Ranking Christmas Claymation Songs
- Kristen Petronio
- 1 hour ago
- 13 min read
Everyone has something about the holiday season that makes them feel nostalgic. For many people, that’s Christmas movies. Your favorite kind can vary by generation and what you were exposed to, but many are at least familiar with the type of Christmas films we’ll be ranking today. They are the Claymation films created by Rankin/Bass Productions. The ones we’ll be focusing on are classics from the 1960s and 1970s. To keep this from being too long, we’re also going to limit it to only 5 films from the production company’s iconic repertoire.
We’re going to start at the bottom and work our way up to the best of the best. It shook out to a perfect 40 songs. Because of this, some of my explanations are brief so you’re not reading this all the way into next year. Let’s get started.
At the lowest spot, we have “Have a Little Faith in Me”, a song that elicited none of the emotion out of me it was attempting. Billie Mae Richards, who sings for Rudolph was surely phoning it in this one. Plus, it’s oddly pitchy. I’m not sure how this one made it into the film without at least another take. It’s not only the worst from Rudolph’s Shiny New Year but the worst of this ranking.
The sentiment is nice of this one but my god the lyrics are horrible. It’s not even easy to sing along to. There’s a reprise where the guy in love with the circus dancer sings about her, but it also isn’t that catchy. The quality just isn’t there and the way it’s sung is so clunky and awkward. How could anyone even sing along to this one?
Whenever I watch Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July, I wonder to myself, why does nearly every song suck in this? It’s like the singers were phoning it in. That is felt immensely in “Now and Then”, a song intended to be a cute moment of Frosty telling his family to remember him as more than a memory. But the big reason that it is trash are the lyrics. Just little to no emotion present, especially in the delivery.
I didn’t even remember this one. And then I watched the film and discovered it’s because it’s less than a minute. No wonder I forgot it existed in the film. This version is a total nothing burger.
This song plays after Rudolph is at his lowest in the story. He feels so lost without the glow of his nose. But it’s pretty weak outside of its message.
This song is cute and sentimental but also pretty forgettable. I don’t really have much else to say about it.
This one is at least instrumental so it feels infinitely more appealing, but it’s also not one that can be played on its own as it isn’t very long, less than a minute.
You’d think with a song title like this it’d be in the Christmas in July film, but it’s in Shiny New Year in America town (or whatever they call it). I admit this one is fun but measured up against others, it isn’t that special.
There are many versions of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” that are great. The version in this film just sadly isn’t one of them. The song is sung during the circus Christmas scene, and it feels out of place amongst other original songs.
This song is used during Kris and Jessica’s wedding and while the scene itself is very sweet and sentimental, it doesn’t have much replay value. It’s placed higher than others however for the personal nostalgia of it being in what I consider the best Christmas claymation movie of these 5.
I always hated this one as a kid because it felt so out of place amongst so many other upbeat fun songs in this movie. As an adult, I can appreciate its purpose and acknowledge that at least the actress, Robie Lester, is giving a good performance.
I’d consider this next batch of 10 or so songs as “medium tier” with “Chicken Today and Feathers Tomorrow” at the bottom of this tier because it’s pretty out of place in the film. This is a fun one, but also the lyric, “as long as I got my guy” and she isn’t even with anyone is super strange. Is she referring to Rudolph? It’s unclear.
This is my least favorite song from Rudolph, and even then, I still like it. I remember not liking this one as a kid either, probably because it broke up the happy vibe the rest of the songs had, or maybe the catchy quality. As an adult, I like the song more, but it’s still the lowest ranked of all the songs from this movie.
This is played at the end with the credits. It’s a classic song, so of course it’s going to be better than some originals. It’s a classic for a reason. Still, I’d say I liked a lot of other songs more.
This song is pretty forgettable, but I love the messaging of appreciating every moment and the passage of time.
“Turn Back the Year” is catchy as hell, and because of that, it ranks a little higher than others that I have more to say about.
This is a cute one fantasizing about all the fairytales being true. While it’s not the catchiest, it makes you feel good. Plus, it’s cool to see all the different fairytale characters living in harmony in the same town.
The romance they develop in this movie is really sweet, especially watching how they found each other in Santa Claus is Comin to Town. “I see rainbows when I look at you” is romantic as hell. I don’t see the child-appeal but as an adult, I appreciate it.
This is definitely one of the better songs from Rudolph and Frosty Christmas in July. It has a similar feel to other top tier classics. It’s not top tier material, but it’s certainly stronger than most of the songs in this film.
