Best Christmas Songs?

[Philip]

I love Christmas songs and I really like the new Bob Dylan Christmas album - especially this: Must Be Santa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVs6X9yIM_k)

What are your favourites?

[garyrulez]

Two of my best friends are die-hard Dylan fans and they find his Christmas album...unbelievably weird.

I like the Mannheim Steamroller stuff as background music, and Andrea Boccelli's Christmas stuff is really cool.

[DaWezl]

For a generic mix, I love the first "Christmas Cocktails" collection. I used to love the Charlie Brown xmas album, but I think I'm a little sick of it getting overplayed in all the stores now. Of course, Barenaked for the Holidays is up there. :p

My all-time favorite is Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians' "Twas the Night Before Christmas" album. You may know it from almost all the background Xmas music in "A Christmas Story"! For years, it was essentially unavailable--I'd found a copy on cassette tape one year in a grocery store, but never on CD. Last year I was able to track down MP3s online of it, so I now have it digitally in my iTunes! :D

[Philip]

I like my Christmas songs to have a touch of melancholy about them - I think that's why I like the new Bob Dylan album, his knackered voice making old familiar songs newly affecting.

Other Christmas favourites include:

Stop The Cavalry - Jona Lewie

Fairytale of New York - The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl

And I also have a soft spot for this oddity from The Sex Pistols and Thin Lizzy a.k.a. The Greedies: We Wish You A Merry Jingle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWm8hxmeWSM)

[katezilla]

Father Christmas - the Kinks

Christmas Wrapping - the Waitresses

Christmas in Hollis - Run DMC

.... 3 of my all time faves! :)

[becky11]

Elf's Lament is my favorite. :)

[Kellylight]

I have my holiday faves on a playlist on my blog. As the shiksa wife of a nice jewish boy- I love the Lee Vee's and am eternally grateful to "Hanukkah Blessings " for teaching me the prayers. I impress my cranky inlaws. http://prettygoodforagirl.blogspot.com/

[manzanitajane]

Just from sheer holiday tradition in my family growing up, my three favorite Christmas albums are
Charlie Brown Christmas
The Muppets and John Denver
and Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass

(but I just bought the Bela Flek Christmas cd and it's really good)

[really_mzungu]

I like the Nat King Cole Christmas album. And the Muppets and John Denver album. Except for "Alfie the Christmas Tree," which may be one of the worst Christmas-themed recordings in the history of the universe.

[westielover]

I really like Trans Siberian Orchestra! We will be seeing them tomorrow night! Mannheim Steamroller is good too! But my all time favorite song is O Holy Night by Micheal Crawford!

[Melissa]

Elf's Lament is my fav, too. I listen to it year round.

[Amicustoall]

Since I am a huge music lover, it is no surprise that I love most holiday music. It will also not be a surprise to most that have read my posts for any length of time, that I do not really have "favorites" I have not counted for years, but last time I counted we had over 115 holiday albums. I love them all. I once bought a holiday album, listened to it once, did not like it, tried to give it a second try and promptly dropped it off at the library for their fun raising store. As with all of my music I listen to entire albums. I do occasionally put on the all holiday local station during this time of year and find myself signing along or typing to the beat, or otherwise enjoying the music they play, but I have to say I only need to hear the Christmas Shoes song once every few days..............not four time in a work day!!

[becky11]

I'm also fond of the Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas CD. :)

[Suebee42]

Man I love me some Christmas music. Barenaked For the Holidays actually never gets removed from iTunes, nor does The LeeVee's Hanukkah Rocks. Everything else does, though... or I would slowly go insane. LOL!

I have been listening to my holiday music collection on shuffle at home all day for the last week or so... I listen to regular music at work, because I have some songs that my co-workers might find horrifyingly annoying, particularly of the Bob Rivers and Dr. Demento variety. ;)

I do have a list of all-time favorites... which I'll need to sort through iTunes to list... *cracks knuckles*

Pretty much all of BNFTH is given, so I won't even bother. ;)

The Twelve Gifts of Christmas - Alan Sherman (...and a Japanese transistor radiooooo...)
Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosy & David Bowie (and the Bob Rivers version as well... Rummy Rocker Boy... LOL)
Christmas - Blues Traveler
Twelve Days of Christmas - Bob & Doug McKenzie
Walkin' Round in Women's Underwear - Bob Rivers
The Twelve Pains of Christmas - Bob Rivers (Fine! You're so smart, YOU rig up the lights!)
Hanging Up My Stockings - Debbie Davis (biased... I went to HS with her... available on iTunes on the album "A Very Threadhead Christmas)
When The River Meets the Sea - Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
Winter Wonderland - Eurythmics (Best. Version. EVER.)
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - Gayla Peevey
Sleigh Ride and Let it Snow (etc.) - Harry Connick, Jr.
Baby It's Cold Outside - Holly Cole & Ed Robertson (duh)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland (and also The Pretenders version)
(Everybody's Waiting for) The Man with the Bag - Kay Starr
Christmas Vacation - Mavis Staples
Children Go Where I Send Thee - Natalie Merchant
Oi to the World - No Doubt (the horns gave it the edge over the Vandals original)
Snoopy's Christmas (Snoopy vs. The Red Baron) - The Royal Guardsmen (can I get a hell yeah?)
I Saw Three Ships - Sting
Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
Last Christmas - Wham!

And honorable mention goes to Stuart McLean for his 23-minute "Polly Anderson's Christmas Party," because it's not really a song, but it's frackin' hilarious. :D

Amy - he has a second one, called Harry for the Holidays, but it's not nearly as good as When My Heart Finds Christmas. He should have just let it be. ;)

[Super Dave]

I've been singing Santa Claus is Coming to town for our 4-year old daughter. She seems to like it. I am hoping she gets the message!

Dave