The year 1973 in the U.K. was one in which glam rock dominated the airwaves and economic difficulties dominated the news. It was also a year in which glam bands contributed an unusual number of lively Christmas songs to the U.K. charts, bringing hope and optimism to what may have been a grim time, and adding some rock songs to the yearly Christmas song canon.
America likewise experienced the grim economy, but the experience of glam in the U.S. was often different than that in Britain, with different bands being popular, and different songs becoming hits. Alas, the U.S. seemed to have missed the treats that were provided by these glam rock yuletide songs (which would have been helpful to cheer America up in a year that included Watergate as well as gas lines).
In my previous post, early '70s glam superstars Slade played their 1973 holiday hit "Merry Christmas Everybody." Here, we have one of their competitors, the very, very glam UK group Wizzard, with their 1973 U.K. hit "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday."
And here's a British glam rocker well known in the U.S.: Elton John doing his 1973 contribution to the holiday spirit, "Step Into Christmas."
Maybe, indeed, we all do need a little holiday joy, even when times seem grim.
