For the last few weeks, we’ve been voting for our favorite classic, contemporary(ish), and lesser-known Christmas favorites.
We’ve been reminded of some that we already loved, but might have forgotten.
And we’ve heard some entirely new songs.
We have made spirited defenses of our own favorites, and respectfully disagreed with others about theirs.
And we have found total agreement in our hatred of the horrible attack on the entire holiday season that is:
The Christmas Shoes.
And so, everybody, we –
* Please excuse this brief interruption from the tnocs.com legal department:
After fraught negotiations, the libel suit against mt58 by Candy Records, LLC, has been settled.
While Mr. 58 in no way admits any wrongdoing or slander towards The Christmas Shoes songwriters, the song’s performers, or anyone else involved with the recording, he has agreed to post this link to a live version of the song.
All proceeds will go to You Tube, because, you know, that’s how it all works.
But, hey: a gig’s a gig.“
…As I was saying… The person who nominated the ultimate winner will receive the first annual (virtual) “Tinsel and Holly Crown.” So vote early and often (just kidding) and defend your nominations in the comments. Good luck!
This week, in the most competitive round of all, we will choose from those who made it to the winner’s bracket of the three categories to declare the grand champion Christmas Song of all.
And like before: if there’s interest, mt will set up another Live Group Chat to congratulate the winners on Friday night!
So, name and defend your selections in the comments below!
OK, gang: let’s do it!
The Winners from First Three Rounds
Round 1:
- The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
- Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) – Darlene Love
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Judy Garland
- Sleigh Ride – Leroy Anderson/Boston Pops
- White Christmas – Bing Crosby
- You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch – Thurl Ravenscroft
Round 2:
- Christmas in Hollis – Run D.M.C.
- Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses
- Step into Christmas – Elton John
- Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano
- Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town – Bruce Springsteen
- Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) – The Ramones
(A four-way tie for 7th place:)
- Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon and Yoko Ono
- Father Christmas – The Kinks
- Last Christmas – Wham!
- All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
Round 3:
- The Little Drummer Boy – Low
- Sugar and Booze – Ana Gasteyer
- The Wexford Carol – Celtic Woman
- Merry Christmas, Baby – Southern Culture on the Skids
(A six-way tie for 5th place:)
- Anorak Christmas – Sally Shapiro
- I Shot Santa in My Underwear – The Fools
- Text Me Merry Christmas – Straight No Chaser (featuring Kristen Bell)
- I Believe in Father Christmas – Greg Lake
- That Was the Worst Christmas Ever – Sufjan Stevens
- Feliz Navidad – El Vez
Vote for up to SEVEN below, and Thanks for Participating!
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I think the grinch has gotten into the system. All ready to cast my vote for Little Drummer Boy – Low and its not showing up on the vote list.
C’mon Santa, I know you’re busy this time of year but my Christmas wish is for Little Drummer Boy to be declared the greatest festive song ever. Yours JJ, aged 46 and two thirds.
I was supposed to have the morning off to do some holiday shopping. But instead, I came in and I fixed it.
Don’t worry about me. I’ll just find some extra toothpaste and wrap it up. I’m sure my elderly grandmother will understand.
Thanks Santa, I mean Gary. You’ve got the beard and the beginnings of a paunch though. Give it a few years and you’ll be a dead ringer for the big guy.
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If that’s a Compaq, my friend Mike had that computer in 1991. It was portable!
Good eyes:
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=547
Might I suggest that the reign of His Majesty Nat Cole, King of Christmas, is actually ordained by a higher power? And that democratic gestures such as this are at best ornamental, at worst a type of heresy?
I have not-voting-for-Crash Test Dummies remorse. Brad Roberts’ “Jingle Bells” plays inside my head unbidden at odd times of the day. It’s not ear candy, exactly. I don’t know what to call it. But it reminds me of Tom Waits’ Disney take.
Their version of “The First Noel” is gorgeous.
I’m bitchin’ there’s no Burl Ives.
Same here!!!! Christmas without Burl Ives is like summer with no sunshine. C’mon people. Write-in campaign!!!!
