Best Christmas Song

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Inspired by the “Worst Beatles Christmas Song” thread…

What is your favourite pop Christmas song of the rock ‘n’ roll (and later) era?

I pretty much love all the ones I listed above, but you can put in your own.

For “non-original” songs, or different takes on a classic, I also like Simon and Garfunkel’s “7 O’Clock/Silent Night” and David Bowie/Bing Crosby’s “Little Drummer Boy”.
 
Since the Poll is “Modern POP” Christmas song, I had to vote for Rockin Around the Christmas Tree. It’s Catchy.

However, I wanted to vote ‘other’ (before double-checking the title). August Burns Red has a wonderful Metal Instrumental Christmas Album which is by far my favorite modern Christmas album.
 
You left out Bruce Springsteen’s* Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town* which always gets a lot of airplay on the classic rock stations.

Gotta hear the Waitresses with their Christmas Wrapping at least once this season too (once is usually enough).
 
Where’s “Fairy Tale of New York” by The Pogues w/ Kirsty MacColl? Classic, classic Christmas song:

The song has reached the UK top twenty on eleven separate occasions since its original release in 1987, including every year since 2005, and was certified Platinum in 2013 for achieving 1 million sales in the UK. The song has sold 1.18 million copies as of November 2015. In the UK it is the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century. “Fairytale of New York” has been cited as the best Christmas song of all time in various television, radio and magazine related polls in the UK and Ireland.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairytale_of_New_York
 
I chose Blue Christmas because my mom loved Elvis and she played this one a lot.

For some reason Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas” came to mind. It’s not really that good of a song, but I was a teen in the 80s so that’s my natural point of reference!
 
My current favorite is the Pentatonix version of “Mary Did You Know”.
 
I remain surprisingly fond of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You-ooooooouuuuoooouuuuoouuuuu-oouuuoouuu!

tee
 
I’m the ultimate Moody Blues fan. So my fav Christmas songs are their versions of “What Child Is This” and “When A Child Is Born.” I also love Dana’s version of the latter.
 
“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” is a favorite,

A bit more recent, “The First Noel” done by Air Supply is a personal favorite.
youtube.com/watch?v=QG3yJR8HnY0

youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rDA2Czz0E
Ronettes - Sleigh Ride

The above per 1963/1964 was from a Motown Christmas Compilation album produced by Phil Spector, too bad he turned out so bad because that is a good album, he was a good producer and at the end of the album, he even gives a little speech.

Many artists poured their best into Christmas songs.

There is some Catholic Male Singer, probably an Irish/English type of name who does a version on “We 3 Kings” that I absolutely love and I wore out the cassette listening to it even in the middle of the summer. Michale Brown? , I’m not sure.
 
All I want for Christmas is you by Vice Vance and the Valiants although I can’t figure out if that’s a guy or a girl
 
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Dio. 👍

Also any traditional rendering of Silent Night.
 
Feliz Navidad is very uplifting and joyous, what Christmas should be, right?
 
randomuser said:
Where’s “Fairy Tale of New York” by The Pogues w/ Kirsty MacColl? Classic, classic Christmas song:

The song has reached the UK top twenty on eleven separate occasions since its original release in 1987, including every year since 2005, and was certified Platinum in 2013 for achieving 1 million sales in the UK. The song has sold 1.18 million copies as of November 2015. In the UK it is the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century. “Fairytale of New York” has been cited as the best Christmas song of all time in various television, radio and magazine related polls in the UK and Ireland.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairytale_of_New_York
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I thought I had that one on the list! :doh2:

I agree, I like the song – some of the lyrics are NSFM (Not Safe For Mom), though.

My fave bit:

— I could’ve been someone…
— Well, so could anyone.
— You took my dreams from me, when I first found you…
— I kept 'em with me, babe,
— I put 'em with my own,
— Can’t make it alone, I’ve built my dreams around you.
 
DeniseNY said:
I chose Blue Christmas because my mom loved Elvis and she played this one a lot.
Click to expand...
Every Christmas party my squadron ever had, whenever they played this one, everyone sang along in bad falsettos to the “oooh-oooh, oooh-OOOH-oooh…” bit. :rolleyes:
 
John_Lazarus said:
I thought I had that one on the list! :doh2:

I agree, I like the song – some of the lyrics are NSFM (Not Safe For Mom), though.
Click to expand...
It’s a duet by a couple singing about their misfortune during the holiday season - think the Marlon Brando ‘I Coulda Been a Contender’ scene from “On The Waterfront.” The only problematic lyric, for PC types, is the “cheap lousy ****” line.

