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Yule be sorry you read this post (earworm alert!)
Christmas music starts playing in the malls on November 1, sometimes even before the Halloween merchandise is cleared out. And unless you do your shopping entirely online, and don’t listen to the radio, and walk around wearing earmuffs, holiday music is totally unavoidable this time of year.
I’m guessing there are less than a hundred Christmas songs in popular rotation on the radio, so odds are good that I’m going to heareverything more than once. I’ll pick up a tune in the mall, like some kind of VIRUS – and hum it all the way home. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. There are some Christmas songs that I find really annoying, but also some that I really love.
It’s a very divisive issue, picking favourites, isn’t it? Christmas songs are inextricably linked tofond childhood memories. An informal Twitter poll revealed, for example, that the favourite Christmas tune of a surprising majority was The Little Drummer Boy. (Would that be the Bing Crosby/David Bowie version I wonder?)
My own favourites include:
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Jimmy Boyd
- Holly Jolly Christmas, Burl Ives
- Santa Baby, (I am not sure whether I like Eartha Kitt’s or Madonna’s version best)
- White Christmas and Silver Bells, Bing Crosby
- Winter Wonderland, by Perry Como. Although Bing does a great job of it too. (Can you tell I’m a fan?)
- Do They Know it’s Christmas, Band Aid
- All I Want for Christmas is You, Mariah Carey
- O Little Town of Bethlehem, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night … these carols from my childhood are still tops for me.
There are some Christmas songs that I hate just as passionately. I blame this on my many years spent working in retail, which really wore the shine off the holiday season. To this day I’m not sure if I’ve totally recovered from the experience.
My LEAST favourite is Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time by Paul McCartney. OY. Once I hear it, it becomes impossible to extract from my brain. (That’s why they call it an ear worm.) I have mixed feelings about War is Over (So This is Christmas, by John Lennon). Yoko sounds like a screechy little cat and it ruins it a little bit for me every time I hear it. Anything syrupy by Karen Carpenter makes me cringe, as does Bruce Springsteen’s version of Santa Claus is Coming To Town.
Which Christmas songs make you turn up the stereo? Which ones bring out the Scrooge in you?
Andrea Tomkins
Mother of two imps and wife of one. Writer, photographer, pro blogger, adventure-seeker, Ottawaholic, social media evangelist and lover of STUFF. Also known as @missfish on Twitter.
Writing: >> a peek inside the fishbowl
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Lynnturtlehead
Okay, that Paul McCartney song *is* terrible, but that’s about all we agree on. I can’t believe you like I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause – that song give me the heebie jeebies – and I also don’t like Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (although the original version is almost tolerable). My personal favourites are Sleigh Ride (*especially* the Carpenters version, love it!), Jingle Bell Rock (by the Muppets or Hall and Oates), and Home for the Holidays. In terms of non-traditional songs, I love love love Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses, Fairytale of New York by the Pogues, 2000 Miles by The Pretenders, Maybe This Christmas by Ron Sexsmith, and River by Sarah McLaughlin.
If only it were acceptable to listen to Christmas music in July, I’d be all over that!
Lynnturtlehead
Okay, that Paul McCartney song *is* terrible, but that’s about all we agree on. I can’t believe you like I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause – that song give me the heebie jeebies – and I also don’t like Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (although the original version is almost tolerable). My personal favourites are Sleigh Ride (*especially* the Carpenters version, love it!), Jingle Bell Rock (by the Muppets or Hall and Oates), and Home for the Holidays. In terms of non-traditional songs, I love love love Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses, Fairytale of New York by the Pogues, 2000 Miles by The Pretenders, Maybe This Christmas by Ron Sexsmith, and River by Sarah McLaughlin.
If only it were acceptable to listen to Christmas music in July, I’d be all over that!
Andrea
See! Divisive! And I think the only other songs we can agree to like is the Pretenders and the Pogues.
p.s. how do you feel about Last Christmas by Wham? 🙂
Lynnturtlehead
Is hate too strong a word for the Christmas season? Can I just say HUMBUG?
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Ryan
I love O Holy Night by far, always have. It’s so poetic and powerful. My favourite to sing as well. Silver and Gold is a great one that you never hear from the Rudolph movie. And You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch. Silver Bells and Sleigh Ride rate pretty highly as well.
Jingle Bell Rock has irritated me since I was a kid. No explanation, just grrrr. Other than that, the others don’t bother me – I love caroling.