It's the holiday season, my semester at college is finally over, which means I now have time to blog again! And in the spirit of Christmas, I'm going to write a two-parter here. I've made a list (and I'm checking it twice) of my Top 50 Christmas songs of all time. Today, I'll release my Part 1 of the list, going over #50-26. And on Christmas Eve, I'll have the real good part of the list, #25-1, as an early Christmas present! So without further ado, let's christen this list!
#50: Christmas With You by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash (1972)
I'll admit, Johnny Cash's gruff voice probably isn't the first thing I associate with Christmas music. But this cute duet with his wife is certainly a solid entry for your holiday playlist. It has some very serious nostalgic vibes, much like the more famous "White Christmas".
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| Not the first folks you associate with Christmas music! |
#49: Deck the Halls by Nat King Cole (1962)
I'm probably docking this song a bit considering it's just over a minute long. But wow, Nat King Cole and his backing musicians get a lot in with this short but thrilling song! With intense orchestration and fast-paced singing from Cole, the song is over in a blink of an eye. And you wish it wasn't!
#48: Merry Christmas, Baby by The Beach Boys (1964)
It's not as famous or as good as "Little Saint Nick"... we'll get to that later. But this certainly has The Beach Boys circa-1964 touch to it, with the protagonist in question begging for his baby. No one wants to be lonely during the holiday season.
#47: The Chipmunk Song by Alvin and the Chipmunks (1958)
With their high-pitched voices, the Chipmunks are sure to annoy some people. Hey, they annoy me sometimes... if this pops up on my Christmas list, there's no guarantee I don't skip it. But when I'm in the mood, I'm singing right along with those devilish rodents.
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| ALVIN!!! Btw, is it any surprise the same guy who did "Witch Doctor" is behind this? |
It's another Cole song I admittedly put on the list as a bit of an afterthought (we'll get to the real good stuff in Part 2). But this and its fellow short counterpart often showed up on a Pandora playlist a couple years ago. And with Cole's joyful singing, it certainly captures one's attention.
#45: Here Comes Santa Claus by Gene Autry (1947)
I gave this the ever-so-slight nod over the Elvis version. This one is more joyful, and it just screams classic Christmas. After all, this 1947 recording is one of the oldest on my entire list. The Singing Cowboy does have a more famous Christmas song though, which we'll get to in a bit.
#44: The First Noel by Frank Sinatra (1957)
This song is a certified Christmas classic, and by classic... I mean a song dating many centuries back. It evidently has origins in the Late Middle Ages, with modern translations appearing in the early 19th century. In any case, Frank does a faithful rendition here with his famously smooth voice.
#43: I'll Be Home by Meghan Trainor (2015)
Meghan was still early on in his career when she took her first venture into Christmas music. And it was quite a beautiful and sentimental song in my opinion! She hits quite a beautiful high note at the end of the song... though her Christmas album from 2020 has even better songs in store.
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| This was quite the conclusion to Meghan's amazing career year in 2015. |
#42: Mele Kalikimaka by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (1950)
This song will teach you how to say "Merry Christmas" on a bright Hawaiian Christmas day... and it'll teach you that about a decade before Hawaii was an actual state! Also, Bing and the Andrews Sisters was practically a supergroup for that era, so let's appreciate it.
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| Bing and the Sisters singin' in the studio. |
This song has gotten flak from modern day critics for being "sexist", to that I say... eh, whatever. And if you're bothered by the classic version by Dean Martin, perhaps you'll like this version better. Idina and Michael's duet is incredibly cute, and still sounds like it could be recorded many decades ago.
#40: Someday at Christmas by Stevie Wonder (1966)
Stevie's Christmas plea for a better world has gotten more attention as of late, perhaps as a song that anticipated the more famous "Happy Xmas" song from John Lennon. My Mom has been frustrated that it's not been on the local radio, so it gets a well-earned spot on my list!
