Favorite holiday songs

dashcloud thought this was worth mentioning said Thu, Dec 4th 2014 at 9:25pm ET

I was originally going to do worst holiday songs & favorite holiday songs, but Irk has thoughtfully covered the worst category for me.
Some holiday songs I love to hear every year:
Wonderful Christmas Time (mostly for the instrument/effect that plays throughout)
Feliz Navidad (only the original- I heard a remix or cover one time, and it was very bad)
Dominic the Christmas Donkey
some times Last Christmas

30 comments, 40 replies
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lisaviolet said Thu, Dec 4th 2014 at 9:31pm ET:

Sleigh Ride!
Winter Wonderland
Silent Night (performed by Mannheim Steamroller)

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- @lisaviolet
  
  lisaviolet said Thu, Dec 4th 2014 at 9:39pm ET
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Teripie said Thu, Dec 4th 2014 at 9:37pm ET:

"Merry Christmas from The Family."
It's so similar to our family dynamics that it's scary.

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Thumperchick said Thu, Dec 4th 2014 at 10:18pm ET:

Silver Bells is my favorite.

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pooflady said Thu, Dec 4th 2014 at 10:29pm ET:

It's not my favorite and I'll probably catch some flak, but I really like "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas."

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- @pooflady Did you hear the cover of that on the tree lighting ceremony on tv recently? I disliked it quite a bit.
  
  dashcloud said Thu, Dec 4th 2014 at 10:42pm ET
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- @pooflady just heard that one today. It's cute.
  
  jsh139 said Thu, Dec 4th 2014 at 11:04pm ET
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- @pooflady I like that one, too!
  
  Thumperchick said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 12:36am ET
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- @pooflady "I want to punch you in-tha-face for Christmaaaaaas. Only a punch in-tha-face wil dooooooo"
  
  The_Baron said Sat, Dec 6th 2014 at 9:00am ET
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jsh139 said Thu, Dec 4th 2014 at 11:07pm ET:

Anything by Bing Crosby. Can't hear Mele Kalikimaka without thinking of Christmas Vacation.

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SSteve said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 12:58am ET:

I just came here to start the same thread. For me, the mostest number one is the whole Charlie Brown Christmas album

I also love Happy Holy Days by 11 Acorn Lane

Sufjan Stevens' Christmas EPs

John Fahey

Nick Lowe's Quality Street

Stephen Colbert's Another Christmas Song is awesome (sorry about the janky fan-made video, I couldn't find an official one)

The John Rutter Christmas Album (our choir is singing this one at this year's concert)

Ok, that's probably enough. Can you tell I like Christmas music?

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- @SSteve +2 For Vince Guaraldi. :-)
  
  joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:17pm ET
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The_Baron said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 1:41am ET:

Last Christmas - Wham

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SIMBM said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 2:09am ET:

Ukrainian Carol/Carol of the Bells. I realize that lots of people hate it, but it works for me.

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- @SIMBM This is at the top of my list too, even if it does get stuck in my head for the next six months
  
  Kleineleh said Sat, Dec 6th 2014 at 8:37am ET
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gertiestn said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:29am ET:

I'm an old fart, & one Christmas tradition I've welcomed into my living room for years & years is the spectacular Darlene Love & "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on Letterman. In a good year I get the chills & cry because she & Paul Schafer & the band & backup singers are so good (the 25th Anniversary of her appearances was a particular favorite.) God only knows how I (& probably zillions of others) will survive her last Christmas Letterman show this year. Darlene Love & David Letterman are national treasures.

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The_Baron said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 8:47am ET:

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- @The_Baron You, sir, have completed my day.
  
  MsELizardBeth said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 10:48am ET
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MsELizardBeth said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 10:48am ET:

I typically listen to the South Park Christmas CD a LOT this time of year.

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- @MsELizardBeth There's a whole CD? I've only ever heard Cartman doing "Oh Holy Night"
  
  dashcloud said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 11:12am ET
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luvche21 said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 11:04am ET:

I'm pretty picky when it comes to Christmas music. It totally depends on the arrangement because there are LOADS of horrible arrangements out there.

