Image by Zellaby via Flickr
So as I carefully peel back the ‘4’ panel on my advent calendar, I am party to the festive joy of Christmas songs. Ah, you never tire of them, do you? No, wait, of course you do. It’s ALWAYS the same old nonsense – the Pogues, Slade, Wizzard and occasionally, the worst of all, a Christmas novelty song.
Depending on where you’re reading this (I’m in the UK, if you wanted to know), you may or may not have heard of the Cheeky Girls, two Transylvanian twins (yes, really) whose sole gimmick relies on the word ‘Cheeky’. I heard the first 30 seconds of this song before I practically resigned myself to bashing my head against the wall until it just stopped.
If you have any sense, you will not listen to this horror show… unless you’re curious, of course.
But, this isn’t to say that all Christmas songs are over-produced and obnoxious – there are a few that actually embody the festive spirit and bring Christmas cheer into my home. Here are my top 5 christmas songs, which you really should listen to…
5. Frosty The Snowman – Fiona Apple
Ah, this is just a lovely song sung by the ever-lovely Fiona Apple – whilst this doesn’t quite embody the excitement of Christmas, it’s just a cheery, quaint song. Great for when you’re feeling a bit too stressed with the shopping and family arguments.
4. Song For Ten – Murray Gold / Neil Hannon
Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I am a massive Doctor Who fan, with my particular favourite Doctor being David Tennant. This song was composed for the Christmas special that introduced Tennant as the new Doctor and it’s sung by the magnificent Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy, to boot!
3. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
Okay, I know, I said I hate overproduced songs – but you can’t dislike this song! It’s so energetic and adorable. Forgive me, fellow cynics!
2. It Feels Like Christmas – The Muppets
Oh man, oh man! The Muppets Christmas Carol is my favourite all-time Christmas movie ever! Admittedly I was terrified of the Ghost of Christmas Future when I was a kid, but it’s such a genuinely charming, delightful and festive film that you can’t dislike it. And this song just sums up the movie and always makes me feel warm, cheery and even a little big nostalgic. Oh no… I’m welling up.
1. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Gold
Bring it back, Tremaine. Calm yourself. Now, I don’t know why I like this song, it’s actually awfully sad. But there’s a mysterious charm to it – I do love sad songs disguised as happy ones (see Mr E’s Beautiful Blues) and this has to be my favourite Christmas song. An added bonus is that whenever I hear this I know that I should be at home and will make the 3 hour journey to spend a couple of days with the family, because at the heart of it, that’s what Christmas is to me. Family, friends, food and festivity.
So there you go – that’s my Christmas playlist, what would be your top five songs for the festive period?
Related articles
- Cheryl’s Favorite Christmas Songs Contest (wlte.radio.com)
- Christmas music (theprepcrew.wordpress.com)
- 10 Favorite Christmas Songs (mademan.com)
- Weekend Rock Question: What is the Best Christmas Song of All Time? (rollingstone.com)
