Nov. 16: Yay!! The Christmas music is back!! And they've given us a whole extra week before Thanksgiving this year. Joy to the world, indeed! I love Christmas music, just love it.
Nov. 24: Two words for you: Darlene. Love.
Nov. 29: Damn you Darryl Hall and John Oates, making me love The Jingle Bell Rock the way you do!
Dec. 1: Oooh! I've never heard this version. Who knew that (insert cool artist name here) did a version of (insert great Christmas song name here) How exciting!
Dec 5: Hmmmm. I've never heard this version. Who let (insert mainstream pop artist name here) do a version of (insert name of decent Christmas song, made infinitely worse by artist above). How annoying.
Dec. 9: How come sometimes I hear Wonderful Christmastime and love it and other times I have to change the station? Wings is a bit of a guilty pleasure, but like all guilty pleasures you can only have so much. Egg nog anyone?
Dec. 11: Who the heck does Michael Buble think he is?? You're not a good actor. You do a decent rat pack member impression. Oh yeah, and you're Canadian. Take it down a notch!
Dec. 13: Is it me or are there only about 30 unique Christmas songs that everyone (and their mother) has done and redone over and over again? And over again. I'm looking at you Buble.
Dec. 18: I think I should notify the government of the torturous quality of hearing Felice Navidad on repeat. Adios water boarding... Hello Navidading!
Dec. 19: He saw mommy kissing Santa Claus? That's terrible. Can we discuss the emotional damage from this traumatic sight? The song's a bit too upbeat I think. Even the coolest new bike isn't going to erase the burned image and notion that his mom is a huge slut.
Dec 23: OK. Enough!! I've had my fill. All good until next year. Except for a few, which I am still somehow able to listen to each and every time:
My top 5 holiday songs:
All I Want For Christmas, Mariah Carey: This was always a solid top ten entry for my list until I found out (only in the past few years, weirdly) that this classic isn't truly a classic at all. This is not Mariah Carey kicking butt on a well known song, this is Mariah Carey writing and producing (ok, co-writing and co-producing) one of the best Christmas songs ever. Well done M. She bumped her significance factor with that one, and secured a spot in my holiday top 3.
Do They Know It's Christmas: The 1984 Band Aid version, not the completely unnecessary cheap, cheesy version put out by US pop stars in more recent years. Unnecessary Remake Alert!!
A classic holiday song as well as a wonderful way of raising money for a great cause. (see my post "the best nation is do-nation" for my thoughts on good vs. bad ways of fundraising)
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas: Sappy and sentimental, but warms me better than a nice fire!
This Christmas, Donny Hathaway: It's just a great Christmas song that makes me happy.
On a technicality, I will submit three songs under this one sub-heading:
Songs I Don't Think Should Only Be Played At Christmas:
Fairytale of New York, The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl; Celebrate Me Home, Kenny Loggins and Last Christmas, Wham!: Regardless of the name, I don't think that Last Christmas should only be played this time of year. I love Wham! And I love this song. So much so that it is my karaoke go-to... but not in December. That would be lame. Make this my formal plea to the radio stations to break from tradition and play these songs all year long!
I would add Bruce's Santa Claus is Coming To Town here, but as much as I get a total kick out of Clarence making him giggle through the end of the song, they really went for it with the jingling bells so I'm not sure I could do that all year long.
While I'm here... I will also submit a few of my least favorites:
Felice Navidad: see above... simply torturous.
Carol of the Bells: As if the holidays aren't stressful enough! This song makes me unnecessarily anxious. Just hearing the quick paced choir singing makes my heart beat faster. And now that I sing "give a, give a, give a, give a Garmin" instead of "merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas" I see the joy of the holidays ripped away from me with the dinging of these Christmas bells.
The Chipmunk Song: I'll admit to not always hating it... but it's late in the season and their voices are annoying.
Tell me what holiday songs bring you joy and which make you say "Bah, Humbug!"
Oh yeah, and have yourself a merry little Christmas now!
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