There’s exactly one criterion for a great performance of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”: Is it joyful?
The tune is peak Christmas cheer, a song about the childlike glee the season can bring. It came at a time when the world could use it, composed during the Great Depression by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie as a song to keep up spirits.
It’s easier to pinpoint bad takes of “Santa Claus,” which tend to feel perfunctory or one-note — in other words, lacking joy. The great ones, though, are a varied bunch. Some follow a format while others color outside the lines; some are live takes while others come from the studio; some sound like products of their eras while others go for something timeless. But when a cover truly excels, like the ten below, it’s a conduit for Christmas spirit.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s invigorated 1972 live rendition of “Santa Claus” isn’t just the best version of the song — it’s one of the best examples of why Springsteen and his band are such stellar performers. The camaraderie in the band, and between them and the audience, is apparent even before the song starts from Springsteen’s now-canon joking stage banter. But then there’s the performance itself: boisterous, jubilant, and just full of life.
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