From carols to winter music - from the modern era to the contemporary age

Hello, music lovers! Mr. Moore here, with the third part of our series exploring the history of Christmas carols and Christmas music. Previously, we discussed Antiquity and the Middle Ages, followed by the Victorian era; this time, we will talk about the modern era, all the way to the contemporary period. Let’s begin.

From the 1920s onward, winter songs transformed alongside the world around them. New technologies introduced different sounds. Radio changed how people listened to music. Films carried melodies farther and wider. Later on, everything crossed borders through a popular culture that reached everywhere. According to academic studies on Christmas published by Oxford, after 1900, choirs no longer remained confined within church walls, and seasonal music began circulating in public and media spaces.

In the early years of the 20th century, carols still remained rooted in religious customs and shared moments. Publications such as The New Yorker often mentioned Christmas songs as a form of gathering and social cohesion, rather than simply a musical genre. Materials collected by the Library of Congress suggest that the press of the time viewed carols as rhythms of collective life, meant to preserve a sense of unity after war and economic collapse.

Around 1940 or shortly thereafter, winter melodies began appearing everywhere—on the radio and in films. Some of them were not carols in the strict sense, but rather seasonal songs. Snowy landscapes, childhood memories, or people gathered around the tree—this is what most of them were about. Religious themes continued to exist, but were increasingly complemented by images of family life and domestic comfort. Scholars studying musical evolution suggest that this is when the modern form of the Christmas song, as we recognize it today, took shape.

As the years passed, the sound of Christmas music gradually evolved. By the mid-1950s, some specialists noted that these melodies increasingly blended religious tradition with popular elements. The rise of commercial radio stations, the popularity of vinyl records, and later television brought music into many homes. As a result, different versions emerged—jazz-influenced harmonies, rich orchestral arrangements, or fresh lyrics, even as the spirit of the holiday remained the same.

Toward the late 1970s and early 1980s, things began to change once again. Not only were modern sounds entering homes, but the way winter music was created was also gradually transforming. Somewhere between driving rhythms and synthesizer sounds, newly written songs began to stand alongside older versions. Artists who had previously performed classical compositions or standards turned toward original creation. Former members of The Beatles played an important role. When John Lennon released “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” he blended a desire for peace with the atmosphere of Christmas Eve. The song is warm, yet it speaks about the outside world. Though it may seem simple, it carries a heavy message. From that moment on, Christmas songs were no longer just cheerful or strictly religious—some began to reflect the tensions and anxieties of the times. By contrast, Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” relies on a playful tone. Its sound is pop-based, marked by the synthesizers characteristic of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Still, both songs return year after year in December. Though they bear little resemblance to traditional carols, we hear them constantly, sometimes without realizing why they endure.

In the 1990s, the direction remained largely the same. Pop artists began releasing winter albums almost every December. The songs spoke about love, deep emotions, and the quiet of a home filled with lights. Group carol singing gradually lost ground in urban spaces. Radio played these songs nonstop. Stores repeated them endlessly. Homes filled with them through cassette tapes and CDs. Few people still felt the need to sing them on their own.

Today, winter sounds resemble a garden full of different colors. Thousands of creators—from pop to experimental electronic music—release songs coming either from the West Coast or from lesser-known neighborhoods of major cities. Some evoke past times, others dance among memes and viral videos. In the background, notes sung fifty years ago reappear in new forms, sometimes oddly decorated, other times almost unchanged. Tradition does not stand still. Reinvention does not ask for permission.

Happy New Year! See you on the flipside.

— Mr. Moore

Selection: 

https://retrospace.ro/ro/pop-pop-rock/15777-berdien-stenberg-christmas.html

https://retrospace.ro/ro/compilatii/18252-various-christmas-at-the-patti.html

https://retrospace.ro/ro/hip-hop-rap/24617-james-last-christmas-dancing.html

Sources: 

https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34256/chapter-abstract/290414246?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false

https://www.britannica.com/art/carol?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://news.vt.edu/articles/2025/12/christmas-songs-carols-history-music-expert-singer.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com