While I recall hating the mayor that sings this song in the movie, this is a great one. Just from the beginning few notes, I’m ready to belt out the first line of the song (that is also the title of the song).
Ah, Mrs. Claus. I love what this song represents – that Santa is an idea, a symbol of Christmas. It doesn’t have to be one specific person. While she agrees at the end it wouldn’t work, this concept has been explored in other Christmas movies, and I love that it entertains the idea of a female Santa.
This is another Christmas standard that was used in The Year Without a Santa Claus but unlike some others, the use of it is very fitting for the plot. You see a lot of children crying as they talk about a Christmas without Santa, who’s sick in bed and wants to skip it this year. You see in that moment how many children he’d be letting down. I recall it bringing tears to my own little eyes as a child, thinking of a year without presents on Christmas day.
This is such a sweet song from the movie. I like the whimsy it brings, that believing in things is what makes life worthwhile, letting the imagination run wild. As an adult, I see a lot of parallels in this song between Santa Claus and God. “There's no question in my mind/That he does exist/Just like love I know he's there/Waiting to be missed.” Given the family friendly channels this was broadcast in the 70s, I’m sure those comparisons were intentional. It’s interesting the things you notice as you grow up.
When it comes to Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, I love pretty much every song in the movie, including this one. But I have to call out the weirdness of this song. “If you sit on his lap today, a kiss a toy is the price you pay,” is super creepy. What they have to be prepared to pay is a kiss on Kris Kringle’s cheek. The idea is that to get a little love, you have to give a little back, but these are children and a random man that isn’t in their family demanding affection for a toy. It gives me the ick. Yet at the same time, it’s super catchy and a good song if you don’t think about the lyrics too hard. Hence its ranking.
This song always brings a smile to my face, and it’s fun to see Rudolph get serenaded by the caveman and other creatures from Prehistoric World. At the root of it all, it’s a song about looking on the bright side of things. Smiling away your tears can seem reductive, but it’s meant to be a positive song.
“Silver and Gold” is insanely good, as are most of the songs featured in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, but I think it’s Burl Ives’ rendition of this Christmas classic that makes it so amazing within the realm of the film. When I want to listen to this song, it’s this version because of the deep nostalgia and comfort I feel from Ives’ vocals.
This song is pure joy. It encapsulates the essence of childhood joy on Christmas Day receiving toys you’ve been asking for all year. It’s so much fun to sing along to it. In the context of the movie, it’s a little sad because the misfit toys don’t fit in this group of toys being received on Christmas. But that still doesn’t take away from how catchy of a song it is.
This song rules. Given that there are so few New Year-specific songs, this one always plays in my head around the New Year. It’s simple but it’s so good! It’s ranked so high because A) it’s great and B) we need more New Years songs.
You can’t help but belt out with Santa’s Elves as they joyfully sing about their work at the North Pole, presented to Santa Claus through their Elf Choir. As an adult, it’s an extra interesting one because you learn more about what it’s like working there every day, which is basically all the time with few breaks. Where’s their elf union?
The theme for the movie is obviously going to be a hit. That’s like, the one job of all these claymation films. The movie’s title song must be a certified banger (unless of course they don’t make one, hence the crappy quality of songs for two films on this list). The Year Without a Santa Claus is another one I can just hear in my head just by looking at the title. In fact, it’s probably going to stay stuck in my head after I walk away from writing this. That’s how much of an earworm this chorus is.
The miser songs are so much fun!! The songs for the Heat and Snow Miser were always my favorite parts of this movie. I just love the Miser Brothers’ songs. I certainly favor Heat Miser’s way of thinking that “I never want to know a day that's under 60°” Same, buddy. I much prefer being warm to being cold. George Irving’s performance as Heat Miser will always stick out in my mind. Still, I recall liking Snow Miser more as a kid because I thought Heat Miser was mean, so Snow Miser’s song ranks a tad higher.
Much of what I have to say about this song is gushed about above. For me personally, I don’t share the belief of Snow Miser that the colder it is, the better it is, but I love singing along to his song. “He’s Mr. White Christmas, he’s Mr. Snow. He’s Mr. Icicle. He’s Mr. 10 Below.” The voice actor for the Snow Miser, Dick Shawn, gives a great performance here that has become such a precious childhood memory.
While this classic is in a pretty middle of the road movie, I can’t deny its star quality. It’s recycled from the much better movie that stars Frosty, and let’s be honest, “Frosty the Snowman” is a classic for a reason. It’s fun, it’s catchy, and it conveys a story that everyone knows and loves much like Rudolph’s song.
