"Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it's the best song anybody ever wrote." Irving Berlin, 1942 A biography of the single most important record in the history of popular music

A vividly written narrative about the world's best-loved popular song provides both the story behind the making of Irving Berlin's most memorable tune and the rich, cultural history of America that embraced it. (Music)

(Vocal Selections). The 1954 film White Christmas is a beloved holiday classic. The stage musical has already delighted audiences nationwides, and will hit the Great White Way this holiday season! Our songbook features piano/vocal arrangements of 17 Irving Berlin gems, plus an essay on the origin of the stage adaptation. Songs: Blue Skies * Happy Holiday * How Deep Is the Ocean * I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm * Sisters * White Christmas * and more!

One of the most well known holiday songs of all time, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" depicts the dream of a perfect Christmas—one filled with snow. And in the hands of fantasy artist Michael Hague, it's also filled with snow fairies, reindeer, woodland creatures, sleigh rides, Santa Claus, and more. As you turn the pages and read the lyrics, you'll be swept away into a magical Christmas fairyland that is sure to make your holiday merry and bright. The classic Yuletide ballad that has been spreading Christmas spirit since the 1940s is made new again in this enchanting holiday picture book with illustrations as fresh and beautiful as a winter snowfall.

At its most basic level, the movie ¿White Christmas¿ is about friendship, it is about sacrifice, it is about love, & it is about family. The song ¿White Christmas¿ was first performed by Bing Crosby on Dec. 25, 1941, during the darkest days of WW2. Throughout the war, Bing¿s singing of a white Christmas, of snow-covered trees, of children, & of sleigh bells often brought tears to the eyes of soldiers far away from home. The movie ¿White Christmas¿ was first released in 1954, & even today it makes us think about what¿s really meaningful in life. As you look through this book that celebrates the 50th ann¿y. of one of the world¿s favorite films, the hope is that you will be reminded of your favorite Christmases & want to share those memories with the ones you love. Photos.

Exploring the origins of 50 American Christmas songs from the Civil War to present day, the husband-and-wife writing team presents a treasury of stories to celebrate the season's heartfelt cheer. Two-color art.

We are what we listen to. That's the premise of this study of 100 songs that have shaped and defined the American experience, from the Colonial period to the present. Well-known music author James Perone looks at 100 songs that helped tell America's story. He examines why each song became a hit, what cultural and social values it embodies, what issues it touches upon, what audiences it attracted, and what made it such a definitive part of American history and popular culture. The chart-topping singles presented here crossed gender, age, race, and class lines to appeal to the mass American audience. The book discusses patriotic songs, minstrel music, and sacred songs and hymns as well as music in the broad categories of pop, rock, hip hop, jazz, country, and folk. An introduction provides an overview of the history and significant issues raised by the songs as a whole. Individual songs are then presented chronologically, based on when they were written. The revealing commentary for each "hit" is not only interesting and fun, but reveals what it was like to live in the United States at a particular time by unveiling the social, economic, and political issues—as well as the musical tastes—that made life what it was.