Christmas Music
Memories
Photo Credit: http://www.jenningswire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bigstock-Musical-Tree-Christmas-Over-Bl-6412242.jpg
My mother began our Christmas
festivities every Thanksgiving night by gathering my father, brother and me
into the living room to begin unpacking aged ornaments and strategically
placing them upon our tree. This childhood
memory remains ingrained within me with laces of Christmas tunes stemming from
Elvis and Willie, to Kenny G and The Carpenters. As soon as we heard the burst Bing Crosby’s
iconic and beloved “It’s Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas” of roar
through the house, my family knew that our mother’s favorite time of the year
had begun. We all hurried from wherever
in the house that we were enjoying our turkey comas and put our decorating game
faces on.
Christmas would not be the same
without festive songs tickling our heart and making our insides gush with
childlike joy. I love the ease and
blithe of each and every tune. Even the
saddest of Christmas songs deliver a bright and cheerful message from which the
Grinchiest of Scrooges can learn.
Finding one person who cannot at least hum the tune to Jingle Bells,
Away in the Manger, and/or Frosty the Snowman would be a very daunting feat for
any of us. With that being said, my
curiosity guided me to research exactly what Christmas songs are most popular
in 2014 as well as the artist who sings them.
According to www.fuse.tv.com, http://www.fuse.tv/2014/11/best-christmas-songs-2014 the top ten most popular songs of 2014 are:
10. Pentatonix,
"Mary, Did You Know?"
9.
Meghan Trainor, "I'll Be Home"
8.
idina Menzel & Michael Bublé - "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
7. Fifth
Harmony, "All I Want for Christmas Is You"
6. Band Aid 30, "Do They Know It's
Christmas?"
5. Straight No Chaser & Kristen Bell,
"Text Me Merry Christmas"
4. Jessie James Decker, "Baby! It's
Christmas"
3. Pentatonix & Tori Kelly, "Winter
Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy"
2. The Saturdays, "Christmas
Wrapping"
1.
The Flaming Lips & Yoko Ono, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”
The previously mentioned list is a
far cry from the top ten all time favorite Christmas song list. That list, according to top40.about.com http://top40.about.com/od/holidaymusic/tp/Top-100-Christmas-Songs.htm, is as follows:
10. Bing Crosby, “White Christmas”
9.
Jewel, “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer”
8.
David Bowie and Bing Crosby, “The Little Drummer Boy”
7.
Billy Idol, “Jingle Bell Rock”
6. U2,
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
5.
Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
4.
Celine Dion, “O Holy Night”
3.
John Lennon, “Happy Xmas (War is Over)"
2. Judy Garland, “Have
Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
1. Nat
King Cole, “The Christmas Song”
This blog would not be complete if I
failed to provide my list of all time favorite Christmas songs. Please enjoy each and every one of them. Some are old classics and some are such awesome newer versions that I feel they surpass the old renditions and are well worth
the recognition. I recommend searching
for live versions of the songs on my list for extra shivers down your spine
action. My numberless list, in no
particular order is:
*Vince Gill, “Let There Be
Peace On Earth”
*Cee Lo Green, “Silent Night”
*Josh Groban, “Oh Holy Night”
*David Bowie and Bing Crosby,
“The Little Drummer Boy”
*The Carpenters, “Have
Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
*Bob Dylan, “The Christmas
Song”
*Billy Mack, “Christmas Is All
Around”
*Otis Redding, “White
Christmas”
*Mariah Carey, “All I Want For
Christmas Is You”
*John Lennon, “Happy Xmas (War
Is Over)”
*Alabama, “Christmas In Dixie”
*Willie Nelson, “Pretty Paper”
*2012 The Morman Tabernacle
Choir, “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”
*Vanessa Williams, “What Child
Is This”
*Carrie Underwood, “The First
Noel”
*Bruno Mars, “White Christmas”
*Amos Lee, “Holiday Song”
*Josh Groban, “Ave Maria”
*Alabama, “Angels Among Us”
*Sammy Kershaw, “All I Want
For Christmas Is You”
*The Beach Boys, “We Three
Kings”
*The Eagles, “Please Come Home
For Christmas”
*Stevie Wonder, “What
Christmas Means To Me”
*The Ramones, “Merry Christmas
(I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)
*Tchaikovsky, “Dance of the
Sugar Plum Fairy”
As one can see, I could not fathom
stopping at a list of only ten, and I have no idea how I would put this list in
any sort of order. So, What are you
waiting on? Gather your family around, start Googling these songs, and make
yourself some of your own Christmas family memories. I hope your traditions and these three lists
of eclectic and fascinating tunes bring the warmest of holiday love and spirit
to your homes this season. Merry
Christmas!
p.s. Please respond to my blog with any of your personal favorite Christmas music that you feel I should add to my list. I would greatly appreciate you!