#39: The Twelve Days of Christmas by Straight No Chaser (1998)
This group's hilarious take on "The Twelve Days of Christmas" would eventually launch them to fame. It's certainly better than Bob and Doug McKenzie's comedic take on "Twelve Days". And though it took 10 years for Straight No Chaser to go viral... it took only a couple days for the Nazareth Crescendudes to reach over 300k likes on TikTok... check it out here! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRVbMBUX/
#38: Jingle Bells by The Newports (1978)
It was a battle between Frank Sinatra's classic 1957 version of "Jingle Bells", or this doo wop revival version by the Newports. And I knew what my heart wanted me to do. The Newports' don't try to hide where they're from in this recording, singing "It's Christmas in New York".
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| You know from the opening line of this song that it's pure street-corner! |
#37: Christmas Coupon by Meghan Trainor (2021)
Meghan followed up her "A Very Trainor Christmas Album" from the previous year with this deluxe release. And it's a cute song about how Daryl is her "Christmas Coupon"... whatever that means. In any case, it's another catchy MTrain bop, and a worthy addition to the holiday list.
#36: A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives (1964)
The modern Michael Buble version has gained some popularity, but I'll go back to the classic by Burl Ives here. This song was famously put in the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer movie from 1964. Needless to say, that one isn't as good as Elf!
#35: Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms (1957)
The 1950s were a special decade for Christmas classics, that a song like this almost gets lost in the shuffle for me. But this song has a very interesting combination of a more classic singing style to go along with the popular and contemporary rock 'n roll. The results are a rockin' song!
#34: Christmas of Love by Little Isidore and the Inquisitors (2000)
This song got some notoriety for being in the Grinch movie. Given that it's an obvious doo wop song, I've tried to search for when the recording was "originally" made... but it really appears that it was just made for the movie. So, the man behind "Peppermint Stick" truly has some modern fame!
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| Doo wop is kept a little more alive by Jim Carrey's "Grinch" movie... |
There's nothing like having chicken and collard greens, rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese for Christmas. That sounds like a meal where I'd want to be there! Run-D.M.C. blend hip hop and the holidays in this song that has now become a certified classic.
#32: Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! by Dean Martin (1959)
When I hear "Let it Snow" nowadays, I can't help but think of the way Sean Connery says it on the famous Celebrity Jeopardy skit. But when my mind is not in the gutter, I think of good old Dino singing this Christmas classic.
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| This man has a different way of saying "Let it Snow". |
#31: Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry (1958)
In the same year he recorded the world famous "Johnny B. Goode", Chuck takes a very similar opening riff and rolls with it on this song. If "Jingle Bell Rock" from the previous year incorporated rock 'n roll into the Christmas genre, this song does so in a much more obvious way. I mean, it's Chuck Berry!
#30: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry (1949)
Why not go back to the original Rudolph classic as well? The Singing Cowboy made Rudolph famous, though we owe a man named Robert L. May for the concept of the red-nosed reindeer. Back before Mariah Carey had a #1 hit ever year with her trite song, Gene hit #1 at the end of 1949 with this one.
#29: Hey Santa Claus by The Moonglows (1953)
The Moonglows are doo wop legends for songs like "Most of All" and "Sincerely", but their contribution to the Christmas genre can't be ignored. This groovy song with some killer saxophone has their bass singer saying "Yeah!" after each "Hey Santa Claus". It's truly an enjoyable tune.
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| They are deserving members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |
#28: Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season by Andy Williams (1963)
Andy was a crooner that was very famous for "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", which we'll definitely get to in Part 2. But for now there's this "whoop dee do, hickery dock" song... perhaps unsurprisingly, it was originally composed by Irving Berlin.
#27: Santa Claus is Back in Town by Elvis Presley (1957)
When I was at Nazareth, this song was part of an "Elvis Christmas medley" that we sang. And that's certainly part of the reason I love the song to this day. It's a rock 'n roll classic that is certainly meant for Elvis's charisma... even when all his backup singers have to offer is "Christ-maaas".
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| Got no sleigh with no reindeer... no sack on my back! |
#26: Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys (1964)
The California kids sing a song about how the air gets cold "way up North". In any case, this is a Christmas classic that Mike Love still loves to galavant around with nowadays, performing with whatever constitutes "The Beach Boys" nowadays. But back in 1964 it sounded very crisp.
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| 1964 was truly a career peak for the Beach Boys. |
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