Christmas music through the decades
From Research and Reason by Faculty of Arts and Education, University of Auckland
December 2, 2025 · 32 min
About this episode
Dr Kirsten Zemke discusses the evolution of Christmas music and its cultural significance across generations.
Did you know Bing Crosby’s White Christmas is the best-selling single of all time? Ethnomusicologist Dr Kirsten Zemke explores Christmas music through the years, from the songs our grandparents and their parents played, the global pop stars who keep reinventing them, to Christmas movies that revived forgotten classics. Kirsten joins our media adviser Julianne Evans to explore how music connects generations and how the songs we like reflect who we are. Enjoy this podcast episode and a bonus Christmas playlist, as recommended by Kirsten: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/268wLj5VBCqg4sV8EiDfE0?si=VYWSpLDLQj6Siqs3MsfLPA
People in this episode
Host: Julianne Evans
Guest: Dr Kirsten Zemke
Topics covered
- Christmas music
- ethnomusicology
- generational connections
- pop culture
- music history
Keywords
- Christmas music
- Bing Crosby
- ethnomusicologist
- music history
- generational connections
- pop stars
- Christmas movies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Auckland
Books & works: White Christmas
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