Christmas Music, your thoughts?

[TONGO]

When did it go from being spiritually uplifting to a form of torture approved by the United Nations?


Is it our age, and we've just heard these songs over and over? Is it a reminder of the commercial monster the holiday has become? Is it just bad music?


Some I like. Michael Crawfords "Oh Holy Night" sounds like a live feed from heaven itself. I'm also a mark for The Harry Simeone Chorale version of "Little Drummer Boy", and any Dean Martin gets a pass.


I feel though Halloween has overtaken Christmas in actually being fun, and something to look forward to. Your thoughts?

[Yoda]

Heh. Sorry, I mostly like it. Some of it's pretty terrible but about 90% I find warm and fuzzy and like hearing, and hum to myself at various points throughout the year even if it's not remotely Christmasy.

[Citizen Rules]

This is my type of Christmas music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqapA4zHlo8


...and this ain't!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Ye-3C1FC8

[Tugg]

I hate Christmas music. It used to be cute when there would be few Christmas tunes in the Charts, when physical media of these songs had to be bought. Now with streaming from mid November to mid January Charts are stuffed with the same songs across the world and every year. It's torture.

[SpelingError]

For me, Christmas songs are like The Polar Express. It's good, but I was force fed it way too much to the point I'm completely tired of it at this point. The same applies for a great deal of Christmas songs. That said, here are a couple of my favorites which I still enjoy listening to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flA5ndOyZbI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU5_FDZhWwk

[Mr Minio]

Two of my favorite Christmas pieces of music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ75UeTdnE0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhe4_psXM60

[AgrippinaX]

I mostly like it, some stuff is better than other stuff, I don’t mind Chris Rea and the like. Then again, sometimes I feel like I like all music out there just because it’s music.

[Dead2009]

This is the only Christmas song that matters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QWRg-IS50o

[Miss Vicky]

I like a few Christmas songs, mostly ones by popular artists. My favorite is Bob Seger's version of "The Little Drummer Boy."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41cvukwmqhk

My second favorite is probably "That Spirt of Christmas" by Ray Charles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaAdg_l38Cc

But my absolute least favorite song ever made by any artist is a Christmas song and I will inevitably be subjected to it at least once this season and it will absolutely enrage me. It's already been posted in this thread, actually, but fortunately I can just not click play on it. A big screw you to Paul McCartney for creating that abomination. :mad:

[Balor]

I love all of it.

[Allaby]

I enjoy a wide variety of Christmas music. 🎄

[skizzerflake]

I like it, although with limitations. Newer stuff...shopping music, jingly-jingle music is like fingernails on slate. On the other hand, the old, Germanic music with manger scenes, angels, choirs, etc, reminds me of the old folks in my Germanic way-back and is real nostalgia stuff.

[TONGO]

But my absolute least favorite song ever made by any artist is a Christmas song and I will inevitably be subjected to it at least once this season and it will absolutely enrage me. It's already been posted in this thread, actually, but fortunately I can just not click play on it. A big screw you to Paul McCartney for creating that abomination. :mad:


I agree. I work in a store where that is one of the songs on the loop. Somewhere in the netherworld a hopeless soul is entering hell to the background music of Sir Paul singing "Ding Dong Ding Dong ....". at this point they realize there is no God.

[Allaby]

I'm listening to Christmas music right now while I drink egg nog. Then, I'm going to watch 2 Christmas movies in a row and drink hot chocolate.

[John Dumbear]

Vince Guaraldi Trio is my limit... Humbug 😉

[Captain Steel]

and any Dean Martin gets a pass.


I'm with you, Pally.


Here's one of my favorite (but lesser played) songs...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5CaLcAA7ek

[GulfportDoc]

I'm a traditionalist. I like Gene Autry's Christmas songs like "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "Here Comes Santa Claus", and "Frosty the Snowman". There are a few other traditional songs I like as well, although I could probably go forever without hearing "Feliz Navidad" or "Jingle Bell Rock" again..:)

What irks me is that most radio stations will take the top 15 Christmas songs and play them over and over, but they almost always avoid playing traditional Christmas Carols. I suspect that they're afraid of offending non Christians. I love traditional Christmas Carols. To me those carols are representative of the Christmas season, not an attempt to push a religion.

