{{Infobox song | name = Little Saint Nick | cover = Little Saint Nick cover.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = the Beach Boys | album = | B-side = The Lord's Prayer | released = December 9, 1963 | recorded = October 20, 1963 | studio = Western, Hollywood | venue = | genre = {{hlist|Christmas|hot rod rock}} | length = 2:00 | label = Capitol | writer = {{hlist|Brian Wilson|Mike Love}} | producer = Brian Wilson | prev_title = Be True to Your School | prev_year = 1963 | next_title = Fun, Fun, Fun | next_year = 1964 | misc = {{External music video|type=single|{{YouTube|xp9rK8FmYog|"Little Saint Nick"}}}} {{Audio sample | type = single | file = Little Saint Nick - Beach Boys.ogg }} }}
"'''Little Saint Nick'''" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys first released as a single on December 9, 1963. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the Christmas song applies hot-rod themes to Santa Claus and his sleigh.<ref name="Murphy2015"/>
The single peaked at number 3 on ''Billboard'' magazine's special seasonal weekly Christmas Singles chart.<ref name="Whitburn">{{cite book | last = Whitburn | first = Joel | title = Christmas in the Charts (1920-2004) | publisher = Record Research Inc | year=2004 | location = Wisconsin | page = 20| isbn = 0-89820-161-6 }}</ref> Its B-side was an a cappella version of "The Lord's Prayer".<ref>Badman, Keith. ''The Beach Boys. The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band: On Stage and in the Studio'' Backbeat Books, San Francisco, California, 2004. {{ISBN|0-87930-818-4}} p. 45</ref> In November 1964, an alternate mix of "Little Saint Nick" appeared as the opening track on ''The Beach Boys' Christmas Album''.
==Background==
"Little Saint Nick" was recorded on October 20, 1963, at Western Studio in Hollywood.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Doe |first1=Andrew G. |title=GIGS63 |url=http://www.bellagio10452.com/gigs63.html |website=Bellagio 10452 |access-date=December 6, 2018}}</ref> The idea for the song was partly inspired by record producer Phil Spector's plans to record a Christmas album. Wilson recalled: "I wrote the lyrics to it while I was out on a date and then I rushed home to finish the music."<ref name="Murphy2015">{{cite book|last=Murphy|first=James B.|title=Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=273eCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA317|year=2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-7365-6|page=317}}</ref> Some of its rhythm and structure derives from the group's "Little Deuce Coupe", also co-written by Wilson and released as a single six months earlier.<ref name="Lambert2007">{{cite book|last=Lambert|first=Philip|title=Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA116|year=2007|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-4411-0748-0|page=116}}</ref> Love was not originally listed as the co-writer of "Little Saint Nick". His credit was awarded after a 1990s lawsuit.<ref name="Murphy2015"/><ref name="Hickey">{{cite book|last=Hickey|first=Andrew|title=The Beach Boys On CD vol 1: The 1960s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HnMoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA58|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-4475-4233-9|page=58|date=2018-02-10}}</ref>
==Variations==
"Little Saint Nick" reappeared on ''The Beach Boys' Christmas Album'' in 1964, with the stereo pressings of the album containing a new mix that removes the overdubbed sleigh bells, celeste and glockenspiel. This was done so that it would fit better with the sound of the album's first side, which was recorded in a hurry with basic instrumentation.<ref name="Hickey"/> Another version of the song, utilizing the melody and backing track later used for the ''All Summer Long'' song "Drive-In", was recorded during the album sessions in June 1964, but remained unreleased until a 1991 CD reissue.<ref name="Lambert2007"/>
== Personnel == {{Unreferenced|section|date=June 2025}} === Single version ===
* Mike Love – lead and backing vocals * Brian Wilson – backing vocals; grand piano; celesta * Carl Wilson – backing vocals; electric guitar; sleigh bells * Al Jardine – bass guitar; glockenspiel * Dennis Wilson – backing vocals; drums '''Additional personnel''' * Murry Wilson – sleigh bells * Bob Norberg – backing vocals
=== Album version ===
* Mike Love – lead and backing vocals * Brian Wilson – backing vocals; grand piano * Carl Wilson – backing vocals; electric guitar * Al Jardine – bass guitar * Dennis Wilson – backing vocals; drums '''Additional personnel''' * Bob Norberg – backing vocals
