We’re continuing our theme week on Christmas Firsts! Today we’re talking about the first Christmas song to hit the top of the Billboard singles chart, “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)”. It was written and recorded by Ross Bagdasarian under the stage name David Seville. The song came on the heels of Bagdasarian’s surprise hit “Witch Doctor”, which sold 1.4 million copies by December 1958. Bagdasarian used a specialized tape recorder to speed up his singing to create a high-pitched squeaky voice. After the success of “Witch Doctor” his record label, Liberty Records, asked him to create another novelty song. While driving in Sequoia National Park, a chipmunk ran in front of him, inspiring him to create a trio of singing chipmunks. Bagdasarian named them after executives at the record label, and recorded it in the same way he had “Witch Doctor”.
“The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” was released on November 17, 1958. It became a number 1 hit by New Year’s Day, selling 4.5 million copies in 7 weeks. The song even won 3 Grammys at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards in 1959. It was certified gold by the RIAA as one of the best-selling Christmas singles in the U.S. According to Billboard, the song still earns $300,000 every year for its publisher.
The song helped launch the multimillion-dollar Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise, which includes studio albums, comic books, animated TV series and live-action movies. Learn more here.