Here’s the best part: Bing didn't think it was a hit. He called it a “nice little tune.” He was dead wrong. It became the best-selling single of all time for decades.
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Guinness World Records even recognized it. It’s the best-selling single in history. Over 50 million copies sold. And it all started with a grumpy, hot, 39-year-old man.
Also, the song has a funny “curse.” It’s so perfect that critics say it ruined Christmas music. Nothing else sounds like it. Sorry, Mariah Carey.
The “Old” Voice Trick
Bing sounded 39, but his voice had a timeless, “old” quality. It was like a vintage tweed jacket. He recorded the hit version in three takes. Three. That’s it.
To compare, modern pop stars do 300 takes. Bing did three, then went to play golf. He was that good. And that casual.
Funny detail: The master tape from 1942 was almost destroyed. Someone threw it in a trash pile. A sharp-eyed engineer pulled it out. If he hadn't, we'd have no “White Christmas” as we know it.
