| "Santa Baby" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Eartha Kitt and Henri René and His Orchestra | ||||
| from the EP Eartha Kitt | ||||
| B-side | "Under the Bridges of Paris" | |||
| Released | 1953 | |||
| Recorded | 1953 | |||
| Genre | Christmas | |||
| Length | 3:22 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Henri René | |||
| Eartha Kitt singles chronology | ||||
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| Henri René and His Orchestra singles chronology | ||||
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| Official audio | ||||
| "Santa Baby" on YouTube | ||||
"Santa Baby" is a song performed by American singer Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer in an attempt to speed up the song's publishing process. Lyrically, the song is a tongue-in-cheek look at a Christmas list addressed to Santa Claus by a woman who wants extravagant gifts such as sables, yachts, and decorations from Tiffany.
Music critics gave mixed reviews to the single, with some calling it too suggestive for a holiday-themed song. Springer was initially dissatisfied with "Santa Baby" and called it one of his weakest works. It has since been included on lists of both the best and worst Christmas songs ever written.
In the United States, "Santa Baby" became the best-selling Christmas song of 1953 and found more success, retrospectively, when it entered various component charts by Billboard in the 2000s and 2010s. Elsewhere, it peaked on the record charts in Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. As of 2014[update], Kitt's version had sold more than 620,000 copies, having appeared on her self-titled and first extended play in 1954.
"Santa Baby" has been parodied, referenced, and featured in various films and television series. It has also been covered by many artists, such as Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Taylor Swift, Lindsey Stirling and Trisha Yearwood. Other musicians, including Ariana Grande and Gwen Stefani, released covers of the song as singles. Many of the cover versions experienced major commercial success, with Minogue's version reaching the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart and selling over 600,000 copies. Madonna's cover has sold over 500,000 copies in the United States and was subject to discussion by many music critics, who believed her version revived the popularity of the song. However, Kitt disliked Madonna's association with the track. Grande's cover was released as a duet with Elizabeth Gillies and managed positions on charts in several countries such as Australia, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Michael Bublé's version has been named multiple times as one of the worst Christmas songs ever.