A Definitive Rating of 10 Recordings of Sleigh Ride
ETA 2023: I don’t post here anymore, but this article still gets views every December. If you like it and want more of my music writing, I’m now active on Substack!
One day in October 2018, when I was recovering from the worst cold I’d had since middle school, I tweeted “i know it’s early for this line of thought but what if i did a holiday radio show that’s just a comparative analysis of different versions of sleigh ride.” None of my twitter followers interacted with this tweet, so I copied and pasted it into a tumblr text post, where some people were foolish enough to approve of my terrible idea. But once I started putting a playlist together, I realized that, while recordings of the non-denominational winter classic available on Spotify are plentiful and varied, none of them are very long. It would take a lot of them to fill an hour of radio. I got nine songs and 25 minutes of music in when I started thinking that if I couldn’t stand to listen to this, literally no one else on the planet could either. Thus, this listicle was born.
I deliberated on which recordings to include, using the “notable recordings” section of the song’s Wikipedia article, what was most popular on Spotify, and my own taste to compile the final list. The result is ordered chronologically, and I capped it at ten songs, because really, even that is pushing it. This is certainly not a top ten, just the ten that I’m most opinionated about. Oh, and if you’d like to listen to them in order, I’ve made a Spotify playlist. So without further ado, let’s begin at the beginning.
Leroy Anderson (1950):
Although Anderson composed “Sleigh Ride” in 1948, the first recording was of Arthur Fielder and the Boston Pops in 1949. This was never released on CD, nor is it currently on Spotify, and besides, the Anderson recording is the one everyone knows. It’s a classic. It’s delightful. I especially love the swooping thing the brass section does about a minute before the end, and the horse whinny and clopping sound effects at the end are a holiday tradition all by themselves. 6/10
The Andrews Sisters (1950):
This was the first recorded vocal version, and I’ll be honest, it doesn’t grab me. The Andrews Sisters have never been among my favorite World War II-era singers, but this was still more plodding and emotionless than I expected. It does interest me that the lyrics differ slightly from what I’m familiar with: a jazzy introduction that sounds much more like their usual style beginning with “Weeee’re goin’ on a sleigh ride,” and “As we glide along sing a song of a wintery fairy land” instead of “We’re gliding along with the song.” But it’s not interesting enough to make me enjoy it. 2/10
Johnny Mathis (1958):
This is one of two Sleigh Rides my local variety radio station likes to play 10 times a day from the start of November to the end of December. And every time I hear it, I make the same mistake. I get sucked in by the bouncing intro and cheerful vocals and start singing along, having a great time. Then it gets to “we’re gliding along with the song of a wintery fairy land” and my good mood is shattered. In my opinion, there is a right way and a wrong way to sing that line. The wrong way is the one that goes back and forth between two notes an octave apart, and I can’t justify it, but it activates my anger response like nothing else. This version takes it a step further, because when Mathis gets to “These wonderful things are the things we’ll remember all through our lives,” he draws out the “lives” and swoops into the key change. I can’t stand it. Otherwise, I don’t mind this one, although I think he hits the “yoohoo” a little too hard. 5/10 (but it’s on thin fucking ice)
The Ronettes (1963):
Everything the Ronettes do is flawless, and this is no exception. Phil Spector’s* Wall of Sound is out in full force, and the chord progressions between verses sound like a typical 60s love song, which in my book is fantastic. I love covers that make the song sound completely different, and in this case, the Ronettes’ usual sound simultaneously provides a unique take on Sleigh Ride and a warm, cheery atmosphere that’s perfect for the holidays. They also add the joyful “ring-a-ling-a-ling-a-ding-dong-ding” backing vocals. I think I remember being annoyed by those when I was younger, but now I find them charming. And according to Wikipedia, this one is “the most popular version outside the traditional pop standard genre,” if anyone cares. 8/10
*I do not want to support Phil Spector in any way, because he murdered someone. But seeing as how he was convicted and is currently serving time, I would rather continue listening to the incredible black female singers he produced for than ignore their music because of his influence.
