Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Best/Worst Christmas Songs

Worst
Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
Happy Christmas (War is Over) - John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band & the Harlem Children's Choir
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - Bruce Springsteen
Santa Baby - Kylie Minogue
I Want a Hippopottamus for Christmas - Gayla Peevey
Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer - Elmo & Patsy

Best
Baby, It's Cold Outside - Zooey Deschanel in Elf
Tender Tennessee Christmas - Alabama
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings - Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan
When the River Meets the Sea - John Denver & the Muppets
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra

I love this time of year. There are two stations in KC that play Christmas music 24-7 from Thanksgiving on. HOWEVER, there are some major offenders during that time as listed in the above list. As much as I like the Beatles, the two songs listed above are two of the most annoying songs that get played during this season. You would think that I wouldn't think of stepping on more classic rockers' toes, but the Boss's rendition of Santa Claus is Comin' is so awful that I refuse to listen to it all the way through. I just can't stand it. And why would you mess with Madonna? I know that Madonna was not the first to record Santa Baby, but it's tons better than Kylie's weak rendition of it. But truthfully, there are no worse songs during Christmas than the Hippo song and Grandma Got Run Over... Musically, they are grating - like fingernails on a chalkboard. Lyrically, they are just as bad.

If you haven't seen Elf, I highly suggest seeing it this season. It's just a good holiday movie. Funny and sweet and features Zooey Deschanel singing the best version I've ever heard of "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Just remember: "The best way to bring Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." I grew up on the Alabama Chrismas CASSETTE. I think we might have even worn it out. "Tender Tennessee Christmas" is the song that I remember more than any. And I don't even like country. OK, so I know that the BNL/Sarah song is a recent recording, but those dang Canadians blend their voices so well on this song that it has to be on the list. Another album that we grew up on was John Denver & the Muppets Christmas Together. I think they even had a TV special. I love all the songs on this CD (yeah, I bought this one), but this one is my favorite. Frank. Christmas. Have Yourself a Merry One. Enough said.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

BNL have included that song on their new Holiday album (I say Holiday only because there are a bunch of Hanukkah songs on there, along with Auld Lang Syne). Love it. For the longest time the only way we heard it was on Detroit radio, because they were close enough to Canada to appreciate BNL and Sarah.
iPods rule, BTW. I couldn't remember how that John Denver/Muppets song went, so I just queued it up on the iPod and had a listen. Nice song, better iPod! :-)