Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Greatest Christmas Songs

One thing I love about this time of year is listening to Christmas music. We have two stations here in the Greenville area that play Christmas music 24/7 during December. (They also play it before Thanksgiving which I don't like, but that's another issue.) Here are a list of my top five favorite "rock n roll" Christmas songs. This is a list of popular songs that I look forward to hearing on the radio every year. This list doesn't include classics such as Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" or Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song" which I also love. I consider those songs to be in a different category than "rock n roll" songs.

I'll list these countdown style:

5. "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
honorable mention for Porky Pig's version that they play on John Boy and Billy

4. "White Christmas" - The Drifters
I especially like the end where they kick into "Jingle Bells"

3. "Please Come Home for Christmas" - The Eagles
Aaron Neville also does a great version of this song that is a close second

2. "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
I love it because it's Bruce, because it's live, because of Clarence's sax solo, and because I got to see him perform it in person in Columbia a couple of years ago

1. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - Darlene Love
Nothing beats this one in my opinion. Her voice is so powerful, and the back-up parts are awesome. Every year she performs it on David Letterman a couple of nights before Christmas, and I always stay up to see it. The second best version of this song is by U2.

Well there it is. Leave a comment with your favorites, let me know which great songs I left out.

10 comments:

blake said...

honestly - i am yet to actually read your explanations. but with a cursory glance - you left out mariah carey's "all i want for christmas is you" and any version (perhaps nat king cole) of "a christmas song."

how do you explain that?

blake said...

and now that i read the first paragraph - i am dumb.

Cliff Marshall said...

Blake you're not dumb, just too lazy to read the whole post. I actually like that Mariah Carey song a lot. It would make my top ten, but not the top five.

Anonymous said...

Uh you all are wrong did you forget... Mary, did you know?? It is by far the best song ever. Think about it.

blake said...

he is right - what screams rock and roll like mark lowry singing "mary did you know?"

i can't believe you left that one out!

Anonymous said...

This is Laura Beth...and I agree with Blake that Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" is my favorite. Just thought I would let you know. :)

Anonymous said...

You cannot possibly put Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas' any lower than 5, the rest of your list is...passable...but I think Aaron Neville did a better cover of Please Come Home for Christmas. Charleston Rob

The Brighter Side of Things said...

I don't think anything says have a "Rock N Roll" Christmas like the Eagles and The Boss. I'd say one and two. I think Alvin and the Chipmunks should get an honorable mention for the Christmas Song.

Not so sure that it should he here but where else?

Cliff Marshall said...

Wow! 8 comments! Thanks for all the input. I never realized there were so many fans of Mariah Carey out there. You'll want to check out the new post for today of the five worst Christmas songs ever.

Trey Frick said...

How can you leave off Jimmy Buffet's entire Christmas Island CD? It has such favorites as A Sailor's Christmas, Run Run Rudolf, Ho ho ho and a bottle of rum and Mele Kalikimaka. It also has a fantastic remake of I'll be home for Christmas. I also would have to agree on the Mary did you know.