Best Christmas Season Songs and Artists

[kphoger]

Mariah Carey - All I want for Christmas is you.

I recently learned what might be the reason this song has gained such success–surpassing the success of pretty much any Christmas song since the standards of decades gone by.  Both the style of the intro and even the chord progression are very similar to 'White Christmas.'  Specifically, the chord progression { I – I^-7 – IV – ii^Ø7 } is what makes it sound so 'Christmassy,' because it's exactly the same as what's used in 'White Christmas'.

[roadman65]

What I would like to know is why other version of songs by the same artists have been introduced to the radio market this year like another version of Jimmy Durante's Frosty The Snowman.  This year they used a shortened version so it seems that leaves out the "Happy Birthday" beginning and the sad goodbye by Frosty at the end.

In addition I have been hearing the past three years another version of Perry Como's Home For The Holidays as this version has a musical intro rather than Perry singing the first line accapella.  Plus the middle part with the chorus singing "Taking Plane, Take a Train, etc" which the normal version has been played does not have it in the one now being played but a clarinet solo instead.  I read that Perry recorded two versions and the one played before is his original.  But why all of a sudden stations now opted for the later version is a mystery.

[roadman]

Among my favorite Christmas albums are Bruce Cockburn's Christmas, Carnie and Wendy Wilson's Hey Santa, and Mantovani's Christmas Carols - the latter was a favorite of my parents, so it evokes great memories of Christmas as a kid when I listen to it.  For 'novelty' Christmas songs, I'd have to rate Weird Al's Christmas at Ground Zero as a top favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t039p6xqutU

[7/8]

My brother showed me this song in the days before Christmas: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Sufjan Stevens (ignore the video and just listen to the song ).

[Rothman]

Did anyone mention DMX's version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"?  Never knew it existed until this year.