I cast my 7th vote for “Holly Jolly Christmas”
At least he still has a chance for the UK Christmas #1. A small chance, but a chance.
This just in…
He didn’t quite make it. A rise of 8 places takes it to #67 in the Christmas chart announced this afternoon. First time its appeared in the UK charts though, maybe next year he’ll be back stronger.
We should start a campaign now. Justice for Bitchin’ Burl!
Even when I didn’t vote for this on round 1, I will go with Brenda Lee, because in a perfect world, this should be the year in which RATCT could rise to number one in the Billboard Hot 100, but I guess that’s not going to happen.
Sad that there is no Bobby Helms’ Jingle Bell Rock, but plenty of other great classics to choose from. I surprised, nay shocked, myself with a vote for Mariah Carey. I am definitely not a big fan, but she has managed to produce a modern day Christmas classic. No small accomplishment.
LTC,
I look forward to you creating a survey on the BEST Valentine’s Day song EVER!!
I’ll get on it.
My choices were a mix of the old and new (yes, JJ, one of the ones I voted was Drummer Boy) but after all these years I’m hoping it will come down to Mr. Nat King Cole and Ms. Darlene Love!
Disappointed that “Please Come Home for Christmas” — the Charles Brown version, not the inferior version by Eagles (remember, it’s not THE Eagles) — didn’t make the list. But plenty of good choices.
I remember Dan Patrick on his radio show referring to Arcade Fire as “The” Arcade Fire. That was supposed to be a correction.
When U2 toured in 2007, they opened their show with “Wake Up”. Patrick thought it was U2. I don’t know what he was thinking. Win Butler sounds nothing like Bono or The Edge. Maybe he thought it was Adam Clayton.
Casual observation – Christmas is 100% nostalgia on all fronts. Chances are any playlist folks put on in the background over the holidays will contain a vast majority of pre-1965 songs. We may have evolved musically over the decades, but when it comes to Christmas music, we want our crooners and girl groups. It’s rather fascinating to me to realize, especially considering it took both Last Christmas and AIWFCIY about 15 years before they both really took hold as nostalgic tunes. Maybe in 10 years Kelly Clarkson will become Christmas Nostalgia?!
Which then lends the question – why do artists still do covers of Christmas Songs? (Besides the obvious ego trip!) If I am to choose which version of ‘The Christmas Song’ out of a selection of 40 I want to listen to…. I’m going with OG Nat every, single, time.
Agreed. Christmas music is like most Christmas traditions. We are comforted by the familiar. It’s a connection to Christmases past when people we miss were gathered around the tree, and we were waiting for Santa, or waiting to be Santa. Why do newer artists cover these classics? Ego trips and cash grabs? I believe that with any cover, the artist should bring something new to the table. So The Little Drummer Boy by Low? Yes. White Christmas by Michael Buble? Not so much.
> The Little Drummer Boy by Low? Yes. White Christmas by Michael Buble? Not so much.
This is why we appreciate when you run these specialty polls.
LTC gets it.
I wonder if “A Very Special Christmas” was the generational template for the artists who came of age in the ’90s, ’00s and later. It was intended as a one-off public-awareness event a la “We Are the World,” “Sun City,” etc., but may have been seen within the industry as the thumbs-up for CHR/pop artists to try their take on the holiday canon. Prior to that album, most of the album collections tended to come from the AC/MOR side of the aisle — Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, etc. After that album … anyone and everyone.
Can I get a write-in vote for our very own TLeo (and Aimee Mann), as featured in today’s Gil Thorp?
Educate me. What’s Gil Thorp and what song is that?
Gil Thorp is a sports-themed comic strip that debuted in 1958. It’s prime snark material, thanks to its odd storylines and artwork (although the latter isn’t nearly as weird as it used to be under its previous artist). This is the song that appears today:
https://youtu.be/LPcpjtBMJIs
Cool, thanks. Good tune.
BTW, tried to post a link to this from the mothership and was flagged for questionable content.
I mean, I myself question why “The Christmas Shoes” exists, but that’s a bit nitpicky.
Or maybe it’s Burl.
That seems very odd.