My Life Of Music Obsession: Christmas Songs.

I hoped to have this blog post completed and posted by saturday, but I ended up feeling extremely exhausted and not the best in the world so it's here today for your reading pleasure.

I've really enjoyed writing these blogs and jogging my memory.

For this entry I've hand picked my favorite Christmas songs, and hope that they are some of your favorites too.

You can listen to the songs on this list by clicking here.

...on to the playlist:

1. Brenda Lee - Rocking Around The Christmas Tree.

2. Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run. - I love Chuck Berry. Even though this is a holiday song I think it's an essential song of his. In a future blog I'll do an essential Chuck Berry playlist.

3. CeeLo Green - Mary, Did You Know? - I have been listening to CeeLo for over 23 years. I think he has one of the best voices in music. To me it's sad that it took the rest of the world almost 20 years to catch on. The first time I heard him sing on an Outkast song and heard the first Goodie Mob record I knew he would have great success.

4. Aaron Neville - Silent Night.

5. Jingle Cats - Silent Night. - While this might annoy some people I think these auto tuned and edited cat meow's taking the form of Silent Night is very cute.

6. Dropkick Murphys - The Season's Upon Us. - I think this is one of the best more recent Christmas songs. It's a very realistic view of a family holiday and the dysfunction that sometimes goes along with our relatives. I love the line that comes after all the tales of family dysfunction "The table's set. We raise a toast to The Father, Son, and The Holy Ghost." It's amazing that the dinner table on a holiday brings a family together and helps us put aside our differences. 

7. Elmo and Patsy - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. - I love novelty songs and this is one of the best. 

8. Bad Religion - O Come, O Come Emmanuel. - It wouldn't be a Christmas Playlist for me without a little Punk Rock. I think the punk treatment works really well for this song.

9. Frank Sinatra - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. - I didn't come to appreciate Sinatra until my late 20's. I guess better late than never.

10. Pearl Jam - Wishlist. - I wonder if this is little Eddie Vedder's list to Santa?

11. Pentatonix - O Come, All Ye Faithful.

12. Bing Crosby and David Bowie - Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy. - I love the two part harmonies between this unlikely pairing. 

13. Dean Martin - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.

14. The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick.

15. Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad.

16. Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock.

17. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Cannon. - Did you know that the founding members of this group played in a heavy metal band call "Savatage"? I think TSO is great.

18. Bing Crosby - White Christmas. - In my opinion, this is the definitive version of this song.

19. Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas.

20. Connie Francis - Winter Wonderland.

21. Bing Crosby and Carol Richards - Silver Bells.

22. Smokey Robinson and The Miracles - I'll be home for Christmas.

23. Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters - Twelve Days Of Christmas.

24. Teresa Brewer - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.

25. Barry Gordon - Nuttin' For Christmas - This song is so cute. I sing it to my cat every year at Christmas. It's so fitting.

26. Run D.M.C. - Christmas In Hollis.

27. Whitney Houston - Do You Hear What I Hear?

28. Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).

29. The Jackson 5 - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. - This song works so well with the Motown treatment.

30. Glee Cast - God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. - I'm not a Gleek. I'm not even sure I've watched a full episode, but I feel this is the definitive version of this song. It's great. I'm sure I'll get around to watching Glee one of these days. As much as I love music, I'm truly surprised that I haven't yet.

31. Snoop Dogg and Anna Kendrick - Winter Wonderland/ Here Comes Santa Claus. This is another unusual pairing. I think it's strange that Snoop is singing vs. rapping on most of the song. Even more strange is that he has a really good voice.

32. Vampire Weekend - Holiday. - I love this NYC band. Ezra Koenig has this classic voice that's very reminiscent of a lot of old Jazz Singers. 

33. Perry Como - (There's No Place Like Home) For The Holidays.

34. Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?

35. Alvin And The Chipmunks - The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late). - I don't think anyone can write an essential Christmas Song list without including this song no matter how headache inducing it can be sometimes.

36. Spike Jones and His City Slickers - All I Want For Christmas. - Who doesn't want two front teeth for Christmas? This another great novelty song that I just love dearly.

37. Gayla Peevy - I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas.

38. John Williams - Carol Of The Bells.

39. Mel Torme - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

40. Gene Autry - Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.

41. Michael Buble - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. - I remember working in radio and getting an advanced promo copy of Buble's first album. I remember thinking, this kid has a great voice but he's never going anywhere with that name. I was dead wrong. He's great.

42. John Denver and The Muppets - Deck The Halls. - I love anything Jim Henson, and John Denver is one of my favorites.

43. AC/DC - Mistress For Christmas. - My favorite band had to be on this list.

Coming soon... My Life Of Music Obsession: 1987.

My other blog posts can be read here.