Most of the time, jazz arrangements are my favorite. Real jazz, not that smooth jazz stuff.

A few favorites:

Dexter Gordon -- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

One Christmas Night -- Tommy Emmanuel

Bill Evans -- Santa Claus is coming to town

Harry Connick's Christmas albums are also pretty fantastic.

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- @luvche21 I like the Tommy Emmanuel. I may have to get that one. Have you heard the Oscar Peterson Christmas album?
  
  SSteve said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 5:20pm ET
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- @SSteve Tommy Emmanuel has some great stuff out there -- especially his recent acoustic albums (I don't like his earlier electric stuff as much). Do you have a link to the Oscar Peterson album? I don't think I've heard it. I think all of those youtube links I included are a part of a playlist, so it should have the Dave Brubeck album on there too. Listened to that one? It's not as Dave Brubeck-y as I would like, but still good!
  
  luvche21 said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 5:37pm ET
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- @luvche21 I don't have a YouTube link, but you can preview it on Amazon. There's a cassette version available for $2.82! http://www.amazon.com/An-Oscar-Peterson-Christmas/dp/B000003D4X
  
  SSteve said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 5:53pm ET
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- @SSteve Ah man, I don't have a cassette player right now, but I'll have to get the album sometime. He's got some awesome pieces!
  
  luvche21 said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 6:22pm ET
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Teripie said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 12:59pm ET:

"Deck the Halls." it's so joyful and uplifting. The best version is by Percy Faith.

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JonT said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 1:29pm ET:

My favorite hands down, NO SHAME.

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- @JonT I have to agree.
  
  Teripie said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 2:34pm ET
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- @JonT A little shame. ;-)
  
  joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:27pm ET
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- @JonT Came to post this. May as well put it on repeat because it's all that matters.
  
  Moose said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 5:20pm ET
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- @JonT I hope you are being sarcastic.
  
  SSteve said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 5:22pm ET
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- @SSteve Not sarcastic at all, this is MY JAM.
  
  JonT said Mon, Dec 8th 2014 at 11:56am ET
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- @JonT
  
  lisaviolet said Mon, Dec 8th 2014 at 11:58am ET
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- @JonT Jam on, brother!
  
  SSteve said Mon, Dec 8th 2014 at 12:20pm ET
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joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:36pm ET:

Right now, I'm liking various versions of O Come O Come Emmanuel (Veni Veni). Here's one by Future of Forestry that's pretty cool. Please feel free to post your favorite in the comments (partly because I'm always looking for good new ones :-) ).

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- Here's a nice instrumental:
  
  joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:37pm ET
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- Light acoustic variation:
  
  joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:37pm ET
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- Civil Wars:
  
  joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:38pm ET
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- Six Pence:
  
  joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:38pm ET
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- It might actually have been this Mannheim version that got me hooked:
  
  joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:39pm ET
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- @joelmw I love that version by Mannheim Steamroller. I think they do a great job on all their Christmas songs.
  
  LadyLeela said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:59pm ET
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- @joelmw Pentatonix (a cappella)
  
  lisaviolet said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 4:20pm ET
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- @LadyLeela Chip Davis puts some awesome stuff together. The Disney album is great.
  
  lisaviolet said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 4:27pm ET
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- @joelmw Sufjan Stevens' version is pretty:
  
  SSteve said Mon, Dec 8th 2014 at 12:14pm ET
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- @joelmw You can never go wrong with The King's Singers:
  
  SSteve said Mon, Dec 8th 2014 at 12:27pm ET
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- @SSteve @lisaviolet I approve :-)
  
  joelmw said Tue, Dec 9th 2014 at 9:49am ET
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kdemo said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:38pm ET:

Blue Xmas

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- @KDemo I love purple.
  
