George Wyle died at the age of 87 yesterday. Although perhaps best known as the composer of “The Ballad Of Gilligan’s Island,” most of his work was before my time. Wyle also wrote the Christmas classic “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and more than 400 other songs. Asked about the popularity of his TV theme compared to his other work, Wyle said “America doesn’t want great music themes, just something it can remember.” Looking at things in that perspective, he was definitely an unqualified success.
