> According to Guinness World Records, who is the singer on the best-sellingsingle of all time?And the answer: Bing Crosby. Written by Irving Berlin, the song "White Christmas" was recorded by Bing Crosbyin 1942 and introduced in the movie Holiday Inn. The single was released laterthat year as part of a collection of holiday songs. "White Christmas" has soldan estimated 50 million copies worldwide.A scene from the movie Holiday Inn. Photo credit: IMDB.Within the heart ofnostalgia and longing for Christmases of days past lies one song known to nearlyevery American: "White Christmas." Unexpectedly, the song forever changed theworld of Christmas music, as artists realized they, too, could write and createsecular Christmas songs that still contained the warmth and joy of the holidayseason. Before 1942, Christmas songs and films had come out sporadically, andmany were popular. However, popular culture had not yet realized the uniquemarket available to them in the themes of home and hearth, centered on theChristmas holiday. The success of the song set a new tone, and one thatresonated with viewers for decades to come.Credit: Discogs.comIn 1942 alone, Crosby's recording spent eleven weeks on topof the Billboard charts. The mix of melancholy and comfort appealed greatly tolisteners during World War II, and the Armed Forces Network was flooded withrequests for the song. Crosby's nephew later described Crosby's most difficultexperience of the song's popularity:> "I once asked Uncle Bing about the most difficult thing he ever had to do duringhis entertainment career… He said in December, 1944, he was in a USO show withBob Hope and the Andrews Sisters. They did an outdoor show in northern France…he had to stand there and sing 'White Christmas' with 100,000 G.I.s in tearswithout breaking down himself.""White Christmas" remains a beautiful, albeit painfully wistful reminder of thehardship of years past while inspiring hope for the future.This holiday season, may your days be merry and bright. Sing along to "WhiteChristmas" below.