It started three years ago, over in the comment section at Stereogum’s The Number Ones.
After I had posted a bunch of playlists there on a variety of topics, I was asked by commenter and tnocs.com Contributing Author lovethisconcept if I had any Christmas playlists:
At the time I did not. There were multiple reasons for this.
As a music director for a church, I am usually waist-deep in Christmas music preparation and rehearsals starting in early November.
Because of this, and the fact that as a Catholic, it was engrained in me that it was still Advent and not quite time yet for the baby Jesus.
I typically would not be in the mood to listen to any Christmas music I am not contractually obligated to hear, until around Christmas Eve at the earliest.
Add to this: that hearing any of it in the preceding weeks was a harsh reminder that the day was approaching far faster than I wanted, and that there was still much to be done.
All that to say that, no, I had never even thought of compiling my own Christmas playlists.
Nevertheless, I was compelled to put something together.
We were in the middle of Covid restrictions.
My Christmas burden was significantly lighter that year, with very few of us being allowed to sing or play in church at one time.
So, heck, why not? I decided to create a few playlists, based on various genres or eras of music to tie each list together thematically.
I initially came up with nine lists that first year, way more than I thought I would. It became an obsession.
I kept tweaking many of the lists, finding more songs to add, shuffling things around to make sure the flow was just right. I began posting the lists in the comment section and received some positive feedback. It encouraged me to keep going. The next year, I created four more, and kept adding year by year.
I’m now up to 21 different playlists – and counting.
I try to format them like a radio station, usually featuring just one song per artist per list.
If I do repeat an artist, I look to stagger it. Some classic recordings make an appearance, but familiarity has not been the priority, as I have attempted to dig as deep as I could and expand my own horizons.
Through all this, my attitude toward Christmas music has changed.
Though I still don’t always care for hearing it in the wild, I enjoy exploring it and listening to it on my terms, well in advance of the big day.
A couple of days before Thanksgiving this year, I picked up my daughter from school and when she got into the car, a surf-guitar rendition of “Greensleeves” was playing.
She recoiled from it, protesting that she was nowhere near ready to start hearing Christmas music. Sure, it was obnoxiously early, but I hadn’t even given it a second thought.
These weeks before Christmas can still get hectic, but the playlists serve as a respite.
I continue to discover so many great creative interpretations of traditional Christmas songs and carols, in every style imaginable.
It’s brought new life to what in many cases, were tired old songs I thought I never needed to hear again.
It’s given me an option to get into the spirit, instead of just feeling overwhelmed. I don’t want to stop, which is a good thing, because I’m not sure that I can.
Truly, lovethisconcept’s request has been a gift to me.
I’ve posted my lists in the comment section at Stereogum every year since I started in 2020, so I realize that many of you have seen most of them, probably multiple times.
Bear with me. You’re getting them again.
I’m posting them here so it will be easier to find if anyone wants to revisit any of the playlists at any point. And I do have a couple of new ones, as well as some recent ones you might have missed.
So without further ado: the gift that keeps on giving…
ROLLERBOOGIE’S BAG OF CHRISTMAS PLAYLISTS!
Dixieland Jazz (more recent)
Surf Rock (NEW)
Jazzed Up Polish Christmas Carols (more recent)
Rock and Roll- 50s-mid 60s (NEW)
Bebop, Progressive Jazz (more recent)
Big Band
Bluegrass/Country
Gospel
House/Dance Remix, (which also can double as a holiday workout playlist)
Reggae
Soul/Funk/Motown, etc.
Straight-Up Jazz, Baby! (61 songs!)
Smooth R&B, Yacht Rock and more
Smooth Jazz Instrumental
Rock/Metal/Punk
Ladies of the Eighties
Salsa/Latin Jazz
At the Disco
A Cappella
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Nice! I’ve saved a bunch of these for later listening.
21 playlists is damn impressive. Why not make just a few more and reach the magic 25?
Let’s see, you could do old fashioned choir carols, heavy metal, throat singing, and… chip tune!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfBtB50fFsQ
Or maybe save that for next year’s project. 😉
Great work!
I said it as a joke, but…seek and ye shall find:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOuizojZm24
Oh, heck yeah! This is so great. A group of Mongolian street performers I saw in Poland years ago featured a throat singer and it was first and only time I saw it live. I loved it.
Thank you, Phylum. The throat singing idea in particular is intriguing. If I could find enough examples of it to make a playlist, it’s on.
The rock/metal/punk playlist does feature its share of heavy metal.
Christmas/Holiday songs from movies, or, more restrictive, songs from Hollywood Golden Age movies.
The latter intrigues me.
Wow!! You have been busy.
I love Christmas but when it comes to the music…… my glass of gluhwein / hot toddy / Snakebite and eggnog is half empty when it comes to that aspect of festive cheer.
I can tolerate it on the radio, in stores and bars but I’d never choose to seek it out.
