"Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses is my favorite original Christmas song. The John Denver/Muppets album is required listening at least once during the season. I don't make the rules.
"Ahh—Bing Crosby again. The dude simply is Christmas. He looms over the genre to such an extent that I can’t think of a single non-Christmas Bing Crosby song."
Most of the modern recordings of Christmas material pale in comparison to Bing's versions. He recorded enough of it for Universal Music to issue a CD set of it all, under the very apt name "The Voice Of Christmas".
As much as I am surprised to see Donny Hathaway at the head of the list, I am also not surprised considering what a true jam "This Christmas" is. He was a marvelous singer, songwriter and musician who died much too young, and all the tracks he cut for Atlantic Records in the '70s are amazing. (The instrumental "I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry" could be a great bookend for "This Christmas" based on the title alone.)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!!! Last Christmas!!! Silver Bells!!! Little Saint Nick!!! It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!! I demand justice (jk)
I will always love the New Pornographers’ “Joseph, Who Understood,” about Joseph coming to terms with Mary being pregnant and him having nothing to do with it. “Rumours are flying all over Galilee these days / and Mary, I’m trying to be cool…”
"Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses is my favorite original Christmas song. The John Denver/Muppets album is required listening at least once during the season. I don't make the rules.
Donny Hathaway forever.
Ditto, altho Just Like Christmas by Low is a close second
Great list. I would also nominate for consideration:
“Father Christmas” by the Kinks
“I Believe in Father Christmas” by Greg Lake
“Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues
“2,000 Miles” by the Pretenders
“White Wine in the Sun” by Tim Minchin
I love the David Bowie & Bing Crosby one
It's so good!
"Someday at Christmas" by Stevie Wonder
"Merry Christmas Darling" by Carpenters
"Wonderful Christmas Time" by Paul McCartney
Those come to mind for me.
Stevie was in the running, ofc. I can't stand the McCartney song lol.
I hate Wonderful Christmas Time so much. I will switch the radio or skip it so fast if it comes on. THE WORST.
Richard and Karen — absolutely
"Ahh—Bing Crosby again. The dude simply is Christmas. He looms over the genre to such an extent that I can’t think of a single non-Christmas Bing Crosby song."
Most of the modern recordings of Christmas material pale in comparison to Bing's versions. He recorded enough of it for Universal Music to issue a CD set of it all, under the very apt name "The Voice Of Christmas".
As much as I am surprised to see Donny Hathaway at the head of the list, I am also not surprised considering what a true jam "This Christmas" is. He was a marvelous singer, songwriter and musician who died much too young, and all the tracks he cut for Atlantic Records in the '70s are amazing. (The instrumental "I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry" could be a great bookend for "This Christmas" based on the title alone.)
"Gabriel's Song" by Sting is haunting & beautiful (I think it's an original?) AND "Christmas in Hollis" by RunDMC, obviously😄
Good ĉhoices. Little Drummer Boy is definitely my favorite. I've already started singing it.
Thinking of you and wishing you well.
I'll pick a less-well-known song, which probably wouldn't make the top-10 list but it quite moving. John McCutcheon's "Christmas In The Trenches"
See this lovely tribute to the song: http://www.folkworld.de/67/e/dai.html
I like the Ramones - Merry Christmas, I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight for some gritty Christmas realism!
I’d swap the Ronettes in for John Denver in a heartbeat. Otherwise, a great list! I also love this song by The Band, recently given a sweet treatment by Jeff Tweedy: https://open.spotify.com/track/5DFscZnl20JZIFQ7ELFPk8?si=bGIxwpcBT1a62NyHWIX7Lw
Could've practically said "Bing Crosby" and we would have known everything Bing. :) btw, he died October 14, 1977... Was a sad day.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!!! Last Christmas!!! Silver Bells!!! Little Saint Nick!!! It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!! I demand justice (jk)
Good list but WHY isn’t “Last Christmas” on here?!
There were 10 songs I liked better 🤷🏼♂️😆
Fabulous.
Thanks for singling out the Kermit song. I love that one and even figured out how to play it on guitar a few years back :)
Criminally underrated. Kermit singing Christmas songs? What else could you possibly want? 😁
I will always love the New Pornographers’ “Joseph, Who Understood,” about Joseph coming to terms with Mary being pregnant and him having nothing to do with it. “Rumours are flying all over Galilee these days / and Mary, I’m trying to be cool…”
Great song!!