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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Andy Williams’s recording of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” appeared on The Andy Williams Christmas Album, a Columbia LP cataloged in November 1963. Its enduring holiday reputation is easy to understand, but calling it the “greatest Christmas song of all time” is a matter of taste—not an objective ranking.
When did Andy Williams release the song?
The recording is associated with 1963, the year The Andy Williams Christmas Album appeared. A record-catalog entry dates the U.S. Columbia LP to November 1963 and lists “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” among its tracks (45cat). The available record does not establish the song’s exact first-release day, so a precise anniversary cannot be confirmed.
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The Andy Williams Christmas Album | $10.39 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Classic Christmas Album | $9.88 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Merry Christmas | $18.79 | Buy on Amazon |
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Andy Williams - Personal Christmas Collection | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The New Andy Williams Christmas Album | $7.19 | Buy on Amazon |
The “62 years ago” wording was published in an article dated December 9, 2025, when a 1963 release was roughly 62 years old, depending on its release date. In 2026, the calendar-year difference is 63; that does not establish that the recording has passed its exact 63rd anniversary.
Who wrote “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”?
Edward Pola and George Wyle are credited as the song’s writers. Williams performed the recording featured on his 1963 Christmas album.
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Why does the recording remain a holiday fixture?
The song’s staying power is reflected in the album’s seasonal chart history. Andy Williams’s official website describes The Andy Williams Christmas Album as a Platinum LP and says it appeared annually on Billboard’s Christmas Albums chart, reaching No. 1 in multiple holiday seasons (Andy Williams official music page).
There is also evidence of later chart visibility for the individual recording: a Billboard issue archive lists it at No. 12 on the Holiday 100 in the 2015 issue shown (Billboard issue archive). That position belongs to that issue; it is not an all-time ranking.
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Is it the greatest Christmas song of all time?
That depends on what a listener values. The available chart and album history shows longevity and seasonal popularity, but it does not prove that this recording is universally the greatest. There is no single shared measure here that can settle a question involving different eras, chart systems and personal preferences.
A more defensible way to describe it is as a widely remembered Christmas standard with a substantial seasonal history. Listeners may reasonably call it their favorite; the superlative remains an opinion rather than a documented fact.
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