What is your favorite Christmas song? And which one do you HATE the most?

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Anything BY TSO or the album Three ships by Jon Anderson

Favorite: And he has help, WOW.

[YOUTUBE]U6-PAKOt7sM[/YOUTUBE]


most disliked: the twelve day of christmas
 
Like - +1 for Straight No Chaser 12 Days of Christmas

Dislike - anything new since 1975 ;)
 
Favorites - TSO and Nutcracker. Hated - Santa Baby
 
"the twelve days of beer" by Bob & Doug Mackenzie is a standard up here (Canada). Features Gedde Lee of Rush too..

For me, the Who's Tommy - "Christmas" (if you call it a 'carol'..)
 
While not quite at the top of my list, I went to the Brian Setzer Orchestra's "Christmas Rocks!" show recently and LOVED it! It's up-tempo versions of Christmas classics to a rockabilly beat and it was awesome!

Also worth mentioning is that "Baby It's Cold Outside" *used* to be at or near the top of my list...but then someone ruined it for me by pointing out that if you listen to the lyrics closely, it sounds very "date rapey". I kind of have to agree now.
 
The Drifters' White Christmas is a favorite of mine
[video=youtube;GfZPtkqXQIA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfZPtkqXQIA[/video]

Overboard's version of it is good too. It's imperfect, but Doo Wop sounds best when it isn't polished
[video=youtube;aVxySvMCi8o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVxySvMCi8o[/video]


Always Liked Aaron Neville's _Let It Snow_
[video=youtube;LSTQ945m7ew]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSTQ945m7ew[/video]

On the spiritual side... It's not exactly Christmas, but it works very well _Air on the G String_ by Libera:
[video=youtube;DSmngDVYX-c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSmngDVYX-c[/video]


Personally cannot stand _The Little Drummer Boy_, or McCartny's Simply Awful Christmas Song.
Celebrate Me Home by Kenny Loggins (Who's other work I admire) is pretty bad too.
 
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Favorite:

[video=youtube;j9jbdgZidu8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8[/video]

Most hated:

[video=youtube;kf5kum4ym30]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf5kum4ym30[/video]
 
One more...
[video=youtube;HGVNzgUxE-g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGVNzgUxE-g[/video]
 
PropellantHead said:
While not quite at the top of my list, I went to the Brian Setzer Orchestra's "Christmas Rocks!" show recently and LOVED it! It's up-tempo versions of Christmas classics to a rockabilly beat and it was awesome!

Also worth mentioning is that "Baby It's Cold Outside" *used* to be at or near the top of my list...but then someone ruined it for me by pointing out that if you listen to the lyrics closely, it sounds very "date rapey". I kind of have to agree now.
Click to expand...

Last year my wife and I had an argument about Baby It's Cold Outside where I was saying that it is an OK song by itself but not a Christmas song and not appropriate due to the date rapey-ish of it. She didn't see what I meant until two days later were at a Christmas concert and the male singer coerced the female singer back behind the curtain and later they came out all disheveled.. Yup.. not Christmassy or appropriate
 
One of my favorites since I was about 7 y.o. was "Carol of the Birds"

For modern pop stuff....recently I've been listening to this Pretenders cover by Lissie:

[video=youtube;w2qJGSuWb00]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2qJGSuWb00[/video]


And I have yet to not spend some of the holiday with a good drink in hand and a good mellow out with these:

[video=youtube;1vBmfWw2SKw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vBmfWw2SKw&list=PLQZZ3cBhNF5uud_mvfYRkPR1pYMKl4RP9[/video]

[video=youtube;sZ37B_ntIpc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ37B_ntIpc&index=10&list=PLQZZ3cBhNF5uud_mvfYRkPR1pYMKl4RP9[/video]

Worst song:
Grandma Got Runned Over by a Raindeer.
HATE IT. (Sorry if some of you guys like it)
 
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dlb said:
Anything BY TSO or the album Three ships by Jon Anderson

Favorite: And he has help, WOW.
[YOUTUBE]U6-PAKOt7sM[/YOUTUBE]
most disliked: the twelve day of christmas
Click to expand...
Yep...that one is on my playlist...Greg Lake - with Ian Anderson of J.Tull...nice version.
 
Ok another one for the despise list. "Santa Baby", no matter who sings it. Whenever I hear it, I want to yell "STAY AWAY FROM SANTA, YOU GOLD-DIGGER!" at the radio.
 
mrichhcirm said:
Ok another one for the despise list. "Santa Baby", no matter who sings it. Whenever I hear it, I want to yell "STAY AWAY FROM SANTA, YOU GOLD-DIGGER!" at the radio.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I hate the song too, but it's more tolerable since I discovered I can sing SH-Boom to it, and make everyone else hate *me* instead.

Lot's of Christmas songs are, shall we say, similar to other songs. Like Holly Jolly Christmas can be sung together with Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Also, most of Rudolph can be sung along with Jingle Bells.

Rockin' Around the Christmas tree can be sung to Jingle Bell Rock.

I'll Be Home for Christmas has the same progression as Let Me Call You Sweetheart. (Both songs mention love light, FWIW. That's kind of unusual if you ask me.)

There's at least one Christmas song (name escapes me) that is Please Mr. Postman in disguise. That's gotta be the most reused melody in history. In fact, the Christmas song is closer to Gravy, which was the answer song to The Mashed Potatoes, all of which were rehashes of Please Mr. Postman. The Christmas song emphasizes the word Christmas just where Gravy emphasizes the word Gravy - so I always sing Gravy to the Christmas song. (No. You wouldn't like me. Really...)