[Mesmerized]

I love Christmas music. It always puts me in a good mood. I mostly listen to the older classics.

[Mesmerized]

I'm a traditionalist. I like Gene Autry's Christmas songs like "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "Here Comes Santa Claus", and "Frosty the Snowman". There are a few other traditional songs I like as well, although I could probably go forever without hearing "Feliz Navidad" or "Jingle Bell Rock" again..:)

What irks me is that most radio stations will take the top 15 Christmas songs and play them over and over, but they almost always avoid playing traditional Christmas Carols. I suspect that they're afraid of offending non Christians. I love traditional Christmas Carols. To me those carols are representative of the Christmas season, not an attempt to push a religion.

I'm with you. I love listening to the Christmas music from accuradio.com. They have many genres within genres of Christmas music including the older more tradional songs.

[Captain Steel]

How about definitive versions?
Such as: everyone's done White Christmas, but most feel Bing Crosby's is the best & definitive version.

I'd add Perry Como's No Place Like Home for the Holidays
Sandra Dee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby
And of course Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song (one thing I'll give him credit for)! ;)

[Citizen Rules]

How about definitive versions?
Such as: everyone's done White Christmas, but most feel Bing Crosby's is the best & definitive version.

I'd add Perry Como's No Place Like Home for the Holidays
Sandra Dee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby
And of course Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song (one thing I'll give him credit for)! ;)Those are all greats! But I didn't know Gidget could sing;) You must've meant Brenda Lee...and yup I love that version. I have to say as much as I don't like Madonna she did do a really good cover of Santa Baby.

[Captain Steel]

Those are all greats! But I didn't know Gidget could sing;) You must've meant Brenda Lee...and yup I love that version. I have to say as much as I don't like Madonna she did do a really good cover of Santa Baby.

Good catch, CR!

This is actually a case of celebrities you mistake for other celebrities... I really always thought Sandra Dee (the actress who married Bobby Darrin) did this song and had a singing career! I totally confused her with Brenda Lee! :eek:

I think the movie Grease may have had something to do with my confusion.

[GulfportDoc]

How about definitive versions?
Such as: everyone's done White Christmas, but most feel Bing Crosby's is the best & definitive version.

I'd add Perry Como's No Place Like Home for the Holidays
Sandra Dee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby
And of course Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song (one thing I'll give him credit for)! ;)
I like those too. As for Crosby, his saddest is 1943's I'll Be Home for Christmas (with that touching last line).

Another saddy, but goody, is Elvis Presley's 1957 version of Blue Christmas.

[Takoma11]

For those who do or do not enjoy Christmas music, I strongly recommend the documentary Jingle Bell Rocks (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3219462/), which is all about alternative Christmas music.

While the filmmaker centers it a bit too much on his own experiences, it's a really cool look at the range of Christmas music out there, and it introduced me to a new seasonal favorite, the deliciously low-key "Take the Long Way Around the Sea" by Low. (RIP Mimi Parker and her lovely voice).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98O1zt8Xu-s&ab_channel=Low-Topic

[Captain Steel]

More definitive versions:

Nat Cole's The Christmas Song
Jose Feliciano's Feliz Navidad (of course)
Lou Monte's Dominick the Donkey
Burl Ive's Holly Jolly Christmas
Vaughn Monroe's Let It Snow (for all you Die Hard fans!)
Thurl Ravenscroft's You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch
Johnny Mathis's Winter Wonderland
Andy Wiliams's Most Wonderful Time of the Year

[Captain Steel]

More definitive versions (?)...

Jimmy Durante's Frosty the Snowman
Dean Martin's Baby It's Cold Outside
The Beach Boys's Little Saint Nick
The Kinks's Father Christmas
Bing Crosby's It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Bobby Helms's Jingle Bell Rock
Lou Rawls's Merry Christmas Baby
Chuck Berry's Run Run Rudolph
Judy Garland's Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You
Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas

[Citizen Rules]

Like all your choices, but I prefer Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan singing Baby It's Cold Outside

I'll add one and this is a personal fav, Dean Martin's A Marshmallow World

[Captain Steel]

Like all your choices, but I prefer Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan singing Baby It's Cold Outside

I'll add one and this is a personal fav, Dean Martin's A Marshmallow World


Indeed. I thought Dean's version also had someone famous doing the female part, but now I see (or hear) it's only a group of background singers. So I'll concede that one! ;)

I remember seeing a version of this song in a movie with Ricardo Montalban and Esther Williams! (If that don't beat all - Khan and the Mermaid doing a duet!)

Anyone remember a few years back when some cancel culture group wanted to ban this song? (For being sexist or some such.)

[Citizen Rules]

Indeed. I thought Dean's version also had someone famous doing the female part, but now I see (or hear) it's only a group of background singers. So I'll concede that one! ;) You never go wrong with Deano, my favorite crooner and roast MC!

I remember seeing a version of this song in a movie with Ricardo Montalban and Esther Williams! (If that don't beat all - Khan and the Mermaid doing a duet!)Neptune's Daughter I believe. I only know that because that movie came up not once, but twice today in a search. First I was looking for the name of a noir film starring Montalban and second just now as I couldn't remember who sang Baby It's Cold Outside way back in the day.

Anyone remember a few years back when some cancel culture group wanted to ban this song? (For being sexist or some such.)No I don't remember that. But I will sing loudly...Uuuu....ghhhh!:D

[Captain Steel]

Original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCpXMy5GalI


Spoof or homage?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJBFD-Wvc7U

[TONGO]

I'll add one and this is a personal fav, Dean Martin's A Marshmallow World



Damn Skippy :yup::up:

I was a stocker at a grocery store when going to school to be an LMT, and they had...God I don't think I'm exaggerating, a 45 minute Christmas song loop. I learned to loathe all songs played except one, that one. It was like honey to a Bee, cold water to a parched man. Dean is the Kingo.

[honeykid]

What irks me is that most radio stations will take the top 15 Christmas songs and play them over and over, but they almost always avoid playing traditional Christmas Carols. I suspect that they're afraid of offending non Christians. I love traditional Christmas Carols. To me those carols are representative of the Christmas season, not an attempt to push a religion.

That could be the case, but I suspect the biggest reason is they get more listeners/make more money from the other stuff than they would/do Christmas carols.

I don't mind the Christmas stuff too much, but then I'm not out amongst it, so I decide what's played and when and I don't listen to anything before the 1st Dec. I like Wonderful Christmas Time, but sometimes it can be too much, so I do get why some can't stand it. If I were ever to put together a list of my favourites, I'd include it.

[Stirchley]

I hate Christmas music. It used to be cute when there would be few Christmas tunes in the Charts, when physical media of these songs had to be bought. Now with streaming from mid November to mid January Charts are stuffed with the same songs across the world and every year. It's torture.

It’s appallingly dreadful especially in Dunkin Donuts. One can’t believe the crap they have on their tapes. I pity the poor staff.

[Citizen Rules]

It’s appallingly dreadful especially in Dunkin Donuts. One can’t believe the crap they have on their tapes. I pity the poor staff.Santa needs to buy you a coffee maker!:D

[Stirchley]

Santa needs to buy you a coffee maker!:D

No need. We have one. Dunkin coffee is perfect & it’s a nice quick break in my morning to go there for coffee.

[Captain Steel]

I'm ready to officially add Bruce Springsteen's Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Paul McCartney's Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time as songs I just can't stand anymore. Springsteen's version seems to have the refrain go on forever (even though it's probably no longer than other versions).

[beelzebubble]

Please. No! I am not ready yet. Wait till advent. That is all I ask.

[Captain Steel]

Please. No! I am not ready yet. Wait till advent. That is all I ask.

But... but, beelzebubble...

The mood is right
The spirit's up
We're here tonight
And that's enough...

;)

[Captain Steel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxwk3x12ORk

[Stirchley]

Dunkin seems to have put their “music” on mute. Even for Dunkin the banality of the music menu was unbearable.

[doubledenim]

If it’s not Mannheim Steamroller, silence your noise 😝

[Mr Minio]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqFbCxSCCag

Finally good Christmas music.

[laxel]

I love Christmas music. I usually choose old famous songs from 90s.

[Stirchley]

Can we move on from Christmas music. :p

[honeykid]

For about 10-11 months, yeah. :)

[matt72582]

I always thought it was torture.