The Ventures (1965):
This recording is the reason this article exists, and one of my favorite pieces of music of all time. The first time I heard it I laughed for the whole two minutes and 26 seconds, and then immediately forced my parents to listen to it, and then fell in love with it. The fact that it opens with the exact same drum line and guitar riff as “Walk, Don’t Run” before going into the Sleigh Ride melody and adding some jingle bells is one of the most iconic choices I’ve ever heard, but the whammy bar at the end is in close competition. Additional shoutout to the glockenspiel notes tossed in at the end of every phrase. Who knew holiday cheer and west coast surf rock went together so well. 10/10
Amy Grant (1983):
I’m fairly sure this is the other recording the radio’s holiday playlist favors. The only reason I’m not convinced is because listening to it now, I don’t feel as horribly annoyed as I usually do when it comes on when I’m driving. Now I’m finding it harmless, aside from the wrong version of “we’re gliding along”/“these wonderful things” and the shouted “yoohoo” and “Come on let’s go! Hurry up you guys!” at the end. So maybe there’s a more grating female singer who covered Sleigh Ride out there, and Amy Grant isn’t deserving of my scorn. But there’s also nothing that sets this one apart, so it’s not going to get a high rating for “not as terrible as I remembered.” Put simply, it’s boring. 1/10
The Roches (1990):
My assessment of this one is biased because the Roches’ “We Three Kings” album was the holiday CD in my house growing up. I’ve never actually listened to anything else they’ve done, because their Christmas album holds such a special place in my heart. I’m sure this was the first Sleigh Ride I ever experienced, and if I had to pick one, it would probably be this one. It’s a cappella aside from the jingle bells, and whichever one of them is clicking their tongue to make the clopping sound effects that provide percussion throughout the whole song has real dedication. The only interruption of the beautifully clear female harmonies that grace the whole album is an operatic male voice delivering the “yoohoo, yoohoo.” He’s credited individually in the liner notes of my family’s CD, but I’m at school, so I can’t check to get his name right. A lot of Sleigh Rides fade softly out, but the Roches tell us definitively that the ride has stopped with the collective “WHOA!” at the last second. Great fun. 10/10
She & Him (2011):
Now we come to the part of the selection that was determined primarily by my music taste in things other than holiday music. I haven’t actually listened to most of She & Him’s Christmas album, because Christmas albums are generally a ploy to sell records with little effort, but when you’re writing an article about ten different versions of Sleigh Ride, you’ve got to compromise on your moral objections a bit. And I actually really enjoyed this one. Like the Ronettes, this sounds like every other She & Him song, in a good way. Zooey Deschanel makes some adjustments to the phrasing to fit her usual style, and M. Ward also contributes vocals, which I always like to hear. What really sucked me in, however, was the bass line. Classic four-chord rock. I even like it despite the wrong version of “we’re riding along”/“these wonderful things.” Also, they pass around chocolate and pumpkin pie instead of coffee, and as someone with an intense caffeine sensitivity, I approve. 9/10
Fun. (2012):
This is the longest recording on the list, and I really wish it weren’t. It sounds like a parody of a Fun. song. Like Zooey, Nate Reuss messes with the phrasing, but it comes off as forced and doesn’t add much to the song. He also makes a few slight lyrical alterations, which also feel unnecessary. What I loved about Fun. in 2012 was their lively instrumentals, but they sound completely watered down in this recording, lacking all the energy that made them, well, fun. The percussive track is especially disappointing, somehow too busy and too weak at the same time. But hey, at least Nate used the right “we’re riding along/these wonderful things.” 0/10
Sufjan Stevens (2012):
This is a bit of a weird note to end on, because this recording ends so weirdly; the last 20 seconds are a collection of sound effects, finishing on a creaking door and a squeaky toy. But before that, it’s a charming song. The guitar and bass carry the song forward just as smoothly as She & Him’s rendition, but there’s also electronic accompaniment and choral vocals that occasionally stray from festive to haunting. A typical Sufjan Stevens Christmas song, in other words. But I like the spooky effects. It feels more wintery than Christmasy, which is appropriate for a song that isn’t actually about Christmas. My family didn’t exactly approve when I put this on over dessert on Thanksgiving when my mom broke the annual moratorium on holiday music, but I dig it. 8/10
If you read this far, I’m endlessly grateful. This was a labor of love, or maybe just fever-driven hyper-fixation. Either way, I had a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoyed it too, and that you can stand to hear Sleigh Ride (whatever your preferred recording may be) ever again.
