Songfacts®:

• Gene Autry wrote this Christmas classic about his experience riding his world-famous horse, Champion, in the annual Santa Claus Lane Parade (now known as the Hollywood Boulevard Christmas Parade). Seems Autry was just a few positions in front of Old Saint Nick in the 1946 parade. While he was riding, the kids could not care less about the Singing Cowboy or his trusty steed - they were screaming, "Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus!" (Or "Santy Claus," as Autry pronounces it.)
• When Autry was asked to record the Christmas song "An Old Fashioned Tree," it spurred him to work on the idea for his own festive tune celebrating Santa's arrival. After he wrote the lyrics, he gave them to composer Oakley Haldeman, who was also the head of his publishing company, to add the music. With Columbia A&R chief "Uncle" Art Satherley in tow, Haldeman brought the tune to country singer Johnny Bond to record a demo. Legend has it, Uncle Art sipped a cocktail near the microphone while Bond sang, and the tinkling ice cubes heard in the background inspired them to add sleigh bells to Autry's version.
• Autry first released this, backed by "An Old Fashioned Tree," on October 6, 1947 in plenty of time for Christmas. The single landed in the Top 10 of the country and pop charts, opening a new avenue in his career as a holiday hitmaker.
  
  With "Here Comes Santa Claus" under his belt, plenty of songwriters pitched him ideas for Christmas tunes, hoping for another yuletide hit. One of them was Johnny Marks, who presented him with "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer." Autry initially turned him down, but his wife convinced him to reconsider. The single went to #1 on the pop chart in 1949 and sold 2.5 million copies the first year, on its way to 25 million.
  
  He also issued popular renditions of "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" and "Frosty The Snowman."
• The Billboard Hot 100, which was introduced in 1958, wasn't around yet when Autry released this song. It finally made the tally in 2018, when it debuted at #40 just before Christmas. On December 31, 2022, it reached its peak position at #25.
• Autry also performed this in his 1949 movie The Cowboy And The Indians. He recorded new renditions in 1953 and 1957. The latter version was featured in the 1989 comedy National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation during a SWAT team's raid of the Griswold home. Incidentally, Randy Quaid, who plays Cousin Eddie in the movie, is Autry's third cousin.
• This was also used in these TV shows:
  
  Riverdale ("Chapter Twenty-Two: Silent Night, Deadly Night" - 2017)
  The Big Bang Theory ("The Clean Room Infiltration" - 2014)
  American Horror Story ("Unholy Night" - 2012)
  The Cleveland Show ("A Cleveland Brown Christmas" - 2009)
  Bones ("The Goop On The Girl" - 2009)
  My Name Is Earl ("South Of The Border: Part Dos" - 2006; "Orphan Earl" - 2008)
  Las Vegas ("White Christmas" - 2006)
  Malcolm In The Middle ("Hal's Christmas Gift" - 2004)
  The Simpsons ("Miracle On Evergreen Terrace" - 1997; "'Tis The Fifteenth Season" - 2003)
  Northern Exposure ("Seoul Mates" - 1991)
  WKRP In Cincinnati ("Jennifer's Home For Christmas" - 1989)
  
  And these movies:
  
  The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
  First Man (2018)
  Office Christmas Party (2016)
  Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
  Get Santa (2014)
  Gimme Shelter (2013)
  Christmas In Compton (2012)
  Nativity! (2009)
  The Polar Express (2004)
  The Stepford Wives (2004)
  Man On The Moon (1999)
  I'll Be Home For Christmas (1998)
  The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
  RoboCop 3 (1993)
  Better Off Dead (1985)
• "Here Comes Santa Claus" was parodied in the 1999 Futurama episode "Xmas Story." When a murderous robot Santa wreaks havoc on the city, a group of carolers warn, "So lock the door, hit the floor, 'cause Santa Claus comes tonight."
• Many other artists have recorded this song throughout the years, including Doris Day, Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Wayne Newton, Willie Nelson, Glen Campbell, Dwight Yoakam, Anne Murray, Bob Dylan, Mariah Carey, Chicago, and Pentatonix. The cast of Glee also sang it in the season 6 Christmas special.