“A Winter’s Tale,” Queen, 1995.
This stream of consciousness ballad was written by Freddie Mercury as he looked outside the windows of various places in Montreux, Switzerland. The song was part of the album “Made in Heaven,” the last Queen album with Mercury, who died in 1991.
TRIVIA: In the video game Resident Evil 2, characters Chris and Claire Redfield sport jackets with “Made in Heaven” on the back.
Click here to listen to all the songs on YouTube!
“The Man With All the Toys,” The Beach Boys, 1964.
Released on The Beach Boys Christmas Album, this yuletide tale is overshadowed somewhat by “Little Saint Nick” (which made my original list) but is a charming tune in its own right.
TRIVIA: A second Christmas album, “Merry Christmas from the Beach Boys,” was recorded for a 1978 release, but would be rejected by Warner Brothers Records.
Click here to listen to all the songs on YouTube!
“My Christmas Wish,” Johnny Colla, 2020.
One of the founding members of Huey Lewis and The News (who’s a capella version of Winter Wonderland landed on 2015’s list), Colla has released two solo albums and gives us this peppy ode to holidays spent heartbroken, yet hopeful.
TRIVIA: Johnny co-wrote 80’s classics “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “The Power of Love,” and “If This Is It.”
Click here to listen to all the songs on YouTube!
“What Christmas Means to Me,” Stevie Wonder, 1967.
This classic was featured on Wonder’s “Someday at Christmas” album. I thought I had already added it to my list, but here it is now!
TRIVIA: Despite containing two songs that would go on to become holiday classics (with the title track being the other), “Someday At Christmas” failed to chart on its original release.
Click here to listen to all the songs on YouTube!
“Merry Christmas Baby,” Otis Redding, 1968.
This R&B Christmas standard was originally recorded in 1947 by Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers featuring Charles Brown on vocals. Redding’s cover ups the tempo and adds a distinctive electric organ.
TRIVIA: Charles Brown would go on to sing the classic “Please Come Home for Christmas” in 1960.
Click here to listen to all the songs on YouTube!
“Twistin’ Bells,” Santo and Johnny, 1960.
Just based on their names, I always thought this instrumental duo were Latinos, but brothers Santo Anthony Farina and John Steven Farina are Italians from Brooklyn. Their distinctive sound comes from Santo’s steel guitar.
TRIVIA: The beginnings of Santo and Johnny’s most famous song, “Sleep Walk,” came about when the brothers decided to work on music one sleepless night after a gig.
Click here to listen to all the songs on YouTube!
“All Alone On Christmas,” Darlene Love, 1992.
When I first heard this song, I thought it was much older than it actually is. Come to my surprise, the song is was featured in the film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Darlene Love also recorded 1963’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) which is also one of my faves, and likely accounts for my confusion.
TRIVIA: Members of The E Street Band and The Miami Horns perform.
Click here to listen to all the songs on YouTube!
“Same Old Lang Syne,” Dan Fogelberg, 1980
This is one of the few Christmas songs that is based on a true story. Dan Fogelberg bumped into an old flame sometime in the mid 1970s and the encounter inspired this song. Naturally, he took a few poetic liberties.
TRIVIA: The woman Dan bumped into is Jill Anderson Greulich, who told her side of the story in a December 2007 article following Fogelberg’s death from prostate cancer.
Click here to listen to all the songs on YouTube!
“When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter,” Gene Autry with the Cass County Boys, 1950
The Singing Cowboy fills us in on what happens to all those letters that end up at the North Pole.
TRIVIA: The Cass County Boys were accordionist Fred Martin, guitarist Jerry Scoggins, and bassist Bert Dodson. The Boys regularly performed with Autry on his radio program “Melody Ranch” and appeared in several of Autry’s films and TV shows.
Click here to listen to all the songs on YouTube!
“Step Into Christmas,” Elton John, 1973
This wonderfully self-aware tune (the first line is “Welcome to my Christmas song!”) was written and composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and would go on to reach #1 on Billboard’s Christmas Singles chart.
TRIVIA: “Step into Christmas” was mixed to imitate Phil Spector’s “wall of sound” technique.
Click here to hear all the songs on YouTube!
Eduardo Soliz 