"Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himber, it has been covered by over 200 different artists. Its lyrics are about a couple's romance during the winter season. A later version of "Winter Wonderland" (which was printed in 1947) included a "new children's lyric" that transformed it "from a romantic winter interlude to a seasonal song about playing in the snow". The snowman mentioned in the song's bridge was changed from Parson Brown to a circus clown, and the promises the couple made in the final verse were replaced with lyrics about frolicking. Singers like Johnny Mathis connected both versions, adding a verse and chorus.

History

Smith, a native of Honesdale, Pennsylvania, was reportedly inspired to write the lyrics after seeing Honesdale's Central Park covered in snow. He wrote the lyrics while being treated for tuberculosis in the West Mountain Sanitarium in Scranton. The song was originally recorded in 1934 for RCA Victor. At the end of a different recording session by Himber and his Hotel Ritz-Carlton Orchestra, with extra time to spare, RCA Victor suggested arranging and recording "Winter Wonderland" using some additional members of its own orchestra, which included Artie Shaw and other established New York City studio musicians. Guy Lombardo’s version that same year would go on to be one of the biggest hits of 1934. In 1946, Perry Como recorded the song on his album Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music. In Johnny Mathis' version, heard on his 1958 LP Merry Christmas, the introduction is sung between the first and the second refrain. In 1960, Ella Fitzgerald recorded a jazz arrangement of the song for her Verve release, Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas. In 1963, Phil Spector recorded a energetically paced version of the song, employing his characteristic Wall of Sound production technique for the A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector album. Darlene Love performed lead vocals. In 1968, Tony Bennett recorded the song on his album Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album. He recorded it again in a duet with Lady Gaga in 2014. In 1971, Elvis Presley recorded the song on his album Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas. In 1999, Ringo Starr recorded the song on his album I Wanna Be Santa Claus. In 2023, Chlöe covered the song for Amazon Music as part of their Amazon Original Music series. The cover peaked at number 87 on Billboard Hot 100, making her version of the song the first to enter the chart. In 2023, Laufey covered the song for Spotify as part of their Spotify Singles Holiday series. The cover became the highest-charting version of the song in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Awards and achievements

Guy Lombardo's version was the highest on the charts at the time of introduction. Johnny Mercer's version of the song placed #4 on the Billboard airplay chart in 1946. The same season, a version by Perry Como hit the retail top ten; Como would re-record the song for his 1959 Christmas album. In November 2007, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) listed "Winter Wonderland" as the most-played ASCAP-member-written holiday song of the previous five years, and the Eurythmics' 1987 version as the one most commonly played. In December 2023, Chlöe's version was the first version to enter the Hot 100 ever and Laufey's version became the highest-charting version of the song in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Charts

Tony Bennett version

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga version

Bing Crosby version

Michael Bublé version

Darlene Love version

Chlöe version

Laufey version

Certifications

Tony Bennett

Michael Bublé

Bing Crosby

Darlene Love