Please Come Home For Christmas sounds like the Beatles' Oh Darling (Please Believe me I'll Never Do You No Harm) - both are similar to Jimmy Clanton's Just a Dream. (In the original Cuneiform)

Last Christmas is very like Can't Smile Without You. (Can't stand either one, actually)

The list goes on and on.

(Frosty the Snowman/Here Comes Suzy Snowflake... Suzy seems to be Frosty for girls.)
 
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Favorite (and about the only Xmas song I really like), Carol of the Bells (almost any version, but Manhattan Steamroller is the best)

Most despised- Last Christmas (esp. George Michael's, but I hate Taylor Swifts too, ands I agree it's not a Christmas song)

Honorable Mention (like) almost anything that's ever been played by Dr. Demento

Honorable Mention (dislike) Little Drummer Boy
 
I think it's worth separating out the "novelty" Christmas songs from the more traditional (i.e.- non-funny) ones. With that in mind, I have a favorites list of those:

1. The Twelve Pains of Christmas - Bob Rivers Group
2. Christmas At Ground Zero - Weird Al Yankovic
3. The Lonely Jew on Christmas - Kyle Broflovski (South Park)

Most hated novelty Christmas song:

1. The Chipmunk Song
2. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
3. All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)
 
An excellent two hour and nine minute collection of mostly instrumental Christmas music, just ignore the irrelevant video content and listen to it as background music:

[video=youtube;-Ctv5ssttyc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ctv5ssttyc[/video]
 
I like:
Father Christmas - Kinks. The radio stations around here won't play it.
Christmas Wrapping - Waitresses

I cannot stand:
Dominic the Donkey
Chipmunk Song
 
OK - here are some of mine. If you've never heard of any of them, look them up - IMHO they are unbeatable:

"Carol for Another Day" by Henry Mancini - it was the theme song for a Xerox/United Nations modern retelling of "A Christmas Carol" set in the modern day and was aired only once as a live, no commercials presentation. The song is quite haunting!

"Christmas in the Trenches" by John McCutcheon. A fictionalized account of the Christmas Truce of 1914. Equally haunting!

"I Believe in Father Christmas" by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Kind of dystopian.

"Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" duet from a Christmas special featuring Bing Crosby and David Bowie. Should be available on YouTube.

"The Marvelous Toy" - I think it was done originally by Peter, Paul and Mary, but I have a nice version by John Denver.

Speaking of Denver, his version (with the Muppets) of 12 Days of Christmas is about the only version I DO like. Fun, and Miss Piggy brings a special verve to "Five Golden Rings"

Don't mind Blue Christmas by most any other artist, but I can't turn the radio off fast enough when the Elvis version comes on!!!

And I used to love the annual Firestone and Goodyear Christmas compilation albums. So much so that I put together my own version from iTunes a couple years ago.
 
For very mellow classic Christmas background music, go to the Pandora.com "Jazz Holidays Radio" channel.
 
Feliz Navidad has to be one of the worst Christmas songs ever written. As soon as I hear it come on, I change the station or turn off the radio.

Honorable mentions are "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney (even my mother, who is a big Beatles and McCartney fan doesn't care for the song), and "Santa Baby" when it is sung in the Betty Boop, bimboish fashion. I heard it last night sung in a more bluesy fashion that actually didn't sound too bad, but I'm still not a big fan of the song in general.

Honestly, I can only take listening to Christmas music so much. I think it was because my mother (and now my wife) start playing it all the time starting the evening of Thanksgiving. I have my songs I like listening to, such as "O Holy Night" and "Hallelujah", particularly when they're done right. I think the repetitiveness of it just gets to me after a few days.
 
Fab Four--Joy To The World[YOUTUBE]watch?v=m2pssMvTDwU[/YOUTUBE]

Rusty Chevrolet [YOUTUBE]watch?v=50IgzksUqpQ[/YOUTUBE]

Dominic The Christmas Donkey is on my list of least favorites.

Favorite obscure holiday tunes:

The Marvelous Toy [YOUTUBE]watch?v=50IgzksUqpQ[/YOUTUBE]

Japanese Transistor Radio [YOUTUBE]watch?v=_jOG52PoZs0[/YOUTUBE]

I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas [YOUTUBE]watch?v=a_7coicdXWg[/YOUTUBE]
 
Ok here's one I have ambivalent feelings about: Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg. Great song....just too darned sad for Christmas!
 
[video=youtube;IcFyMMHY8so]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcFyMMHY8so[/video]
 
Exactimator said:
Anyone remember these? We had several when I was growing up.

View attachment 277878
Click to expand...

After WWII my dad, among other things, owned a Texaco service station though the 50's into the 6o's.
Texaco and Firestone had some kind of a deal and the station stocked the popular tires sizes.
Every year we had the Christmas album (and the Texaco promotion). I still have them.

Which brings us here. In the late 50's into the early 60's, Mitch Miller (and the gang) was very popular.
They put out many sing-a-long albums and had a TV show.
Think "follow the bouncing ball".
The albums came with 8 to 12 hand out song sheets to hand out at your party to show off your new Hi-Fi.
In 1960 Hal Moore and Bill Fredericks wrote "Must be Santa" and Mitch recorded it.
It did OK in the 'charts' at the time.

No one has mentioned it yet.
It's far from my favorite, but it is history.
Let's see if I can link it correctly, and if so a follow up is coming:

[YOUTUBE]k1vf1DYJphA[/YOUTUBE]
 
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