Soundtrack: “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Various, 1993
While not quite ‘traditional’ Christmas music, the movie and soundtrack provide a fun take on the holiday, as evidenced by Jack’s attempt to explain Christmas to the residents of Halloweentown below.
TRIVIA: Jack’s songs are sung by Danny Elfman, but he does not voice the character in the movie. The soundtrack album features an unused opening/closing recording of the narration by Sir Patrick Stewart.
“Merry Christmas From Cell Block 2,” Matthew Ebel, 2009
The second song on this year’s list about spending Christmas imprisoned. Ebel adds a dash of sci-fi goodness to the holiday.
All I Want for Christmas is You, Mariah Carey, 1994
Sugary pop and Christmas just seem to go together!
“Believe,” John Groban, 2004
I’ve not seen “The Polar Express” movie (Uncanny Valley and all that), but the wonderful title song got enough airplay to get stuck in my head.
“Chiron Beta Prime,” Johnathan Coulton, 2006
In the future, there will be robots, and they will be jerks.
“Where Are You, Christmas?” Taylor Momsen, 2000
While the cartoon will always be the best adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”, I view the 2000 Jim Carrey movie as a product of its time and enjoy it as well. There’s something meta about the movie being the same kind of overcommericalzed hullabaloo that angered The Grinch in the first place. Here is the song as it is performed in the movie, because hearing it performed by a child lends it a little more gravitas, in my opinion.
“It Must Have Been Ol’ Santa Claus,” Harry Connick Jr, 1993
I thought he was great in the Iron Giant, but I’m otherwise not too familiar with Harry Connick Jr’s work (Christmas and otherwise). After listening to this jazzy little number, I need to change that.
These last two years I have made lists of my favorite Christmas songs. Some classic, some modern, some just out there, but all full of Christmas cheer!
I tried to pick some of the more eclectic songs and different renditions of classics the first time around in 2014:
Please Come Home for Christmas – The Eagles
Winter Wonderland – The Eurythmics
Little St. Nick – The Beach Boys
If It Doesn’t Snow on Christmas – Gene Autry
Baby Its Cold Outside – Dean Martin
Christmas Vacation – Mavis Staples
What Child is this – Liona Boyd
White Christmas – The Drifters
Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid
Santa Claus and His Old Lady – Cheech and Chong
There’s Always Tomorrow – Janice Orenstein
Feliz Navidid – Jose Feliciano
Wonderful Christmastime – Paul McCartney
Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town – Bruce Springsteen
Last Christmas – Wham!
Happy Xmas (War is Over) – John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Run Rudolph Run – Chuck Berry
Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy – David Bowie and Bing Crosby
Someday at Christmas-Stevie Wonder
Merry Christmas Darling- Carpenters
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings” Feat. Sarah McLachlan
We Need a Little Christmas – Percy Faith
Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley
A Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack – Vince Girauldi Trio
Christmas at Ground Zero – Weird Al Yankovic
2015 featured more standards but there were still plenty of oddballs to be found.
The Christmas Song, Nat King Cole
Holly Jolly Christmas, Burl Ives
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Gene Autry
Happy Holiday, Andy Williams
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Andy Williams
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee
You’re a Mean One, Mister Grinch, Thurl Ravenscroft
Frosty the Snowman, Willie Nelson
Winter Wonderland, Huey Lewis and the News
Let it snow, Dean Martin
There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays, Perry Como
I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas, Gayla Peevy
Mannheim Steamroller
Santa Baby, Madonna
The Twelve Days of Christmas, John Denver and The Muppets
I’ll be Home for Christmas, Fats Domino
The Chipmunk Song, The Chipmunks
Sleigh Ride, Leroy Anderson
Carol of the Bells, Mykola Leontovych
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Jingle Bells, The Singing Dogs
Give Love on Christmas Day, The Jackson 5
Chrissy the Christmas Mouse, Debbie Reyonlds and Donald O’Connor
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, Elmo and Patsy
Christmas Dragnet, Stan Freberg
I don’t know that I’ll have another 25 this year, I’m shooting for 12, so stay tuned!
Sorry, Grinch!
Even though these songs and groups are associated with the holiday season, they all have NO mention of Christmas whatsoever!
Of course, once Thanksgiving is over, all bets are off!
“Christmas Dragnet/Yulenet,” Stan Freberg and Daws Butler, 1953
You may not have heard of Stan and Daws, but if you have seen any classic Warner Brothers cartoons, you have almost certainly heard them in the voices of the many characters they voiced. Stan also recorded comedy records such as this one.
TRIVIA: Stan was considered for the role of C-3PO in Star Wars. After auditioning for the part, he recommended Anthony Daniels for the role.
Eduardo Soliz 