If I had to pick one it’d be the surf, soul or punk rock playlist.
Read something over the weekend about the Xmas charts I hadn’t considered. At present there’s Brenda Lee and Bobby Helms in the UK top 10 with Andy Williams, Dean Martin and The Ronettes in the top 30.
Brenda Lee was a hit first time round but has really taken off lately. The others are legacy songs that had never touched the charts til streaming and all have reached their highest position in the last two years.
One explanation is that their sudden popularity isn’t because people are actively seeking them out but are just sticking on a random Christmas playlist that Spotify has compiled and are weighted towards US tracks.
The likes of Slade, Wizzard, Jona Lewie that have been prominent for 30+ years are now missing out. Though on the other hand Cliff Richard is missing out as well so there’s a silver lining….
Poor Cliff, and yes, good points about why the same Christmas songs are dominating every year at this time. I have no doubt that has much to do with it.
Darn it! I’m in the office today and my employer blocks all the streaming services. I’ll have to wait until I get home to listen to any of these but I’m really looking forward to it, especially the Punk, Be Bop, and Dixieland lists, and I think the lovely Ms. Virgindog will sing along with the Polish tunes. Thanks, rollerboogie!
Your welcome. I will be interested to hear what Ms V-dog has to say about the Polish playlist. It’s one of my favorites.
Well, I liked it. She was less enthusiastic, saying she prefers the traditional versions. She knew them all and could sing along, but the Jazz interpretations weren’t to her liking. I never thought of her as a traditionalist but we’re talking childhood memories here.
Nie możesz zadowolić wszystkich.
Words to live by. Also,
Dźgacze w plecy to liczba 10.
V-dog’s Polish I understood. Yours I had to look up, and now I know why. Very funny and not something I would have likely heard in Polish in the wild.
Nic nie szkodzi. Yes, you truly cannot please everyone. You throw an insane enough amount of stuff out there, and you may please some.
Well now I’m in the mood to hear “Garden Party” entirely in Polish.
According to Second Hand Songs, there are versions of “Garden Party” in Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Dutch. Sadly, no mention of Polish, but you never know…
Is it time to look for a different employer?
🙂 I can put up with it for a while. Retirement’s right around the corner.
What a lovely thought and inclination to share with us, RB. And thanks, LTC, for the inspiration.
I don’t mind listening to seasonal music as long as I’m in the mood. These playlists are more my thing than the 24/7-since-Halloween stations.
Like you, I’m Catholic, so I find it irritating that these stations dump the music, as some neighbors do their trees, on Dec. 26. I’m just revving up then.
Yes, my Polish wife has serious issues with that Dec 26 cease and desist policy as well, cst. Polish Christmas season goes until Feb 2
I never would have guessed that a small suggestion on my part would have led to all of these playlists, but I couldn’t be happier about it.
We drove to Hot Springs VA in December of 2020 during Covid, and I’m pretty sure I played a number of these playlists on the way down.
Thanks, and happy holidays!!!!
That’s awesome, thegue!
I am awed and honored to have been even a small part of this massive undertaking. I already have most of these, and will be adding the new ones immediately.
The Celtic instrumentals have contributed to peace in my household. My husband has a VERY limited tolerance for traditional Christmas music, but an unending ability to listen to Celtic music. This list is a wonderful compromise for us.
That brings me tidings of comfort and joy to know that, ltc!
A big part! I seriously doubt I would have done any of this if you hadn’t asked!
When worlds collide…
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/humour/the-twelve-tones-of-christmas/
I am totally here for this!
I fear I have to report a grave oversight. Your Celtic playlist doesn’t seem to include anything from the Chieftains. Their Christmas album, The Bells of Dublin, is one of my favorites. It maybe rates 2nd only to what I call “The Bing.” Christmas cannot happen without “The Bing”, but Bells rates highly. Here’s a YouTube playlist of the album.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP50YgGGmfhEus6Z_xqc638ZHvUhvxDoK&si=9xW4UXKVsGZNCeJ9
What the heck. Here’s a link to “The Bing” too. (At least I think it has the same track setting as the classic.)
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXgUstcYt9KuLMQ1gt9jKmQB5ZSMqs9HF&si=XsJB0I8DKcLkEf4q
Ah, my Celtic playlist is instrumental only, and the Chieftains album to which you refer is almost all with vocals, aside from a couple of pieces that are not as Christmas oriented. If they have an instrumental Christmas album, I’m down for it. Or I could eventually do a Celtic playlist with vocals.
Good work, rollerboogie!
Thank you, Link!
Always happy to share my new discoveries. Some to consider:
Tyler James Bellinger’s “Christmas Dream” – dance or disco
Tasha Layton’s “Hang Up Your Stockin'” and “Diddly Squat” – big band
Pentatonix’s “Please Santa Please” – a cappella
Tiny Little Bigband’s “Swing Santa,Swing!” – big band
Thanks, reg. I’ll take those under advisement!