Blue Christmas

"Blue Christmas" is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson. The heart-broken tale of unrequited love during the holidays had long been considered a Christmas staple of country music, having been recorded by Ernest Tubb in 1948. In 1957, Elvis Presley effectively made "Blue Christmas" a steadfast rock-and-roll holiday classic by placing his indelible mark on the song. It has since been recorded by a host of rock and country artists alike, as well as those of other genres. The song was also featured in the children's Christmas special, The Year Without a Santa Claus. More recently, the song has been covered by Céline Dion as well as the indie band Bright Eyes and Billy Idol in his 2006 Christmas album Happy Holidays.

Probably the best known version of "Blue Christmas" is the one recorded by Elvis Presley for his 1957 LP "Elvis' Christmas Album." It was also released as a single. Ernest Tubb's version of the song included an extra verse not used by Elvis' later version.