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13 December 2007

What is the Greatest Christmas Song of All Time?
post by: chuckdarwin at: 12:30 | 51 comments
My vote: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" Darlene Love
posted by chuckdarwin 13 December | 12:36
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" Mariah Carey
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 13 December | 12:37
Last Christmas
posted by matthewr 13 December | 12:41
That Mariah Carey song really gets me. Like, I get all emotional whenever I hear it, and I have no idea why. So I pick that too.
posted by iconomy 13 December | 12:45
My personal fave is "One Little Christmas Tree" by Stevie Wonder. For me that one song captures the spirit of all of the Christmas TV specials in under three minutes. On the surface it's just a cheesy Childrens's Christmas tale, but it chokes me up every time. And it's also one of my favorite Stevie vocals.
posted by Slack-a-gogo 13 December | 12:47
I love "Walking In A Winter Wonderland", especially the lines "Later on we'll conspire, as we dream by the fire, to face unafraid the plans that we made, walking in a winter wonderland." What a great lyric.

But there is no possible excuse on this earth for Paul McCartney's dire "Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time".
posted by essexjan 13 December | 12:49
I like the Bing/Bowie Little Drummer Boy, very much.
posted by rainbaby 13 December | 12:54
I love Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses too.
posted by iconomy 13 December | 12:56
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," hands down.

With an honorable mention to "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)."
posted by DevilsAdvocate 13 December | 13:03
"Christmas Wrapping" and the Bowie/Crosby song are pretty good answers. "Father Christmas" by the Kinks, and John Lennon's Christmas song deserve mention, too.

My personal favorite is the Beach Boys' version of "We Three Kings of Orient Are." Was listening to a Pandora station this morning based on "Little Saint Nick" by the Beach Boys and "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney, because I am just that hip.
posted by ibmcginty 13 December | 13:04
I just heard this awesome Smokey Robinson Christmas song for the first time, but I don't know what it's called. It retold the story of Christmas pretty thoroughly, the Angel coming to Mary, Mary explaining to Joseph, and their journey to Bethlehem, but in such a great Smokey Robinson, gospelly soulful, really sincere way. Any ideas, bunnies?

My all-time favorite is O Holy Night, followed by Up on the Housetop, Silver Bells and... Oh golly I like carols a lot.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur 13 December | 13:09
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," hands down.

As long as it's the depressing version, then yeah, that would be my vote.
posted by gaspode 13 December | 13:11
The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping"
posted by BoringPostcards 13 December | 13:16
On second thought, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is quite poignant. I heard when I was little that it was written during World War I. Someone in a trench singing that song, or thinking those words, is a powerful image.

And adding some of the songs mentioned in this thread, and Sufjan Stevens, to my Pandora Christmas station has turned up some pretty good Ron Sexsmith and Rufus Wainwright Christmas songs I hadn't heard before.
posted by ibmcginty 13 December | 13:21
I'll Be Home For Christmas or Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (sad versions of course)

I really thought the mariah carey pick was a joke. Proved wrong.
posted by justgary 13 December | 13:31
Fairytale of New York, of course. With Father Christmas as a close second.
posted by mygothlaundry 13 December | 13:34
Thirding "Father Christmas" by The Kinks. I could listen to that one any time of the year.
"Fuck Christmas" by Fear. Okay, it's not so great.

But yeah, you really can't go wrong with Bing, the OC (Original Crooner). I heard him in a store the other day and was like "damn, what a voice".
posted by Hellbient 13 December | 13:38
Oh yeah, Fairytale of NY. Wow is that a good one.

Tom Waits and Peter Murphy did a song called "Christmas Sucks", but the results were mixed.
posted by Hellbient 13 December | 13:42
mygothlaundry has my two picks for non-religious ones.

For religious ones, Silent Night and Joy to the World.
posted by drezdn 13 December | 13:59
Alvin and the Chipmunks "The Christmas Song" gets me, every time.

*sniff*

What?
posted by paulsc 13 December | 14:06
I really thought the mariah carey pick was a joke.
TPS may have been kidding, but I wasn't! Hey, it's no I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas, but it is a pretty good song.
posted by iconomy 13 December | 14:11
My favorite carol is "O Holy Night." My all-time favorite though, is "Mele Kalikimaka" Sung by Bing Crosby.
posted by sambosambo 13 December | 14:16
I can't settle on a particular favorite, but I will say that I've been listening to Vince Garibaldi's Charlie Brown album non-stop since Thanksgiving.
posted by Specklet 13 December | 14:18
Pogues for sure. Although last year, when I was baking and got bitched at because the roommate hates christmas music, I said "oooh, but I added one for you!" and flipped a few tracks ahead to "you're a mean one, mr grinch."

(yes, he did throw dough at me for that.)
posted by kellydamnit 13 December | 14:25
Alvin and the Chipmunks "The Christmas Song" gets me, every time.


ever hear the patton oswalt bit about playing the 45 of that song at 16 rpm, so that the chipmunks sounded normal but david seville sounded like the spawn of satan? hilarious.

for me, the xmas season doesn't officially begin until i hear bob & doug mckenzie's take on "the twelve days of christmas" ("on the first day of christmas/my true love gave to me/beer...")
posted by syntax 13 December | 14:28
for me, the xmas season doesn't officially begin until i hear bob & doug mckenzie's take on "the twelve days of christmas" ("on the first day of christmas/my true love gave to me/beer...")


