‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ Sales Surge After Holiday Classic Is Banned for ‘Predatory’ Lyrics

Brett Eldridge and Meghan Trainor perform “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” (Screenshot)

After Cleveland radio station WDOK banned the holiday classic, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,’ in an effort to be politically-correct, the popularity of the son skyrocketed, enjoying more than 10 million plays on radio.

WDOK sparked a national controversy over the song in November by publicly declaring it was banning the song because a listener claimed its 1944 lyrics are sexually predatory.

But, according to Billboard.com, the latest weekly ranking of holiday tunes shows the song has, since, enjoyed a surge in sales, far exceeding the 34% sales increase recorded by all holiday songs:

“Most notably, on Billboard‘s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart dated Dec. 15, three interpretations of “Baby” appear the most of any title, and they make the survey’s three largest gains, respectively.”:

1. Dean Martin, up 257%
2. Idina Menzel-Michael Bublé duet, up 165%
3. Leon Redbone-Zooey Dechanel duet, up 130%

Likewise, streaming of “Baby” renditions rose far more than all holiday songs overall (up 32%):

• Dean Martin, up 54%,
• Idina Menzel-Michael Bublé duet, up 54%,
• Brett Eldredge-Meghan Trainor duet, up 36%