexy". He also compared it unfavorably to her cover of "Hard Candy Christmas" on ''Christmas Together'', calling "Santa Baby" the weaker of the two songs. In the United States, Yearwood's version of "Santa Baby" was released to

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

radio stations. It reached ''Billboard''s weekly

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

chart, peaking at number 18 on January 6, 2017. It became her third entry on the chart and second-highest-charting effort after her cover of " Broken" peaked at number 17 in 2016. It also charted on ''Billboard''s

chart at number 60 during that same week.

Charts

Gwen Stefani version

Development and release

Following the release of her third studio album '' This Is What the Truth Feels Like'' (2016),

announced in July 2017 that she had plans to release new music by the end of the year. She did not provide further details, but several publications speculated in August 2017 that Stefani's new material would be Christmas-related due to song titles such as "Christmas Eve", " Under the Christmas Lights", and " You Make It Feel Like Christmas" becoming registered on the two music databases, BMI and GEMA. On September 18, 2017, she took to her social media accounts and claimed that she "had something big planned for the holidays", and that more information would follow. The next day, Stefani announced her next studio album, '' You Make It Feel Like Christmas'', as well as the track listing, which revealed a cover of "Santa Baby" as the album's ninth track. One week prior to the release of ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'', Stefani's cover of "Santa Baby" was released as a promotional single. In the United States,

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...

released it for digital download and streaming on September 29, 2017. In Italy, it was released to radio stations on December 8, 2017, as the album's first single in that country. Stefani's version was produced by

busbee Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his work in both po ...

and Eric Valentine, with Javits, Philip Springer, and Tony Springer (credited as Anthony Fred Springer in the album's liner notes) were listed as the songwriters. Her cover was engineered by Valentine, mixed by Dave Clauss, and Jonathan Sterling served as assistant engineer. Laura Mace, Monet Owens, and Dolly Sparks provided background vocals for the track with arrangements from Grace Potter. Sal Cinquemani from ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...

'' described the style of Stefani's version as a hybrid of Kitt's original slow rendition and the revised uptempo one. Regarding her decision to cover "Santa Baby" for ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'', Stefani explained: "I haven't done many covers in my career, but this song feels like a perfect fit. What an extraordinary talent Phil Springer is. Eartha Kitt is so full of personality. This song must have been unbelievably edgy when it came out, and it still is." "Santa Baby" was performed twice by Stefani during the 2017 holiday season. As part of a promotional campaign for ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'', Stefani appeared as a guest or performed on various television series in the US. On the November 20, 2017, episode of NBC's ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'', Stefani was featured as a guest and performed "Santa Baby", "When I Was a Little Girl", and "

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

" to the studio audience. For the appearance, she wore a sleeveless white gown adorned by a dangly feather boa and sparkly jewelry. The same day, the taping of her mini concert was posted to Stefani's official YouTube channel and her separate Vevo account. The second time Stefani sang "Christmas Eve", she performed it on her Christmas

'' Gwen Stefani's You Make It Feel Like Christmas'', which was broadcast to NBC on December 12, 2017. She performed the song ahead of "Christmas Eve" and wore a sparkly Santa Claus-inspired outfit. Stefani was later joined by a Claus lookalike at the end of the performance. Emily Krauser from ''

'' enjoyed the outfit, saying that she "absolutely slay-belled the fashion game" during the special. The full video of "Santa Baby" from Stefani's televised special was uploaded to her YouTube channel on December 30, 2017.

Reception

Piedra from ''Billboard'' lauded Stefani's cover, stating that it "works perfectly with her incredibly unique voice". He also placed it within an unranked list of the ten best covers of "Santa Baby". David Smyth, a writer for London's ''Evening Standard'', enjoyed Stefani's version "Santa Baby" and highlighted it as one of the stronger offerings on ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas''. Roberts from the ''Los Angeles Times'' also approved of this version, calling it a "thoroughly modern take" and containing elements of both Kitt's version and Madonna's cover. Following its promotional release in the United States, "Santa Baby" entered the Holiday Digital Song Sales chart in the US. On the edition for the week ending October 20, 2017, the song debuted and peaked at number 7, becoming the second-highest new entry from Stefani on that particular chart. Overall, it was her third highest-peaking song and one of sixteen consecutive top 40 hits on the chart. In Canada, Stefani's cover was sent to holiday radio playlists, allowing it to enter the country's Adult Contemporary chart in January 2018. It peaked at number 38, the same week that three other Stefani songs ("You Make It Feel Like Christmas" and her covers of "

Jingle Bells "Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and most commonly sung American songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857. It has been claimed t ...

" and " White Christmas") were ranked on the chart.

Track listing

Charts

Release history

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control 1953 singles 1953 songs 2010 singles 2011 singles 2013 singles 2015 singles 2016 singles 2017 singles American Christmas songs Ariana Grande songs Christmas novelty songs Colbie Caillat songs Comedy songs Eartha Kitt songs Elizabeth Gillies songs Gwen Stefani songs Interscope Records singles K. Michelle songs Kellie Pickler songs Kylie Minogue songs LeAnn Rimes songs Macy Gray songs Madonna songs Michael Bublé songs Obscenity controversies in music RCA Victor singles Republic Records singles RuPaul songs Songs about Santa Claus Songs with lyrics by Philip Springer Sugababes songs Taylor Swift songs Trisha Yearwood songs Versa (band) songs