The week after Thanksgiving! It’s The Official Start of Christmas Music Season™ !
Well, according to my own rules, that is.
I know that many of you listen to this music year-round – and no criticism from me! You do you.
Why does it matter? Because with the official kickoff, mt58 and I are bringing back the competition!
Because who doesn’t like to cheer for their own favorites…
… and trash the rest?
However: There are So. Many. Christmas Songs.
The only possible way to set up a contest is to divide them into categories before having a final challenge among the winners in each category.
Confused? So are we.
But that’s okay. Just jump in and nominate your favorites. This week’s nominations are in the classic Christmas category. Looking for those songs that have been playing in the stores and on the radio for most, if not all, of your lifetime.
The background to dinner at your grandparents…
The ones that you learned for the school Christmas program…
You know the ones! Please limit your nominations to one. Multiple nominations for the same song by a different singer will be accepted. Mine are White Christmas by Bing Crosby and Silver Bells by Bob Hope.
The mechanics:
- Nominate in the comments below.
- Nominations close at the end of business on Thursday
- A snappy looking poll will be posted on Friday
- The results will be available that evening.
- Bring your cocoa or other imbibement, hang with us, and see how your choice fared!
And a special thanks to Gary, for helping with the tabulations. We can always count on you!
**Important caveat** The Christmas Shoes will not be accepted in any category because, as Chuck Small might say: “yuck.” And let the record show: we are not the first ones to feel this way.
Thanks for participating, and we can’t wait to see your picks!
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Well, since I was cited … 🙂
I liked most of the Phil Spector Christmas Album (as loathsome as its creator may have been), with Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” as the highlight.
That one is a standout. And it’s not Darlene’s fault that her song was produced by an abusive, degenerate, and (literal) murderous creep.
Does “classic” have a cutoff year? Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” is now considered a classic, but are we thinking 40s – 60s for classics here?
I’ll stick with some golden oldies for now:
Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song
Judy Garland: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Louis Armstrong: Winter Wonderland
Johnny Mathis: Sleigh Ride
Perry Como: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
The Ronettes: Frosty the Snowman (taking a cue from Chuck)
I think it depends on how old you are, really. I was thinking of the 40’s-60’s because those were the ones that I heard most in my childhood (no, I wasn’t around for the 40’s and 50’s, but they were still playing those songs when I was a kid). Actually, they’re still playing those songs now. But Mariah will probably fit better in our next category.
Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song was going to be my choice as well.
I’m quite partial to Andy Williams’ “Happy Holiday” and “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Aside from a certain mic drop, walk off Christmas song I am obligated to rally for on behalf of all Hungry Little Schoolgirls everywhere (sounds like that’s a future category though), when I hear Andy Williams singing about the holidays I know it’s on. Never fails to give me warm fuzzies.
I’ll give you “Christmas Song,” and will take “O Little Town of Bethlehem” in its place. What really hits my Christmas sweet spot? Traditional carols. And if not sung by a choir, traditional carols sung by Nat.
Oh, and also, this classic needs a mention:
George Frederich Handel (performed by the Academy of Ancient Music): “For Unto Us a Child Is Born.”
We considered a category of faith-based songs, but we weren’t sure if it might be out of line to put them in direct competition with each other. However, your selections fit beautifully, and they’re going in the poll.
I would like to submit ‘O Holy Night’ in that case as well, as sung by a traditional choir, not anyone from the 20th or 21st century music scene….
And…it’s in.
Faith-based knife fight!
“Arctic Cool” from North Side Story.
My parents has most, if not all, of the Firestone Christmas albums, Volumes 1 – 7. Volume 5 was all Julie Andrews, so I nominate her version of “The Bells Of Christmas.”
Lovely choice. I need to make sure that I listen to that soon, as it doesn’t get played nearly as ubiquitously as some of the others. And it’s all the better for it.
That’s a Pleasant Reminder for the Day, totally forgot about those Firestone Christmas albums. My folks had some in their library as well.
Did they also have the Four Roses albums?
No, but they did have some pretty bitchin’ Burl Ives stuff.
I’d like to start a petition to have Congress pass a law that all mentions of Burl Ives songs on the radio from this day forward MUST be preceeded by the word “Bitchin'”.
Shoot, let’s go for an amendment to the Constitution. I mean, it’s THAT important.
How is “Bitchin’ Burl Ives” not the name of a band?
V-Dog, you may have to start a new list of band names. Or add this one to the one from the mothership.
Oh my goodness do I love that album cover.
We gotta get some Burl Ives up in this joint people. I give a slight nod to “Holly Jolly Christmas” over several other contenders (Rudolph and such).
https://youtu.be/e_AMTbO50vU
Is it really even Christmas until you hear this one?
Ahem.
That’s Bitchin’ Burl Ives, pauly.
I stand corrected! 😁
All of these are wonderful picks. Here are my suggestions:
Those are all wonderful. Karen Carpenter had the perfect voice for Christmas, warm, soft, and rich.
BTW, I’m avoiding your article today because I’m trying to evade spoilers. Hoping I’ll get my own copy of Tom’s book in my Xmas stocking! So don’t take my lack of engagement as lack of interest…
Firstly; The Christmas Shoes?! Its fair to say it hasn’t crossed the Atlantic. Never heard of it and based on your caveat I never want to hear it. Rather than sullying my ears I’ve had a quick scan of the lyrics and……well…… how to put it politely? They really do read like it must be quite something.
