Last night marked the 50th anniversary airing of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, one of the most classic holiday programs, film or television, that we cherish today. The program deserves note for its soundtrack as well, full of tunes that have become standards in their own right. When you don't need the Abominable Snow Monster or Yukon Cornelius to make any guest appearances, you know you've got a good soundtrack. Check out our rankings of Rudolph's lyrical moments and let us know what you think down below.
08) "We Are Santa's Elves"
We find out early that Santa's elves are a group that don't take to nonconformity very well (note Hermey's humiliation for wanting to pursue dentistry), and all members of the species seem to look alike...except for the tall bloke who was obviously fathered by Buddy Holly. Therefore it stands to reason that they wouldn't craft a particularly standout musical number (their specialty is toys...AND TOYS ALONE). We the viewers don't need a description of their role. Santa is perfectly on the mark when he remarks "Well...needs work."
07) "Jingle Jingle Jingle"
Santa himself doesn't seem to be the best songwriter on staff at the North Pole either. Fortunately his distinctive baritone (provided by Stan Francis) allows him to pull off the short "Jingle Jingle Jingle" when giving his backstory to the newborn Rudolph. The track explains how much that he's "the king of jingling." Perhaps under his rap alias Ol' Kris Kringle he incidentally began the trend of bedecking one's chain with jangling bling.
06) "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer"
We're going to catch some flack for including the title track so far back on the list but we feel the folks at NBC (circa 1964) felt pressured to include some version of the classic Johnny Marks single for the special. That said, there wasn't much they could do with it to give viewers a new experience, although this could be considered the first music video for the track. The writers already slipped many of the key lines conspicuously into the dialogue. You can almost hear the sarcasm on Santa's voice as he reads his line: "I guess what I'm trying to say is: 'Rudolph, with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
05) "The Most Wonderful Day of The Year"
Radio listeners in those days were probably expecting a rehash of the Andy Williams classic "The Most Wonderful Time of The Year" when they read about the aforementioned Rudolph track (Williams had released it during 1963). What they got was almost better however: an island full of misfit toys singing about how much they'd love to get into a child's hands this Christmas. The highlight of course is hearing what constitutes a "misfit toy"—if you ask us, a polka-dotted elephant or a cowboy riding an ostrich would be a hit gift nowadays. We only wish that the moody opening line "here on the Island of Misfit Toys" could have been produced as a separate, more choral piece.
04) "Silver and Gold"
Burl Ives was the biggest name on the playbill when NBC advertised its new special and the network knew it had to have a musical piece that showcased the folk musician and his character, Sam Snowman, solo. The aforementioned Johnny Marks wrote every song on this soundtrack (despite being Jewish) and he handcrafted "Silver and Gold" for Ives. The track takes a subject matter folk singers normally rebel against (maybe they've been biting it like that squirrel) and makes it beautiful again, praising the beauty of tinsel on a tree Christmas morning. Although there's not a banjo to be heard on the recording, we don't hold it against Sam for plucking the instrument onscreen.
03) "We're A Couple of Misfits"
The Stooges didn't release its debut album until five years following the first broadcast of Rudolph so it's possible that "We're A Couple of Misfits" was the first punk recording. The song was hinted at in more lonesome tones leading up to Rudolph and Hermes' escape from society, but the album version kicks off when the pair realizes that they're just fine with sticking out like a sore thumb. The duo begins (accidentally) committing acts of domestic terrorism...breaking ornaments and destroying bridges/logs while sticking it to the man. You can't fire them...THEY QUIT.
02) "There's Always Tomorrow"
Rudolph, like Bart Simpson after him, was actually voiced by a female. It's tough to tell because of his nasal problems, another reason why he's not bringing down the house with his vocal abilities. One moment where it becomes obvious that female reindeer go through the change before male reindeer is when Clarice sings the ballad "There's Always Tomorrow" to Rudolph after he's laughed away from reindeer games. The young doe is voiced by Janis Orenstein, who has a voice way beyond the young doe's age, somewhere in the Rosemary Clooney-and-beyond ballpark. This is one track that can be tastefully replayed throughout the year, although the pre-chorus "we all pretend the rainbow has an end" seems pretty pessimistic for a supposed pick-me-up.
01) "A Holly Jolly Christmas"
This was another classic written by Marks before he was drafted for Rudolph. We like to pretend that what happens onscreen has no impact on where we rank the song itself but we'll make an exception here. The whole crew is singing together as they go about their respective tasks in the final moments leading up to Christmas Eve, with our personal highlight coming when Bumble gives Hermey a lift to decorate the Rockefeller-sized Christmas tree (or the possible Roy Orbison reference). A narrative full of upbeat musical numbers and a positive message needs to go out on a big note and Rudolph came through with "A Holly Jolly Christmas." (Although the film technically played Rudolph's theme song during the credits, we're still counting this moment as the crescendo).