It’s aaaaaa difficult responsibility – to not put this any higher than it should be. What a great song. I truly love this one and would place it higher had there not been other amazing songs in this ranking that deserve the top spots. This song is used to describe the Kringle family’s job to create toys for the Royal Family in the story. The song later is altered by Meisterburger when he tries to enact a dictatorship in town with no more toymakers to the king. The song is just SO good.
I feel that this song is overlooked too much when it comes to classics from Rudolph. While the song is short, it’s really, really catchy and a blast to sing along to. It’s ranked this high because of how replayable it is. And if you don’t agree, I implore you to listen again and tell me you don’t feel a little twinkle in your eye.
You better watch out if you wouldn’t put this in your own top 5 because “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” is another undisputed classic. While some versions from the movies don’t hit the same in the story’s setting, this version created for the movie is perfection thanks to the great performance by Mickey Rooney. I still seek out this version around the holidays when I’m in the mood to listen to this classic.
Some of you might be shocked to see I don’t have this as #1 but let me appease you that there’s no debate that Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is an amazing song. The version sung in the movie version is also quite the classic. That said, there are better songs in my eyes. Still, you can’t go wrong with Rudolph. It’s the perfect blend of storytelling and catchy Christmas joy.
Anyone who’s ever felt like a misfit is going to agree that this song deserves its spot so high in the ranking. What’s the matter with misfits? That’s where we fit in! And this song is incredible. I have such fond memories of putting on shows for my parents with my brothers belting out this tune. This is one of the most memorable from the movie, and for good reason! It rules.
This version of “A Holly Jolly Christmas” is a certified banger. 100%, no criticisms from me. This one feels so much grander than other versions I’ve heard because it’s all the characters coming together to sing and enjoy the Christmas season together. It’s sweet, it’s fun, and it’s very easy to sing along to. It’s only 2nd best to what I feel is an underrated gem...
That’s right, the best claymation Christmas song in my opinion is “Put One Foot in Front of the Other.” On paper, it shouldn’t be. I’ve ranked songs that seem out of place in other films that have nothing to do with Christmas much lower. But if you think this song isn’t amazing, you can argue with the wall because I will never come to see a side where this isn’t a top tier song.
Obviously it’s ranked highly because of its catchy nature, but it also holds so many fond memories for me (this is a personal ranking after all).
I remember stomping around the house singing this song, putting on Christmas shows for my family where my brothers and I would pretend to walk out the door in time with the song. I’d use this song to wake my youngest brother up in the morning when he wouldn’t get up from my mom’s wake up call. But putting all those memories aside, it’s still a great song. It’s such a joyful explosion of a song, showing the Winter Warlock come to see a world where he doesn’t have to be fueled by anger, that there’s a world where he can change. All he needs to do is to take the first step. “Changing from bad to good is as easy as taking your first step.” This is a sentiment that I think anyone can find comfort in, that even if we make a wrong turn, we can always take a step back onto a better path. We hold the keys to our own fate. Yes, it’s that deep. Listen to the song again, okay?!
There you have it. What a wild ride its been revisiting all of these films and determining where each song fell in a ranking style like this. Rankins/Bass Productions started out on such a high with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. You start to see some of the quality dip with The Year Without a Santa Claus and Rudolph’s Shiny New Year where the songs feel less engaging and out of place, but they managed to keep making great films. Then you get to the late 70s and early 80s with films like Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July, and you start to see the quality really drop off. The songs feel uninspired, the voice actors bring little to their performances, and the movie stories begin to feel less interesting.
Three other films were made after Christmas in July, but they’re not talked about nearly as much as the core five I focused on. It’s a shame they couldn’t keep the momentum as the years went on, but it doesn’t change that they created some genuine Christmas magic in their lifetime. While these movies may not be shown as often to children in modern day, they were a core part of many childhoods not only in the years they came out but even into the 90s and 2000s as they played on cable TV.
You can still find many of these Christmas claymation movies by Rankin/Bass Productions on YouTube, so if checking out this blog made you nostalgic for any of the talked about films, you can check them out down below.
Thanks so much for joining me in my quest to rank 40 songs from this fascinating era of Christmas made-for-TV movies. If you enjoyed this blog, please like it and leave me a comment, especially what you would have ranked at #1. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Until next time!
Thanks to the following resource for helping me create this ranking.
Written by: Kristen Petronio
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