Why the Music of the Rat Pack Hits Different During the Holidays
photo from therake.com
With the holiday season already here and in full swing, something that is pretty much a universal experience for the holidays is the music. Of course there are the older classics such as The Little Drummer Boy, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus that people turn to for some easy Christmas listening. However, in my experience, I am immediately in more of the Christmas spirit when listening to jazz or swing music like that of the Rat Pack.
For some background, the Rat Pack was a group of entertainers that frequently performed at casinos and clubs in Las Vegas during the 1950s and 1960s, as well as made movies together. The group consisted of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. It was later condensed to just Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. as the lead members. There were also many different people that came in and out of the group or were considered visiting members. Some of these visiting members included Marilyn Monroe, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Jerry Lewis, and Mickey Rooney to name a few.
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Throughout their careers, members of the Rat Pack made plenty of music in the jazz and swing genres, which also happened to include a decent amount of Christmas music. Due to there being such a large collection of Christmas songs from the three leading members of the Rat Pack, there was an album put together in 2002 compiling all of their Christmas songs into the album titled “Christmas with the Rat Pack.” That Christmas album is now my go-to for getting into the holiday spirit. So after listening to it for probably the eighth year in a row now, I started to wonder why exactly a group of individuals who were performing before I was even born seem to be the most nostalgic for me?
For starters, I feel like this is definitely a two-part answer. The first being that no matter the era of music, you’ll feel nostalgic for the music your parents played when you were young. Throughout my entire childhood, my father played Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin year round. Frank Sinatra is his favorite artist and biggest inspiration as well. For as long as I remember, I have known who these artists were and became drawn to their style of music. Naturally, during the holiday season, music like that of the Rat Pack became some of the more common Christmas tunes around my household. For some people, the answer to the question may end here with simply the family influence, but I just know there is something deeper as to why this era gives me (and I’m sure others) that magical Christmas feeling.
After really giving myself time to think it over and compare the vibe and feeling I get when listening to other Christmas songs, I think I have finally nailed down the difference: The era of the Rat Pack, and music similar to it, represents the right amount of commercialization of Christmas. Allow me to explain…
After doing some research, I learned that Christmas started to begin the process of commercialization during the mid to late 1800s. The early commercialization included the use of ornaments on trees and other decorations for the holiday. This time was also when the idea of Santa Claus as a man on a sleigh bringing presents to children really began to take off after deriving from the original Greek Bishop, Saint Nicholas. However, the use of Santa Claus in Coca Cola ads during the 1920s was what really started more of the commercialization we know today. Once the use of ads during Christmas time started becoming popular, naturally other methods of Christmas commercialization came into play. During the same time as the ads featuring Santa Claus started to become common, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer also came about from a book written by Robert L. May in 1939. With these characters starting to become mainstream and the use of the ads promoting more consumerism around the holiday, it was only just the beginning of how consumerism would eventually become so important to what was suppose to be just a religious holiday.
photo from countryliving.com
So now that brings us to the late 1940s through the 1960s, what I consider to be the perfect amount of commercialization of Christmas. At this time, Santa Claus was completely incorporated into what Christmas was and the whole month of December started to include many Christmas festivities. Christmas parades were very common during this time, as well as the idea of dressing up and having larger gatherings with family and friends. The decorations for Christmas were also in full swing during this time with the use of lights, tinsel, garland, and even fake snow. Another common practice was the start of simple family traditions such as caroling throughout the neighborhood and reading Christmas stories together as a family all cozied up by a fire. All of these things represent some of the best aspects about celebrating the holidays together with family, in my opinion. These examples of celebrating are perfectly represented in movies like A Christmas Story and Miracle on 34th Street.
photos from countryliving.com
During this time period, Christmas aside, it was the “hey day” of glamour, lights, and partying in Las Vegas. It is also important to note that this time period is considered to be the “post-war boom” due to World War II ending in 1945. This post-war boom contributed heavily to consumerism, and especially consumerism during Christmas time. This boom was another reason why Las Vegas became much more than just gambling which provided the perfect opportunity for the Rat Pack to thrive, as well as the U.S. becoming a global influence after World War II. This new global influence the U.S. had gave the Rat Pack, and the like, the opportunity to skyrocket in fame and become household names.
All of these things now come into play to create the “sweet spot” of Christmas consumerism. First you have this post-war boom filled with economic growth and consumers ready to spend money. Then you have this era where glamour, lights, and celebration are a common theme after enduring a war, giving people much more reason to celebrate and enjoy life. These factors are what contributed to department stores practically looking like a winter wonderland in December, Santa Claus making appearances at parades giving children that extra bit of whimsy, and families creating traditions on how to celebrate together all while the music of the Rat Pack was playing in the background. That whole scenario is what I picture and feel when I am listening to music from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Sammy Davis Jr. during the holidays. That, to me, is the perfect vintage Christmas and it truly makes my heart nostalgic for it even though I was nowhere near close to being born during that time.
The amount of Christmas commercialization in the post-war boom is what added that extra excitement for everyone. Children getting excited for Santa, adults enjoying celebrations with friends, the excitement of walking into a beautifully decorated department store to pick out the perfect gifts for your favorite people, and the wholesomeness of experiencing those things together with friends and family. Although Christmas is a religious holiday, it is hard to deny that some commercialization makes it a bit more fun and enjoyable all around. The problem is when the commercialization and consumerism overtake the wholesomeness to become more of a burden, which I am afraid is where we are at now.
All of that to be said, that is mainly why I believe the music of the Rat Pack just hits different during the holidays. It instantly transports you to that perfect vintage vibe of Christmas where things didn’t seem so complicated and stressful. Where family and friends were still the most important aspect of celebrating. Yeah, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is an iconic Christmas song, however, I immediately feel like I am in a crowded mall with people everywhere and the immediate anxiety of getting everything done before Christmas kicks in. But when I am listening to White Christmas by Dean Martin or I’ll Be Home For Christmas by Frank Sinatra, I am immediately transported to a low-key Christmas party at a friend’s house while wearing a lovely dress, sharing cocktails and laughs with friends and family, all while snow is falling outside.
I know it may sound a bit corny but that is really how that music makes me feel and why that era of music makes me nostalgic for a time I never even lived in. I hope I am not alone in this way of thinking because it truly makes perfect sense to me. Does anyone else feel weirdly nostalgic for that specific time period of Christmas? Do you think the commercialization of Christmas is overall bad? Or do you simply find the music of the Rat Pack to be too old for your vibe? Let me know, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy Holidays and thank you for reading!
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