As for my Christmas classic. It may be heresy but I could quite happily never hear another Christmas song again. Familiarity breeds apathy. Its not that I’m a complete Grinch, I love Christmas, just that I can live without the musical accompaniment.
That said, if I absolutely had to pick one to accompany me through eternity I’m on board with Chuck, its Darlene with Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home).
OK. Attention please. This is not a drill.
I’m invoking the N.O.S.H.O.E.S. Protocol.
JJ is to be extricated from the scene immediately before further damage is done.
Tell him that it’s a matter of national security, and use the secret countersign. “Yorkshire Pudding.”
If the terror of The Christmas Shoes is not contained, and is released upon an unsuspecting UK, we can only imagine the panic. It could potentially effect the results of The Annual British Christmas Number One. And we can’t have that.
Good luck, all. We’re counting on you. This message will self-destruct in 5 sec-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0tNw4jNp28
“Christmas Shoes” really has to be heard to be believed. It’s like a grisly accident you just can’t help gawking at.
You make a strong argument for retiring overseas. Not having to deal with the CS plague every year would make for a much merrier Christmas. It was so popular here that they made a TV movie based on it. I never saw the movie, but I can only assume that those who did were lucky to escape without their brains physically leaking out their ears.
Like JJ, I have somehow never heard Christmas Shoes, so I just asked my son about it. He jumped and said, “Oh God, no! Don’t listen to it!”
Instead, he played me this video. It explains the song without ever playing it. And now I understand.
https://youtu.be/iq10bz3PxyY
You owe your son a debt of gratitude for saving you from TCS and pointing you to this explanation instead. This is fabulous. Profane, yet hilarious.
“Profane, yet hilarious.”
I’m pretty sure I heard that once at a wine tasting.
Ohhhh, that song. Thank you VDog Jr for allowing me to place that song without actually having to listen to it. 😁
No one should have to listen to it.
I nominate “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms
If that’s not considered “classic”, then I nominate “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)” by Nat King Cole
Jingle Bell Rock is definitely considered classic around these parts. It goes in. In fact, they both go in.
I’m not big fan of Christmas music, but I’ll go with “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano (why not, it’s easy to sing in both languages), Wham’s “Last Christmas”, Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime”, Mariah’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight) by The Ramones, and Run-DMC’s “Christmas In Hollis”.
We will probably hold a couple of these for next week’s category. But Jose and Paul can go in this one. Sir Paul can go in next week as well because…Sir Paul.
This is like deciding which of my children I like best. I really love Christmas music.
The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole was already mentioned, which is good, cause it’s my personal choice, too. Others:
Bing Crosby: Do You Hear What I Hear?
Leroy Anderson/Boston Pops: Sleigh Ride (gotta have an instrumental)
The Drifters: White Christmas
I would nominate Gayla Peevey’s “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” because I LOVE that song, but I feel it would quickly be hammered down. (It’s certainly not my favorite).
As long as the hippopotamus in not in Christmas shoes. Sleigh Ride is all abut the little trumpet at the end that sounds like a horse neighing. Makes the song.
About, not abut. Dang.
Unless you’re Canadian, then it would be “Abot a Typo”.
Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week, don’t forget to tip your server….
Haven’t heard “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee mentioned yet… Required listening for all Home Alone fans!
Absolutely. Excellent choice.
That grandmother is so Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People.
Okay. I read the criteria. No Waitresses.
1) Silent Night
2) The Little Drummer Boy
Okay. Those first two are legit. Third choice is based on not repeating what was already nominated.
3) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Hang on to that Waitresses song for an upcoming category.
A few more oldies:
Traditional (Mormon Tabernacle Choir): Carol of the Bells
Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Snowflakes
Jimmy Durante: Frosty the Snowman
Dinah Washington: Ole Santa
And let’s not forget this gem!
The Chipmunks: Christmas Don’t Be Late
If anybody could find the emotional truth of “The Christmas Shoes”, it was Mimi Parker.
😭
Does Thurl Ravenscroft’s “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” qualify as classic?
It’s GRRRR-REAT!!
Yes, it does. I was hoping someone would mention it.
My entry will lose in the first round, but I have an Irrational Love for “Love Is” by Percy Faith. I’m hoping Link will show it some love.
https://youtu.be/IsSQuMd7oJ8
Don’t know if Link saw it, but I will show it some love. Excellent choice.
Love this concept. (ba-dum-tss)
My nominees are (using “1970 and earlier” as my criteria):
• “Deck the Halls” by Nat King Cole — the best antidote to artists dragging out Christmas songs way longer than they need to be.* 1 minute, 8 seconds and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
• “Winter Wonderland” by Darlene Love
• “What Christmas Means to Me” by Stevie Wonder
*See: any version of “Jingle Bells” that’s like 3 minutes long and only has the 1 verse + chorus. Okay, we get it, Frank, you love those J-I-N-G-L-E bells… you know the song has at least 2 other verses you could be singing instead, right?
With you on lengthy renditions of Jingle Bells. There’s just no need for sound effects and spelling. It’s a simple little song. Sing it and be done. Love your choices.
Speaking of bells on bobtail:
If I never have to hear Barbra Streisand’s version of JB ever again, I will consider it to be a fortuitous stroke of good luck.
Due to numbers, we may hold the Stevie Wonder song for next week’s category. But I love it, and it will be going in somewhere.
Lots of good ones so far. A few others to consider, if not already mentioned
“Let It Snow” – Dean Martin
“Home for the Holidays” – Perry Como
“O Come All Ye Faithful” – Nat King Cole
“Its’ Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” – Johnny Mathis
All of these are great!