Best Christmas Season Songs and Artists

[roadman65]

I was just curious to know, being it is time for Christmas music and other songs of the season to be played.  I know that in most markets, there are at least one station that play Christmas songs exclusively between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.  Some may find it too early to start at Thanksgiving to start playing them, others may like to hear them as they are only played and pretty much appreciated one month out of the year.  Whatever, or whenever you would hear them, what are your favorite songs and by whom?  There are many traditional songs performed by many artists of time, all contributing their own unique version of the song, which do you think is the best? 

Also, John Volbe (or however his name is spelled) own perverted version of the Twelve Days of Christmas does not count, for those who want to be funny, it is not even a Christmas song, but a something created for a comical nature.

I like both the instrumental and sung versions by all performing Sleigh Ride.  Debbie Gibson, has a really cool version of the song and so do the Carpenters, as we get to hear Richard Carpenter sing a rare vocal lead in part of the song, as usually late Karen Carpenter is the primary vocalist of the duo in their career.

I like Josh Groban's I'll Be Home For Christmas with the recorded messages of the soldiers in Iraq.  The one at the end with the little girl wishing her father could come home soon always brings a tear to my eyes.

Home For The Holidays- Perry Como
Home For The Holidays- Carpenters
Holly Jolly Christmas- Burl Ives
Frosty The Snowman- Willie Nelson
Santa Claus- Springsteen
White Christmas- Bing Crosby
Christmas Song- Nat King Cole
Christmas Song- Al Jareau
Winter Wonderland- Jewel
Wonderful Christmas Time- McCartney
Happy Christmas- Lennon
Do They Know Its Christmas- Band Aid
All I Want For Christmas Is You- Mariah Carey
J-I-N-G-L-E Bells (Sinatra's own version of Jingle Bells)- Old Blue Eyes
Blue Christmas- Elvis
Rudolph- Gene Autry

These are the top versions and originals for me.

[NE2]

The Jethro Tull Christmas Album. And nothing else.

[Duke87]

There is no such thing as good Christmas music.

Except maybe the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

[Alps]

I'm a Jew, so I have a short list:

Eve 6 - First Noel (I Like Christmas)
AC/DC - Mistress for Christmas
Everclear - Hating You for Christmas
Presidents of the USA - Christmas Piglet
Jimmy Eat World - Christmas Card

And last but most,

Spinal Tap - Christmas with the Devil

[vdeane]

Trans-Siberian Orchestra; it dominates my iPod playlist for my trips between home and Clarkson after Thanksgiving (with Dreams of Fireflies, it's actually longer than my trip if I-81 isn't buried in snow).

[US71]

Greensleeves-Mason Williams
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas Gayla Peevey
Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy David Bowie/Bing Crosby
Holly Jolly Christmas Burl Ives
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Gene Autry
White Christmas Bing Crosby
Christmas Song Nat King Cole
No Place Like Home for the Holidays Perry Como (also the Carpenters)
Feliz Navidid Jose Feliciano
Here Comes Santa Claus Gene Autry


I used to like Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams , but hearing it every 5 minutes on the TV advertising Branson Christmas Shows has turned me off.

I actually wasn't aware of Wizards in Winter until the Christmas House videos started to appear.

[roadman65]

Trans-Siberian Orchestra; it dominates my iPod playlist for my trips between home and Clarkson after Thanksgiving (with Dreams of Fireflies, it's actually longer than my trip if I-81 isn't buried in snow).

I forgot the songs of the Trans Siberian Orchestra.

Wizards in Winter is cool, especially the beer commercial  using a house lit up with the music of the song changing the lights.

I love the song that resembles Carol of the Bells.  I believe its called Christmas in Serajavo or something with the old Yugoslovia city in the name.

I heard, also, that the group puts on an awesome laser light show  when they appear in concert!

[Mr_Northside]

There's been some good ones mentioned here so far (notably the David Bowie / Bing Crosby collaboration)....

The Beach Boys also have some classic holiday songs as well.

I always liked Snoopy's Christmas by The Royal Guardsmen growing up as well.

And, for what it's worth, there's quite a few humorous / parody X-mas songs I like this time of year.

[kphoger]

Enya.  At full blast.

[Duke87]

Wizards in Winter is cool, especially the beer commercial  using a house lit up with the music of the song changing the lights.

That was a viral internet video before it was a commercial. Someone in the Cincinnati suburbs who's a bit of a programmer set it up for Christmas of '05. The lights blinked in time and the music was broadcast over a small radio transmitter that cars on the street could tune into as they passed.

[roadman65]

Wizards in Winter is cool, especially the beer commercial  using a house lit up with the music of the song changing the lights.

That was a viral internet video before it was a commercial. Someone in the Cincinnati suburbs who's a bit of a programmer set it up for Christmas of '05. The lights blinked in time and the music was broadcast over a small radio transmitter that cars on the street could tune into as they passed.

Someone in Celebration, FL did the same thing.  He has his housed wired  with thousands of lights, he has a small range FM station you tune your car radio in to and can listen to it.  He features a rare posthumous version of The Christmas Song with daughter Natalie Cole singing a duet with her late dad, Do You Here What I Hear, and Wizards of Winter to set the house lights off.

[Takumi]

^ My stepmom's brother-in-law has done that in the past. I don't know what songs played, though.

