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Mine is a short list, based on each song’s ability to be played (or overplayed as the case usually is) between November and December without me completely losing it and jabbing pens in my ears to make it stop. In fact, I usually play these songs several times in row and probably contribute to others' desperate cries of “Make it stop! Just make it stop!” Cool! I'll pass out pens for that!

Anyway, here's my faves. Not much to explain...

Christmas All Over Again [Tom Petty] – co-written by Jeff Lynne (formerly of ELO) and this song is sooooo Lynne with the percussion, particularly the snare drum.



Happy Christmas (War is Over) [John Lennon] – wish I could edit out Yoko’s wailing as a backup singer



Santa Baby – as sung by Eartha Kitt and ONLY Eartha Kitt



Little Saint Nick [The Beach Boys] - ’nuff said!... However, I especially like the Muppet version with Animal chiming in “Run, run reindeer!”



Now, to narrow down the list of holiday songs that could go away and the world would be a better place...

Liv wrote:I've always been partial to "Baby it's cold outside.".

I like the scene in "Elf" when Jovy is singing it in the shower, and Buddy (Will Farrell) starts to sing along...

I always liked Lennon's tune. And McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas Time."

And Bing Crosby's Christmas album for waaaaaay back. Classic.

Well, SFI... this list of the 100 greatest agrees with the Bing Crosby bit... http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/music0_christmas.html

Here's the top 51 (because I like #51 and anyway, where's there a rule that a list should be an even or round number?):
1 White Christmas - Bing Crosby
2 The Chipmunk Song - The Chipmunks
3 Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
4 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Jimmy Boyd
5 Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
6 The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
7 Snoopy's Christmas - The Royal Guardsmen
8 Here Comes Santa Claus - Gene Autry
9 Little Drummer Boy - Harry Simeone Chorale
10 Donde Esta Santa Claus - Augie Rios
11 Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
12 You're All I Want For Christmas - Brook Benton
13 Baby's First Christmas - Connie Francis
14 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Bruce Springsteen
15 Home For The Holidays - Perry Como
16 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Four Seasons
17 Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
18 Happy Christmas (War is Over) - John Lennon and Yoko Ono
19 May You Always - Harry Harrison
20 Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer - Elmo and Patsy
21 Jingle Bell Rock - Chubby Checker & Bobby Rydell
22 Jingle Bells - Singing Dogs <---has anyone heard the cats meowing "Silent Night"??? wtf
23 Frosty the Snowman - Gene Autry
24 Merry Christmas Darling - The Carpenters
25 Little St. Nick - The Beach Boys
26 Please Come Home For Christmas - Charles Brown
27 It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas - Perry Como & The Fontaine Sisters
28 Feliz Navidad - José Feliciano
29 Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
30 Do You Hear What I Hear - Bing Crosby <--Johnny Mathis version makes Serendip think of "Gremlins"
31 Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
32 Run Rudolph Run - Chuck Berry
33 (Sleep in Heavenly Peace) Silent Night - Barbra Streisand
34 Nuttin' for Christmas - Barry Gordon
35 Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
36 Step Into Christmas - Elton John
37 The Christmas Waltz - Frank Sinatra
38 All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth - Spike Jones
39 Please Come Home For Christmas - The Eagles
40 Amen - The Impressions
41 Monsters' Holiday - Bobby 'Boris' Pickett
42 Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
43 Give Love on Christmas Day - The Jackson Five
44 Dominick, The Italian Christmas Donkey - Lou Monte
45 White Christmas - The Drifters
46 It's Christmas Everywhere - Paul Anka
47 Gee Whiz, It's Christmas - Carla Thomas
48 Christmas Dragnet - Stan Freberg & Daws Butler
49 Sleigh Ride - (Instrumental) - Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops
50 Pretty Paper - Roy Orbison
51 Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love

If I never hear 'White Christmas' again I'll still have heard it too many times.

I have to say that I like hearing traditional carols sung badly by a children's choir.
Good King Wenceslas
Here we come a wassailing
We wish you a Merry Christmas
God help ye Merry Gentlemen*
I saw three ships
Silent Night
Jingle Bells

etc.

God help ye merry gentlemen
There's plenty more to pay
With income tax and health care bills
And more cuts on the way

Your job has gone to China
You bank is going bust
Your savings all have vanished
Your IRA is dust

What will you do for Christmas?
How will you pay the bills?
Let's hope that Grandma snuffs it
Her will can cure all ills

I have to add here that I love a few Christmas parodies as well. Particularly "Christmas at Ground Zero" and "The Night Santa Went Crazy" by Weird Al.

Dogs barking Jingle Bells... not so much.

[youtubevideo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0yyITRyvM4[/youtubevideo]

[youtubevideo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4jNAr9dnrw[/youtubevideo]

Then again, there's this list of the most depressing Christmas songs. Eurrgh!

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:Then again, there's this list of the most depressing Christmas songs. Eurrgh!

Yeah, Liv mentioned "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in another thread... I still like it but hell yeah it's depressing.

Of course, for me it has a lot to do with when I was in highschool and my friend's mom died and this was her solo in the winter concert for choir. Not a dry eye...

Most of the older traditional Xmas songs I like have already been posted, so I'll post the ones that have become a new tradition with my immediate family.

Robert Earl Keene's Merry Christmas From the Family. This song brought me cheer at a bad time in my life.

[youtubevideo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P37xPiRz1sg[/youtubevideo]

Pat Godwin's "Let's Put Christ Back In Christmas". There is no video, but the audio is there.
[youtubevideo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMo_A6eHn14[/youtubevideo]

This last one is from South Park. DO NOT let your children or co-workers hear this. NSFW.
Mr. Garrison sings "Merry F--king Christmas". Sorry there is only a static picture instead of the excerpt from the show.

[youtubevideo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guLKl3v7XFI[/youtubevideo]

I've always been partial to "Baby it's cold outside.".

Serendipitous wrote:

Liv wrote:I've always been partial to "Baby it's cold outside.".

I like the scene in "Elf" when Jovy is singing it in the shower, and Buddy (Will Farrell) starts to sing along...

That's like the best movie evar!!!!

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:Then again, there's this list of the most depressing Christmas songs. Eurrgh!

Well, I just read through that list. Fortunately, the majority of those songs I've never heard.

I do like Dan Fogelberg's "Same Auld Lang Syne."

I remember decorating the tree years ago and "Poundcake" by Van Halen came on the radio. I know it's wierd, but it kinda puts me in the Christmas spirit ever since.....

Liv wrote:I've always been partial to "Baby it's cold outside.".

I've got my new version of this, this year: