Day four of my advent calendar is Christmas songs...decade by decade.

See day three here

I don't know about you but I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas music... but lets be honest if you put on Mariah Carey All I want for Christmas you best believe I will try and hit the high notes! 

I thought I'd do a little decade by decade run through of the top Christmas songs, starting from the first Christmas songs and ending now.

Apparently Christmas songs began in the 4th century but were more traditional religious music and a lot of instrumental. It dates back to Rome and Latin language songs. 

By the 16th century songs we still sing today such as The 12 days of Christmas, God rest you merry gentlemen and O Christmas tree.

In Puritan Britain Christmas carols were banned but luckily in 1660 Charles II restored Christmas carols to English life. 

The Victorian era saw songs such as Silent Night, O little town of Bethlehem and O holy night. 

It wasn't until the 1930's until popular Christmas songs became a thing. 

1934 was a turning point for Christmas music, with hits such a 'Santa Claus is comin' to town' being released, which is apparently one of the most played Christmas songs. 

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer is released as a book by Robert L May, eventually becoming the catchy song by 1949.

With the war came the need to lift spirits. The film Holiday Inn was released featuring the song White Christmas by Bing Crosby. This period of Christmas songs had strong links to coming home and uplifting everyones spirits during the bleak war era.

Judy Garland starred in Meet me in St. Louis and debuted the song 'Have yourself a Merry little Christmas' 

Baby it's cold outside becomes the first romantic Christmas song

Elvis new rock style threatens the old style Christmas song, luckily his version of Blue Christmas went down well. 

Yoko Ono and John Lennon release 'Happy Christmas war is over' to protest the Vietnam war

Pop Christmas songs have well and truly started to take over ... Last Christmas by Wham is released (I absolutely LOVE Wham!) 

I think by this point EVERYONE had released a Christmas song. From classics such as Mariah Carey 'All I want for Christmas' to East 17 'Stay another' day, these decades created the cheesiest and most memorable of Christmas songs. 

Not as many 'original' Christmas songs have been made (in my opinion anyway!) but we still have lots of covers and pop groups such as Little Mix have made some pop Christmas songs which is never a bad thing! 

What's your favourite Christmas song? 

Comment below!