May your days be merry and bright...

I love Christmas music. :)

Christmas songs are recorded so often, and by so many different artists. But it probably doesn't surprise you that I have definite opinions about which versions I like best. :) Anyway, here is a list of my favorite Christmas songs. And my not-so-favorite ones.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

I'll Be Home for Christmas is my absolute favorite Christmas song. It may seem like a strange choice. But here's my reasoning behind it. First of all, it's just a really gorgeous song. Secondly, I'm a person who doesn't like change. I love traditions, especially at Christmas time. And this song makes me think about families and soldiers (and my grandpas, who both served in the military) and people who can't be with their loved ones, for whatever reason, at Christmas. And it makes me think about how thankful I am that so far, I have always been able to spend Christmas with my family.

Even though it's my favorite Christmas song, I haven't found the perfect version yet. The perfect version should be very slow and sad, and it needs to be a guy singing it. This Frank Sinatra version is the best one I've found so far. It would be perfect without the bells at the beginning and if the background vocals were a little more subtle. :)

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

This is my favorite traditional carol. I don't know why, exactly...I just like it, especially the the first stanza. And I really like how Bing sings it.

White Christmas

This is such a classic, nostalgic song. And I can't possibly choose between these two versions.

Bing Crosby:

Or the Drifters. I just have to say that I adore the Drifters singing White Christmas. :) It always makes me smile and it's one of those songs I could listen to over and over and never get tired of.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

This is probably my second favorite Christmas song. I don't think it's especially popular, which is sad. Because it's a beautiful song. Frank Sinatra sings it best (does that really surprise you? :).

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Lovely song. And nobody can sing it like Judy Garland.

The Christmas Waltz

I only heard this song for the first time last Christmas, on a Frank Sinatra record. His version (this one, not the one with a background choral at the beginning) is my favorite, but I also love the She & Him one.



I Celebrate the Day

I love Relient K's Christmas album, and this is my favorite song on it. It's an original song and not very traditional sounding, but I think it's lovely. And as usual, RK's lyrics are always so insightful that I almost wonder if they've been reading my mind. :)

Christmas Time Is Here

How can you not love this? The vocal and the instrumental versions.

So those are my top Christmas tunes. :) I wrote about Christmas albums that I love last year, and you can read it here. And add Michael Buble and She & Him's new Christmas CDs to that. I may be reviewing them sometime this week.

A couple of other really quirky Christmas songs that I like are: The Grinch Song {stink...stank...stunk!} and I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas {Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then,Teacher says a hippo is a veg-e-tar-ian}.

Some songs that I used to dislike but now like by these artists: Little Saint Nick (I've never liked the Beach Boys...I like the She & Him version okay, though), My Grown Up Christmas List (I only like Michael Buble singing it), and All I Want for Christmas Is You (only like the Michael Buble version).

And a few Christmas songs that I hate:
-The Christmas Shoes. First of all, it should be illegal to write a Christmas song about a little boy's dying mother. Second of all, I cannot handle kids singing on a recorded songs. Kids singing in real life, at church, whatever, is fine. It's adorable! But kids singing on a song on the radio, etc. sounds cheesy. Thirdly, have I mentioned cheesy, cheesy, cheesy? It's like some horrific Christmas version of Butterfly Kisses. I'd better stop now.

-I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause, by Jackson 5. I've never been a Michael Jackson fan. But his squeaky little voice saying, "Wow! Momma's kissing Santa Clause!" at the beginning of the song and "I really did, guys! I really did! I saw Momma kissing Santa Clause!" at the end is almost enough to make me gag.

-Same Old Lang Syne, by Dan Fogelberg. I don't know what on earth this is, but it is not a Christmas song. The only remote connection it has to Christmas is that it takes place on Christmas Eve. I just really can't stand this song, and I'm shocked (and relieved) that I haven't heard it on the radio this year. :) {I had to Google it to find the title.}

What are your favorite Christmas songs? Which ones do you despise could you do without? :)

Until next time,