A Holly Jolly Christmas - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964 TV special) (Burl Ives) - MP3 instrumental karaoke

Even the frostiest of Grinches will be full of holiday cheer after spinning this rosy-cheeked ode to "the best time of year." The late American entertainer Burl Ives bottled the essence of Christmas: he was the voice of Sam the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in the 1964 Christmas television special. Penned by Johnny Marks, who amassed a festive repertoire of hits that included "Holly Jolly Christmas," among other gems, the recording that became ubiquitous during the festive season was released as a single in its own right in November 1964 (with "Snow for Johnny" on the B-side) featuring an acoustic guitar intro and a slower tempo. That track – one of the Top 25 most-performed holiday songs written by ASCAP members, for the first five years of the 21st century – was included on Burl Ives' 1965 Christmas album Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, also a staple of the holiday period.