SONGS OF THE SEASON #3: "Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer / had a very shiny nose. / And if you ever saw him, / you would even say it glows." Who among us doesn't know the lyrics to this Christmas classic? But did you know it was created as a marketing ploy by the Montgomery Ward department store?

The store had been buying and giving away coloring books for Christmas every year, and decided in 1939 that creating their own book would save money. A guy by the name of Robert L. May was given the project.

It was his brother law, Johnny Marks, who put the story to music in the 1940's. Gene Autry put it on wax in 1949,and it's been played on the radio every Christmas since then.

This is the Destiny's Child version. I just love how they work themselves into the classic claymation scenes we're all so familiar with ...