Coming up with my personal top ten Christmas movies last week was daunting but a lot of fun. Between the blog, Instagram and Facebook there were a lot of great discussions happening. So I thought we should keep up with counting down. This week let’s discuss Christmas songs.
It seems like the logical next step. Well, this was tougher than the movies! Was it hard to pick just 10 movies? Absolutely! But there are sooooo many Christmas songs. And which are my favorites definitely changes from year to year.
As a child they were all terrible. My favorites are all the ones that, if I hear them on the radio now, the station is immediately changed. Think All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth, Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer and all other super annoying songs. My mother should be thrilled I didn’t ever hear I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas until I was an adult. Can you imagine that over and over? Kill me now. Although, maybe my mom is the reason I never heard that song until I was an adult. Well played Mom, well played.
As I got older (highschool/college) I wanted peppy songs like Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and Jingle Bell Rock. There isn’t anything wrong with those songs, I’m just not as into them anymore. Maybe I wore them out.
Not only do my Christmas song preferences change from year to year, they change from day to day really. So much depends on my mood. You can find a Christmas song to fit any mood. So, with tons of caveats and knowing that tomorrow this list might look different (except for the top three; those will never falter)… below are my Personal Top Ten Christmas songs.
1. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Judy Garland
2. Carol of the Bells- John Williams (children’s choir version from Home Alone)
3. O Holy Night- John Williams as above or Tracy Chapman
4. Baby It’s Cold Outside- Dean Martin
5. A Holly, Jolly Christmas- Burl Ives
6. River- Aimee Mann
7. Snow*- Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen
8. White Christmas- Otis Redding
9. Winter Wonderland- Louis Armstrong
10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen- Bare Naked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan
Honorable Mention:
The Christmas Song- Nat King Cole
The Hanukkah Song- Adam Sandler
*I can’t ever hear this song without thinking of my Uncle Steve. My mom is one of six and Uncle Steve is the only boy. There was one Christmas where he would, completely at random, sing the first “Snoooooow” and the sisters would just chime in with the next three “snow”s. It always makes me so happy!
I asked the rest of our little family their favorites and it was not the great discussion point I had hoped for. Husband’s is basically the Ray Charles Christmas album “The Spirit of Christmas” with a couple other songs sprinkled in here and there. E thought of about three songs (Frosty the Snowman, You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town) and then started listing every song from the TV program “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Give me a break. We’re From The Island Of Misfit Toys shouldn’t be on anyone’s top ten list of Christmas songs, ever! A immediately said Silent Night and after five more minutes of coaxing said Jingle Bells. After that she just couldn’t be bothered.
So let’s hear it! What are your personal top ten Christmas songs? List them in the comments below.
Wow – was really behind and I guess I overlooked this comment. I’m with you on most of your choices so I’ll leave it at that. Except…Silent Night is almost my top. I guess because it was my mom’s favorite. And right there I LOVE “Celebrate Me Home” by Kenny Loggins. I’m with you on the rest.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!