YES!
posted by kellydamnit 13 December | 14:33
The greatest Christmas song of all time is the closing track on my Christmas Mix CD this year:
I Farted on Santa's Lap, Now Christmas is Going to Stink For Me
posted by ColdChef 13 December | 14:34
Runner ups: Bob Schnieder's All I Want for Christmas is my Methadone and Robert Earl Keen's Merry Christmas from the Family, which includes mentions of Tampax, cans of fake snow, AA, and Salem Lights.
posted by ColdChef 13 December | 14:38
Also great: Cherry Tree Carol in which Joseph scolds the Virgin Mary for getting knocked up and telling her that he ain't raising someone else's baby...until God makes the trees in the Cherry orchard bend over to give Mary a cherry for Baby Christ. Also fantastic because--in the song--the infant Christ tells Mary how he'll be killed as dead as the stones in the yard. Super creepy, especially when you consider that he's talking to her from her womb.
posted by ColdChef 13 December | 14:42
Really good songs?
Spotlight on Christmas by Rufus Wainwright
The Rebel Jesus by Jackson Browne
Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton


But...of course...the TRUE Greatest Christmas Song of all Time...the one which has no peer and is--in itself--an institution:

Jingle Rock Bell by Pink Stainless Tail
posted by ColdChef 13 December | 14:46
styntax - I found the 16rpm Patton Oswalt recording you speak of. Ha.
posted by Hellbient 13 December | 14:47
Thanks, ColdChef, I just learned about Child Ballads!
posted by Specklet 13 December | 14:52
Oh, so many great songs in this thread.

A lot of my faves are on my musical advent calendar. But to pick a top one only - I have to go with the sad version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," too. I like Judy Garland's. Hmmm...tune in to the thread later today, you can have it!
posted by Miko 13 December | 15:00
OMG "When a Child is Born" for sure.
posted by triggerfinger 13 December | 15:23
Religios wise, I'm partial to Oh Come Oh Come Emanuel. Maybe because it's dirge like, and maybe because I can sing it in my low range voice.
posted by rainbaby 13 December | 15:25
Oi To The World by The Vandals. No Doubt's version.
posted by By the Grace of God 13 December | 15:32
Yes to the Pogues and the Kinks choices. I'm also rather partial to The Dance Hall Crashers-I Did It For the Toys.

ColdChef: Jingle Rock Bell! Thank you so much for reminding me of that song!
posted by elizard 13 December | 15:33
"God Rest Ye Merry Gremmies" by the Swiv-O-Matics.
posted by King of Prontopia 13 December | 15:38
My faves, in no particular order:
The Band - Christmas Must Be Tonight
The Ramones - Merry Christmas(I don't Wanna Fight Tonight)
Tony Bennett & some guy named Paul - I'll Be Home For Christmas (really, the Paul guy is pretty funny.)
Booker T. & The MGs - Silver Bells (such a laid back, grooving version)
The Ronettes - Frosty the Snowman (wicked wall of sound Frosty, with Ronnie Spector's FANTASTIC voice.)
Ashtray Babyhead - Winter Wonderland (a great, indie band doing a great version of a cool song)
Otis Redding - Merry Christmas Baby
Luscious Jackson - Let it Snow
One more...I'm partial to this sappy, Ally McBeal-related cover of Joni Mitchell's River by Robert Downey Jr.

I'd better stop now. I really could go on and on. One of the greatest things the internet has done for me is get me access to obscure Christmas stuff. I LOVE Christmas music, but I also can't stand a lot of it, so I've saved myself from having to buy lots and lots of records for one track.
posted by richat 13 December | 15:39
Oh yeah, I also couldn't pick one, I don't think. Really, any single song I chose would be almost arbitrary. So, um, sorry about not answering the question.
posted by richat 13 December | 15:40
Along with my Stevie Wonder pick I'll second (or third, etc) the Kinks, Waitresses, and Pogues picks as well as the Three Wisemen (aka XTC)'s "Thanks For Christmas" the Fab's "Christmas Time Is Here Again". Is there no love for the barking dogs?

Although "me - I - want - a - hooooooooooooo-lah - hoop" has put a smile on my face since I was a tot.
posted by Slack-a-gogo 13 December | 15:58
The Manic Street Preachers have a free Christmas single for download. It's a proper Christmas-style thing and far more seasonal that all the Cowell-related horse shit that gets foisted on us every damn year.
posted by TheDonF 13 December | 16:15
I can't pick just one:

- Ave Maria (not really xmas but is played quite a bit during the season)
- O Holy Night
- I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
posted by deborah 13 December | 16:27
Don't forget Run DMC's "Christmas in Hollis".
posted by Hellbient 13 December | 16:51
And Clarence Carter's 'Back Door Santa.'
posted by box 13 December | 17:33
The entire album, Sound of Christmas, by the Ramsey Lewis Trio.

Here's two from it:
Merry Christmas, Baby
What are You Doing New Years Eve?
posted by crush-onastick 13 December | 17:54
My vote: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" Darlene Love

At last we agree, chuck. Springsteen's version of 'Santa Claus Is Coming Town" is second.
posted by jonmc 13 December | 20:44
Oh, heck. I'm in a holly-jolly mood tonight...if any of you want a copy of my Christmas Mix CD, send me an email...I can't promise it will have album art, though, because I'm running out of covers...
posted by ColdChef 14 December | 00:02
The Tipitina's Foundation all-brass "O Holy Night" [mp3] from the Christmas episode of Studio 60.
posted by kirkaracha 14 December | 13:34
Darlene Love has performed "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the last new David Letterman show before Christmas every year since 1986. Here's 1995 and 2005. I also like U2's cover (Darlene Love sang backing vocals). Well, maybe not the video.

Charles Brown's "Please Come Home for Christmas." The Eagles cover is probably the best known version.
posted by kirkaracha 14 December | 13:52
I'm a little sad that no one asked me for a cd.
posted by ColdChef 30 December | 20:41
← Chicago Met Up Last Night || Just like last year →

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