'It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' by Andy Williams

Edward Pola and George Wyle wrote the classic Christmas carol "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" in triple time in 1963. Andy Williams recorded and published it for his debut Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album, the same year.

Williams' record label (Columbia Records) did not release the song as a promotional single that year, instead opting to push his rendition of "White Christmas" as the official promo single from the album. The song reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 2007 and has been in the Top 10 for several years, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States in 2020.

The song is a celebration and description of Christmas events, focused particularly on get-togethers amongst friends and family over the holiday season. The telling of "scary ghost stories," a Victorian Christmas custom that has generally fallen out of favor but lives on in the seasonal popularity of several versions of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, is one of the activities mentioned in the song.

Hosting parties, unexpected visits from friends, universal social gaiety, spending time with loved ones, sledding for youngsters, roasting marshmallows, sharing memories about earlier Christmases, and singing Christmas carols in cold weather are among the other activities described.

The song was selected as the theme song for Christmas Seals in 1968, 1976, 2009 and 2012.

* Published in: October 14, 1963
* Songwriters: Edward Pola; George Wyle
* Genre: Christmas
* Link to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFtb3EtjEic