  Barney said Mon, Dec 8th 2014 at 6:45pm ET
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LadyLeela said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 3:45pm ET:

My all time favorite is The Twelve Days of Christmas by The Muppets. Beaker 4 Life!

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- I also really love the Barenaked Ladies/Sarah McLachlan - "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings"
  
  LadyLeela said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 4:02pm ET
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Teripie said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 4:02pm ET:

I just discovered this one this year. It's fairly nondenominational regarding what holiday it refers to.
"This Holiday Night" by Margo Rey

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joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 4:02pm ET:

I've been a big fan of Handel's Messiah from before most of you were born. Imagine my delight to be in the theater with my kid (also a fan; she danced with her teddy bear to it when she was a kid and it was what calmed her nerves during the last minute prep for her wedding day--which was in September) watching Charlie Wilson's War and hearing this. And for me, this isn't about US v. Russia, but the little guy v. the imperialists. Even from a strictly humanist (or mostly humanist) perspective, this is what Incarnation and Advent mean to me.

It's about insurgency, justice, an unexpected uprising of--and/or on behalf of--decency, humility, simple humanity; and a big "fuck you" to oppression. And I love that it's the Muslims fighting to a song from the Zionist prophets.

Note in the movie clip the assholeish comments from the guys in the choppers.

Movie clip:

Full track (vocals start at 3:11):

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joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 4:13pm ET:

More movie-music mashup. This isn't exactly the "clip" I was looking for (I wanted just the original movie). Yes, Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Yes, Ode to Joy is a Christmas song. Both among my favoritest.

Note again the recurring David v. Goliath theme.

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- @joelmw Go, Ludwig van.
  
  joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 4:15pm ET
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joelmw said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 4:20pm ET:

One more: Mary Did You Know?

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- @joelmw Pentatonix -
  
  lisaviolet said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 4:26pm ET
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SIMBM said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 5:09pm ET:

Tom Lehrer's "A Christmas Carol"

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Teripie said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 5:46pm ET:

Talk about movie mash ups, the beginning violent chase scene in "The Odessa Files" is set to Perry Como singing, "Christmas Dream." It's a great song and was never released as a single. You could only get by buying the sound track for the movie.

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- @Teripie You can get it now: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Dream/dp/B00136Q9P0
  
  moondrake said Tue, Dec 9th 2014 at 11:50am ET
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- @moondrake Thanks. I did get it a few years ago.
  
  Teripie said Tue, Dec 9th 2014 at 3:33pm ET
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bluedog said Fri, Dec 5th 2014 at 11:51pm ET:

Snoopy's Christmas by the Royal Guardsmen. It's not Christmas until I hear that song.Snoopy's Christmas Youtube

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The_Baron said Tue, Dec 9th 2014 at 10:53am ET:

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moondrake said Tue, Dec 9th 2014 at 11:07am ET:

Another Christmas Song by Jethro Tull
Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby and David Bowie
O Holy Night by anybody with the pipes for it
Christmas Eve in Sarajevo by Transiberian Orchestra

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kdemo said Fri, Dec 12th 2014 at 10:01pm ET:

"Carol of the Blahs" with @matthew and Jonathan Mann.

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- @KDemo Meh...
  
  duodec said Fri, Dec 12th 2014 at 11:58pm ET
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mehjohnson said Sun, Dec 14th 2014 at 11:49am ET:

This is a great thread for playing carols mashed up together. Click click click click.
Kinks, anyone?

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- @mehjohnson Lemmy
  
  mehjohnson said Sun, Dec 14th 2014 at 11:53am ET
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- @mehjohnson Love a Xmas song that demands money from Santa. Fits the season perfectly!
  
  Teripie said Sun, Dec 14th 2014 at 12:19pm ET
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SIMBM said Sun, Dec 14th 2014 at 1:24pm ET:

Straight No Chaser:

12 Days of Christmas

Christmas Can Can

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Fenchurch said Thu, Dec 18th 2014 at 7:21pm ET:

Chiron Beta Prime
Did I say overlords? I meant protectors!

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