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable" !Chart (1963) !Peak<br>position |- ! scope= "row"| US Christmas Singles (''Billboard'')<ref>''Billboard''. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1963/Billboard%201963-12-28.pdf pg. 7. ''Retrieved'' December 26, 2025.</ref> | align="center"|3 |} {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" ! scope="col" | Chart (2018–2025) ! scope="col" | Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row" | Australia (ARIA)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/singles-chart/2023-01-02|title=ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|date=January 2, 2023|access-date=December 30, 2022}}</ref> | 39 |- {{single chart|Canada|23|artist=The Beach Boys|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 31, 2024}} |- ! scope="row" | France (SNEP)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://snepmusique.com/les-tops/le-top-de-la-semaine/top-albums/?semaine=52&annee=2023&categorie=Top%20Singles|title=Top Singles (Week 52, 2023)|publisher=Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|language=French|access-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref> | 158 |- {{single chart|Billboardglobal200|34|artist=The Beach Boys|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 3, 2024|refname="global2"}} |- {{single chart|Ireland4|47|date=20241227|rowheader=true|access-date=December 27, 2024}} |- ! scope="row" | Latvia (DigiTop100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tv3.lv/izklaide/digitop100/digitop100-gada-izskanas-topa-svetku-dziesmas-uzvar-teju-visus-muzikalos-smagsvarus/|title="DIGiTop100" gada izskaņas topā svētku dziesmas uzvar teju visus muzikālos smagsvarus|trans-title=Christmas songs beat almost all musical heavyweights in DIGiTop100 at the end of the year|language=lv|publisher={{Ill|TV3.lv|lv|tv3.lv|lt=Skaties.lv}}|access-date=April 17, 2025|date=January 3, 2018}}</ref> | 84 |- {{single chart|Dutch100|98|artist=The Beach Boys|song=Little Saint Nick|rowheader=true|access-date=December 28, 2024}} |- ! scope="row" | New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/singles/2024-12-27|title=NZ Top 40 Singles Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=December 27, 2024|access-date=December 27, 2024}}</ref> | 30 |- ! scope="row" | Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/215?dspy=2023&dspp=52|title=Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 52, 2023|publisher=Sverigetopplistan|access-date=December 30, 2023}}</ref> | 6 |- {{single chart|Switzerland|54|artist=The Beach Boys|song=Little Saint Nick|rowheader=true|access-date=December 29, 2024}} |- {{single chart|UK|43|date=20231229|rowheader=true|access-date=December 29, 2023}} |- {{single chart|Billboardhot100|25|artist=The Beach Boys|rowheader=true|access-date=January 3, 2024}} |- ! scope="row" | US Holiday 100 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2022-12-31|title=Holiday 100 (Week of December 31, 2022)|magazine=Billboard|date=December 31, 2022|access-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref> | 22 |- ! scope="row" | US ''Rolling Stone'' Top 100<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/charts/songs/2019-12-24/|title=Top 100 Songs|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=December 24, 2019|access-date=December 31, 2019|archive-date=December 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231173333/https://www.rollingstone.com/charts/songs/2019-12-24/|url-status=dead}}</ref> | 25 |}
== Certifications == {{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Little Saint Nick"}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=The Beach Boys|title=Little Saint Nick|award=Platinum|relyear=1963|certyear=2026|source=radioscope|access-date=January 25, 2026}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Beach Boys|title=Little Saint Nick|award=Platinum|relyear=2004|certyear=2025|id=16950-1917-1|access-date=December 21, 2025|note=Sales since 2004}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=The Beach Boys|title=Little Saint Nick|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=1963|certyear=2026|access-date=May 15, 2026}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
==Notes== {{Reflist}} {{The Beach Boys singles}} {{The Beach Boys' Christmas Album}} {{authority control}}
Category:Songs about Santa Claus Category:1963 singles Category:1910 Fruitgum Company songs Category:Capitol Records singles Category:American Christmas songs Category:She & Him songs Category:Sugar Ray songs Category:The Beach Boys songs Category:Song recordings produced by Brian Wilson Category:Songs written by Brian Wilson Category:Songs written by Mike Love Category:1963 songs Category:American novelty songs Category:Christmas novelty songs Category:Songs about cars
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