From crackly records to streaming play-lists, Christmas music has been the soundtrack to Kiwi celebrations for more than a century. These festive favourites reflect the spirit and sound of their time. From Bing Crosby spinning on vinyl to Michael Bublé crooning while the pavlova chills, here’s how Yuletime music evolved…
1920s
Jazz-age jingles
The roaring twenties introduced festive cheer to gramophones and dance halls. Early seasonal recordings often leaned into the lively styles of the era – jaunty orchestras, ragtime rhythms and the first experiments with novelty Christmas tunes. Imported records were a treat in New Zealand at the time, so any festive music that made it down here felt like a luxury.
1930s
Radio classics
Families gathered around the wireless for comfort during the Depression and the radio became the hub of festive entertainment. New global hits like Winter Wonderland and Santa Claus is Coming to Town emerged mid-decade, and quickly joined seasonal broadcasts. Closer to home, local choirs and carol concerts grew in popularity in churches, halls and town squares – traditions that still ring on.
1940s
Wartime wishes
With World War II touching every corner of Kiwi life, Christmas took on a tender note. Bing Crosby’s White Christmas (1942) became the era’s defining song, offering longing and reassurance to millions, including Kiwis serving overseas. After the war, Nat King Cole’s rich recording of The Christmas Song (1946) added a touch of elegance to family celebrations back home.
1950s
Golden age of cheer
As prosperity returned, crooners ruled the season. Perry Como and Dean Martin delivered cosy Christmas charm, while Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (1958) brought a burst of youthful energy. Here at home, the NZ Broadcasting Service aired special festive programmes, and imported vinyl arrived in record shops – treasured additions to our living-room soundtracks.
1960s
Soulful seasons
The sixties brought new colour. Elvis Presley’s Blue Christmas, still hugely popular, offered rock ’n’ roll sultriness. Motown artists – from the Supremes to Stevie Wonder – released soulful seasonal albums that added warmth and rhythm to festive playlists. Transistor radios were becoming household staples, making music more portable and the Christmas spirit easier to carry to the beach.
1970s
Glitter and glam
Big choruses, big hair and big festive energy. The UK delivered pure sparkle with Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody (1973), Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (1973), and Sir Elton John’s vibrant Step Into Christmas (1974). In New Zealand, outdoor carol evenings and school concerts became seasonal fixtures – fairy lights, picnic blankets and long summer evenings making them uniquely ours.
1980s
Pop power
Synthesisers, shoulder pads and classics with staying power. Wham!’s Last Christmas (1984) became an instant favourite, while Band Aid’s Do They Know it’s Christmas? (1984) brought global attention to famine relief and cemented charity singles as a cultural moment. Closer to home, Kiwi kids gleefully performed A Pu¯keko in a Ponga Tree (1981), our playful take on The Twelve Days of Christmas.
1990s
Pop perfection
Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You (1994) changed the festive game. Sparkly, joyful and endlessly replayable, it built a new era of modern Christmas pop. Its summery energy fits perfectly into Kiwi Christmases – opening presents in the sun, long lunches and backyard games.
2000s
to now – streaming & smooth vibes
Michael Bublé revived the crooner tradition with his blockbuster 2011 Christmas album. A new generation followed: Ariana Grande with modern pop sparkle and local favourites like Sol3 Mio (A Very Merry Christmas, 2017), and artists like Op Shop, Hollie Smith and Shona Laing joined together for Merry Christmas Baby in 2009 to raise money for Plunket.
Classic kiwi chart-toppers
We have our own festive favourites that make the season feel unmistakably ours. Our first-ever Christmas service was held by Samuel Marsden in the Bay of Islands in 1814. These days, A Pu¯keko in a Ponga Tree, Reverend Kingi M. Ihaka’s playful take on The Twelve Days of Christmas that has been a school-concert favourite since the early 1980s.
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa’s Christmas with Kiri brings timeless elegance to living rooms, while Sol3 Mio’s A Very Merry Christmas also adds operatic flair to modern gatherings. We’ve also embraced a few quirky imports – none more so than Snoopy’s Christmas, which became an unlikely New Zealand classic after topping our charts in the late 1960s. And in recent years, we have offered a sun-soaked twist on traditional carols, such as Air NZ’s Summer Wonderland, starring Julian Dennison and Ronan Keating.
Top 10 Carols & Fun Facts
Silent Night – First performed on guitar in 1818 after the church organ failed.
Jingle Bells – Was written with no connection to Christmas.
O Holy Night – Featured in the world’s first known voice-and-music radio broadcast in 1906.
Joy to the World – Lyrics published in 1719 and not originally written as a Christmas song.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – Originally began “Hark! How all the welkin rings” (“welkin” meaning sky).
Deck the Halls – Its melody comes from a traditional Welsh tune.
Away in a Manger – Long attributed to Martin Luther, though historians agree he didn’t write it.
We Three Kings – Written in 1857 for a church Christmas pageant.
The First Noel – “Noel” comes from an old French word meaning “birth”.
O Come All Ye Faithful – Known as Adeste Fideles in Latin, it only had four versus before more were later added.
