The many lives of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
EPISODE 399
The first time you hear "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," it probably registers as just another cheery holiday standard. But hiding within this seemingly simple song is a remarkable story of American transformation - musical, technological, and social. Each time artists reimagine the song over its 90-year history, they leave an imprint not just of their own style, but of their entire cultural moment.
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Produced by Jake Cassman
Artists Discussed
Eddie Cantor
Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
The Crystals
Ella Fitzgerald
Fred Astaire
The Jackson Five
Bruce Springsteen
Justin Bieber