The holiday season has become so commercialized over the years that a lot of people are sick of it before it even gets here. I still have a special place in my heart for the music, though, and for the most part, I really don’t mind hearing it. Admittedly, most of the songs I like are old, but then again, so am I, so there you go! Seriously, I don’t think all that many great Christmas songs have been recorded in recent years.
When I think back to my childhood (and isn’t that where most of our holiday memories are formed?) this old standard by Nat King Cole comes to mind:
Another classic by an old crooner comes from Bing Crosby:
As I grew up and formed my own individual preferences in music, I picked up on some great remakes of classic holiday tunes. To me, one of the best will always be the Drifters’ fantastic version of “White Christmas.” I love the way they did it!
Elvis Presley got into the act, too, with his “Blue Christmas.” It’s become a real classic!
Another song that puts me in the mood for the holidays is by Otis Redding.
And with a nod to Charles Brown, who did the original, here are the Eagles with the widely-known rendition of “Please Come Home For Christmas.”
There are so many songs I could put on my holiday list, but I’m so burned out on a few, I’ll only mention them. When does anyone ever listen to Burl Ives? Yet, at least a thousand times during the extended holiday season, we’ll all be bombarded with “Holly Jolly Christmas.” And there’s Brenda Lee with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” I can only speak for myself, but I think I could live without hearing either of those ever again.
I’m not crazy about it but a lot of people are, so I’ll include “Wonderful Christmas Time” by Paul McCartney. You can’t say it’s not happy!
I love John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over.)”
That’s a good one for looking back over the past year and taking an assessment of what you did and didn’t do. I don’t know about you, but I’m not always happy when I think back on that. I’ll try to do better next year!
I love the amazing harmonies in this performance of “Silent Night.” Melvin Franklin gets it started with a wonderful spoken introduction, and ends it with a heartfelt, “Merry Christmas from the Temptations.”
My goodness, that’s incredibly good.
Another song that’s personal for me and my family because it’s been played so much at our house, is “Celebrate Me Home,” sung by Kenny Loggins.
Adam Sandler created a funny song that resonated with so many people! There are very few Hanukkah songs, and that’s precisely why he wrote it. Of course, he also wanted to make people laugh, too. I’m not Jewish, but I appreciate it very much and it still cracks me up.
A song that’s become absolutely ubiquitous is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.”
A number that isn’t as well known (except in my family) is by Harry Connick, Jr. We used to play it all the time in the car when driving around during the holiday season.
A song that always strikes me as sad (well, because it is) is “Same Old Lang Syne.” It tells a sad story about regrets and lost love, but for me, it’s always marked the end of the holidays. It signals that the year is coming to an end and it’s time for everybody and everything to get back to normal. We all go home, get back to work, and resume the regular routine.
Now that the late Dan Fogelberg has put me into such a reflective frame of mind, let me say this: For some folks, this is a lonely time, and it’s all they can do to just get through it. We can certainly take the time to consider that not everyone feels like being festive right now. The Christmas season can be a depressing time, depending on the circumstances. For others, it may be the very last holiday we get to spend together, so we should all just slow down, appreciate each other, and cherish the memories we’re creating right now.
We all have recollections of the past, but let’s try to embrace what’s happening now, in 2021. Why limit those special feelings to one time of the year? Let’s love each other all the time. Most people (unless they’re totally stressed out with all the pressures of holiday shopping) get a little friendlier, more polite, and extra considerate of others. Why not carry this same mood into the New Year and incorporate those feelings into every day of the year? It wouldn’t hurt to think about it!
I hope you enjoyed the music! Happy holidays, everyone, from my family to yours!
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