[cjk374]

Manheim Steamroller has several Christmas CDs out.  They do music similar to Trans-Siberian Orchestra (I DEFINITELY recommend you see TSO live in concert! An absolutely awesome show!!     ).  They have a jazzed-up version of "Deck the Halls" that you've probably heard before, but didn't know who did it.  I really enjoy their rendition of "Silent Night".  Listen to it on Christmas Eve night after all of the stores have closed, everyone has made it home, & drive slowly looking at all the light displays while listening to it....VERY soothing.   

Also all of Charles Shulz's piano music used in the Charlie Brown Christmas special.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Merry Christmas Baby - Charles Brown
Santa Claus wants some Loving - Albert King
12 Days of Christmas - Bob & Doug McKinzie (Dave Thomas & Rick Moranis)

[1995hoo]

A Twisted Christmas by Twisted Sister. Great stuff, especially "Adeste Fideles" arranged to "We're Not Gonna Take It" (you can find it on YouTube; I'm posting from my phone, so a YouTube link is a nuisance to insert).

Back in the mid-1970s my grandmother gave my brother a Sesame Street Christmas LP and I still know their "Twelve Days of Christmas" better than the real lyrics (Cookie Monster gets "one delicious cookie," Hardhead Henry Harris gets "two baby frogs–what kind of jive present is that, man?," etc.).

[english si]

It's sad you don't have the Pogues' Fairytale of New York over there: it's not Christmas unless you hear "You scumbag. You maggot. You cheap lousy biscuit got. Merry Christmas you arse - I pray God it's our last" for about the sixth time in one day*. You get people singing along to the chorus sort of subconsciously in shops here.

*When I visited my aunt in LA, CA for Christmas it didn't feel right as all the songs were wrong. No Pogues, no Noddy yelling "It's Chrisssssmassssss" or Wizzard wishing they get royalty cheques all year around.

[kurumi]

There is no such thing as good Christmas music.

Except maybe the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Agreed; most of the stuff you hear on the radio or in the mall should be retired permanently. But we are shackled by tradition...

Favorite songs:
* On this Day, Earth Shall Ring, by Gustav Holst (of "The Planets" and others).
* Joy to the World, especially with brass accompaniment, a choir, and with all the buttons on the pipe organ pushed in
* Best outside of church: the Waitresses song. Interesting bridge and decent music
* Up and coming: the new(?) song by Cee Lo Green. Nice chords in the horn section

Worst songs:
Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby, Deck the Halls, Baby it's Cold Outside

[DaBigE]

A Twisted Christmas by Twisted Sister. Great stuff, especially "Adeste Fideles" arranged to "We're Not Gonna Take It" (you can find it on YouTube; I'm posting from my phone, so a YouTube link is a nuisance to insert).

Love it.    A YouTube link for those that haven't seen it before...

...* Joy to the World, especially with brass accompaniment, a choir, and with all the buttons on the pipe organ pushed in...

As an organ enthusiast, I can't let that one slide...   The phrase you meant to say is with all the stops pulled out

One that I've always enjoyed (and am surprised that it hasn't been mentioned already) is The 12 Pains of Christmas by Bob Rivers. A nice instrumental CD is Christmas with the Canadian Brass; has some great pipe organ accompaniment with it.

[1995hoo]

A Twisted Christmas by Twisted Sister. Great stuff, especially "Adeste Fideles" arranged to "We're Not Gonna Take It" (you can find it on YouTube; I'm posting from my phone, so a YouTube link is a nuisance to insert).

Love it.    A YouTube link for those that haven't seen it before...

.....

The original video with the studio recording is the best one. Funny stuff:

http://youtu.be/YV-SpT69IZ8

[bugo]

There is no such thing as good Christmas music.

Except maybe the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

+1

[bugo]

This is about the only Christmas song that I can stand:

[Ian]

12.23.95 by Jimmy Eat World is one that I like, as well as Father Christmas by The Kinks.

[roadman65]

12.23.95 by Jimmy Eat World is one that I like, as well as Father Christmas by The Kinks.

Hey the Kinks tune is great.  I have billboards top 100 Christmas edition from a few years back, and it has that one as well as one by Cheech and Chong that you will like.  Its not exactly a song, but being its on a song album it can qualify as one and most of all I think that you will like as it has some great humor.

Oh its called Santa Claus and His Old Lady if anyone wants to check it out.

[kphoger]

I'm a Jew, so I have a short list:

I imagine you find the words to most traditional Christmas hymns offensive to your religion.  But I'll ask you to look at it from a different perspective.  I generally like or dislike Christmas songs not so much by the words as by the music.  So, which Christmas songs/hymns do you like musically–i.e., which ones would sound best with other words or instruments only?



I forgot about this one.  These folks are childhood friends of my wife, growing up in Branson.  They actually played for our wedding and reception (J S Bach by a bluegrass band is awesome, BTW).  Here's a Christmas YouTube:

[Alps]

I'm a Jew, so I have a short list:

I imagine you find the words to most traditional Christmas hymns offensive to your religion.  But I'll ask you to look at it from a different perspective.  I generally like or dislike Christmas songs not so much by the words as by the music.  So, which Christmas songs/hymns do you like musically–i.e., which ones would sound best with other words or instruments only?

Wow, your comment has me scratching my head. You imagine how I feel, so therefore you tell me how to act? I am offended. Not that I expected better from you. Anyway, my list was my list.