'50s Holiday Classic Became the First Christmas Song to Hit No. 1 67 Years Ago
- - '50s Holiday Classic Became the First Christmas Song to Hit No. 1 67 Years Ago
Liz LindainDecember 23, 2025 at 6:10 AM
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Before Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" dominated the charts since its release in 1994, this holiday classic was the star of the show.
67 years ago, David Seville's "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" by Alvin & The Chipmunks was crowned the No. 1 spot of Billboard's Hot 100. The tune was originally released on Nov. 17, 1958, and became a huge hit during the holiday season.
Seville, whose real name was Ross Bagdasarian Sr., sang the Christmas carol, but sped up the tape to produce high-pitched "chipmunk" voices. The vocals are credited to Alvin & the Chipmunks, his cartoon virtual band that later became a media franchise.
Since then, "The Chipmunk Song" has been a staple during the holiday season. It is especially known for its fun melody and iconic intro of Seville asking the Chipmunks — Alvin, Simon and Theodore — if they're ready to sing the song. Simon and Theodore both say they are, but Alvin does not answer, causing Seville to yell his name. The hit even saved Liberty Records at the time from bankruptcy. In addition, it won three awards and was nominated for Record of the Year at the first annual Grammys the next year.
The "Chipmunks" now have their handprints at Tower Records on the Sunset Strip. The occasion was the introduction of the singing group's new album, "The Chipmunks Go Hollywood." Left to right are Theodore, Ross Badasarian Jr., Alvin, and Simon.Bettmann via Getty Images
Two months after "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" was released, it became the No. 1 song during that holiday season, peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remaining there for four weeks. It was the only Christmas song to hit #1 until "All I Want For Christmas Is You" reached the spot in 2019. Currently, Carey holds the record for the longest song to remain No. 1.
"The Chipmunk Song" appeared on the Chipmunks' debut album, Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks, in 1959, and was then repeated on Christmas with the Chipmunks in 1962. 32 years later, the Chipmunks performed a smooth jazz version of the song with Kenny G on the saxophone for their 1994 album A Very Merry Chipmunk, as well. Then in 2007, a remixed version of the song appeared on the Chipmunks' 2007 album Alvin and the Chipmunks, which also served as the official soundtrack for the movie with the same title.
Many artists and bands have covered the tune throughout the years, including The Goo Goo Dolls, Norah Jones, Amy Grant, The Philly Specials, Bryson Tiller and Pentatonix. It was also featured in the 2009 cartoon film, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, when Crash and Eddie find out that their voices are high-pitched.
Alvin and the Chipmunks pose on their just-unveiled Hollywood Walk of Fame Star in Hollywood, California on March 14, 2019 in celebration of their 60th anniversary.
Bagdasarian Sr. named the chipmunks Alvin, Simon and Theodore based on the executives at Liberty Records, and voiced all characters himself under their manager Dave Seville. This led to their first cartoon show, The Alvin Show, which only aired for a year on CBS in 1961. Bagdasarian Sr. released another music album featuring the Chipmunks titled The Chipmunks Go to the Movies in 1969.
After Bagdasarian Sr. died in 1972, the Chipmunks didn't see a resurgence in popular media until 1979, when NBC began airing reruns of The Alvin Show as a mid-season replacement. The following year, Excelsior Records released Chipmunk Punk, which featured Bagdasarian's son, Ross Bagdasarian Jr., doing the voices of the characters. Since then, the legacy of Alvin & the Chipmunks has continued to today.
Related: '80s Holiday Classic Just Reached a New Peak After 41 Years
This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pop Culture section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