Edited to add: The song “Galway Bay” was written by Dr. Arthur Colahan in Leicester in 1947 and was popularised by Bing Crosby. Crosby changed some of the lyrics so as to be less political and it became a huge hit around the world with Irish emigrants. The copyright of this version is held by Box and Cox Publications of London. A humorous version was created by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. A reference of note to Colahan’s song is in The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s “Fairytale of New York”. Chloë Agnew of Celtic Woman also covered the song in the group’s show Songs from the Heart. The song was also featured in the movie The Quiet Man.
 
randomuser said:
It’s a duet by a couple singing about their misfortune during the holiday season - think the Marlon Brando ‘I Coulda Been a Contender’ scene from “On The Waterfront.” The only problematic lyric, for PC types, is the “cheap lousy ****”
Click to expand...
I’m not PC, and I don’t like the word.
I also don’t like the name he calls her.

There you have it. 🤷
 
Yuletide greetings evryone, with this classic Christmas song from the drizzly Pacific Northwest.

And please remember, it would be impossible to play this one too loud!

Santa Claus** by The Sonics**

Yeah, Santa Claus, where have you been?
I’ve been waiting here just to let you in.
Yeah, Santa Claus, what you got on your back?
Is there something for me inside that sack?

I want a brand new car, a twangy guitar
a cute little honey and lots of money.
Santa Claus, won’t you tell me please?
Whatcha gonna put under my Christmas tree?

And he just said:
“Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing,
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.”

Yeah, Santa Claus, I’ve been waiting oh so long.
Now don’t you, don’t you do me wrong.

I want a brand new car, a twangy guitar
a cute little honey and lots of money.
Santa Claus, oh won’t you tell me please?
Whatcha gonna put under my Christmas tree?

And he just said:
“Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing,
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing”

Ah no
Ah no, I’m gonna get nothin’ for Christmas
Santa Claus, won’t you tell me?

youtube.com/watch?v=HYKziC_SyEE
 
This one’s fun, too:

Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight) by The Ramones

Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight
Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight
Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight with you

Where is Santa? At his sleigh?
Tell me why is it always this way?
Where is Rudolph? Where is Blitzen, baby?
Merry Christmas, merry merry merry Christmas

All the children are tucked in their beds
Sugar-plum fairies dancing in their heads
Snowball fighting, it’s so exciting baby

I love you and you love me
And that’s the way it’s got to be
I loved you from the start
'Cause Christmas ain’t the time for breaking each other’s hearts

Where is Santa? At his sleigh?
Tell me why is it always this way?
Where is Rudolph? Where is Blitzen, baby?
Merry Christmas, merry merry merry Christmas

All the children are tucked in their beds
Sugar-plum fairies dancing in their heads
Snowball fighting, it’s so exciting baby

Yeah, yeah, yeah

I love you and you love me
And that’s the way it’s got to be
I loved you from the start
'Cause Christmas ain’t the time for breaking each other’s hearts

Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight
Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight
Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight with you

youtube.com/watch?v=4Y5GtaTrPHM
 
Oi to the World! by The Vandals

Haji was a punk just like any other boy, and
He never had no trouble until he started up his Oi band,
Safe in the garage or singing in the tub.
Till Haji went too far and he plugged in at the pub

'Twas a cold Christmas eve when Trevor and the skins
Popped in for a pint and to nick a back of crisps
Trevor liked the music but not the Unity
So he unwound Haji’s turban and knocked him to his knees

If God came down on Christmas Day
I know exactly what he’d say
He’d say “Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins-
but Oi to the world and everybody wins!”

Haji was a bloody mess, he ran out through the crowd
He said “we’ll meet again we are bloody but not unbowed”
Trevor called his bluff and told him where to meet
Christmas day on the roof down 20 Oxford street

If God came down on Christmas Day
I know exactly what he’d say
He’d say “Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins-
but Oi to the world and everybody wins!”

On the roof with the nunchucks Trevor broke a lot of bones
But Haji had a sword like that guy in Indiana Jones

Police sirens wailing, a bloody dying man,
Haji was alone and abandoned by his band
Trevor was there fading and still so full of hate
When the skins left him there and went down the fire escape

But then Haji saw the north star shining more then ever
So he made a tourniquet from his turban saving Trevor
He rappelled down the roof with the rest of the turban
And went back to the pub where they bought each other bourbon

If God came down on Christmas Day
I know exactly what he’d say
He’d say “Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins-
but Oi to the world and everybody wins!”

youtube.com/watch?v=oKk-2Pu2N8g
 
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