Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Texas Tornados, 1999
This marks Rudolph’s 3rd song on the list. Recorded for “A Christmas Tradition Volume III” album, The Texas Tornados (naturally) give a Tejano twist to the classic, with the last verse being sung in Spanish.
YouTube user unclebill68 wrote:”I produced and engineered. The label wanted a nice Xmas carol. You should have seen the look on their faces.”
Auld Lang Syne, B.B. King, 2001
“Auld Lang Syne” is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 set to folk music. This song’s presence on the list is admittedly a little bit of a stretch, since it’s best known for being sung at New Year’s Eve these days.
The song is usually performed at a fairly slow tempo, but B.B. King’s rendition is more upbeat.
“Marshmallow World,” Dean Martin, 1966
Written and composed in 1949 by Carl Sigman and Peter DeRose, this is another of one those “Christmas” songs that makes no mention of the holiday. While hardly the first to record the song, (Bing Crosby was first in 1950) Deano bought his inimitable style to yet another classic, earning him a third spot on this list.
Every Christmas these last four years I have made lists of my favorite Christmas songs. Some classic, some modern, some out there, but all full of Christmas cheer!
Click here to listen to all of them on YouTube!
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 It’s 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
Happy Xmas (War is Over) – John Lennon and Yoko Ono
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” – Barenaked Ladies 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
There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays, Perry Como
I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas, Gayla Peevy
The Twelve Days of Christmas, John Denver and The Muppets
I’ll be Home for Christmas, Fats Domino
The Chipmunk Song, The Chipmunks
Carol of the Bells, Mykola Leontovych
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
Things slowed down in 2016 with only ten songs, with some fairly recent ones catching my ear.
It Must Have Been Ol’ Santa Claus, Harry Connick, Jr.
Where Are You, Christmas?, Taylor Momsen
Chiron Beta Prime, Johnathan Coulton
Merry Christmas (Exclamation Point), Jon Lajoie
All I Want for Christmas is You, Mariah Carey
Merry Christmas from Cell Block 2, Matthew Ebel
The Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack, Danny Elfman, et al
Welcome Christmas, M-G-M Studio Orchestra & Chorus
Snoopy’s Christmas, The Royal Guardsmen
Another ten for 2017:
Dominick The Donkey, Lou Monte
Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home), Darlene Love
All I Want For Christmas Is You, Vince Vance and the Valiants (feat. Lisa Layne)
Here We Come a-Wassailing, Under the Streetlamp
Hard Candy Christmas, Dolly Parton
Up On The Housetop, Gene Autry
Love on Layaway, Gloria Estefan
The Snow Miser Song, Dick Shawn / The Heat Miser Song, George S. Irving
There’s more on the way for 2018!
“Up On The Housetop,” Gene Autry, 1953
This is Gene’s third (and well-deserved) entry on this list. Who wouldn’t go?
TRIVIA: The song was written by Benjamin Hanby in 1864. In addition to being a songwriter, Benjamin was also involved in the Underground Railroad.
Click here for sixty more Christmas songs!
“Hard Candy Christmas,” Dolly Parton, 1982
Originally written for the musical “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” the song is sung by the ladies of the brothel as they prepare to leave after its being shut down. Dolly Parton recorded a solo version of the song which has become a Christmas staple.
TRIVIA: A ‘hard candy Christmas’ means rough times, such as when a family can only afford to give their children hard candy as a Christmas gift.
MORE TRIVIA: “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” play and movie were inspired by the story of the real-life Chicken Ranch, as was “La Grange” by ZZ Top.
Every Christmas these last three years I have made lists of my favorite Christmas songs. Some classic, some modern, some out there, but all full of Christmas cheer!
Click here to listen to them all on YouTube!
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 It’s 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” – Barenaked Ladies 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
Things slowed down in 2016 with only ten songs, with some fairly recent ones catching my ear.
It Must Have Been Ol’ Santa Claus, Harry Connick, Jr.
Where Are You, Christmas?, Taylor Momsen
Chiron Beta Prime, Johnathan Coulton
Believe, John Groban
Merry Christmas (Exclamation Point), Jon Lajoie
All I Want for Christmas is You, Mariah Carey
Merry Christmas from Cell Block 2, Matthew Ebel
The Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack, Danny Elfman, et al
Welcome Christmas, M-G-M Studio Orchestra & Chorus
Snoopy’s Christmas, The Royal Guardsmen
I’m shooting to have another ten for this year, so stay tuned!
“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!
Eduardo Soliz 