Best Christmas Carols (songs, that is)

Okay, help me put together a nice, eclectic holiday mix that doesn’t sound like the ones currently blaring from every mall’s sound system. So far I’ve got:

Alvin and the Chipmunks- The Christmas Song
Ramones- Merry Christmas (I don’t want to fight tonight)- this one I listen to year 'round
The Darkness- Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)
Marilyn Monroe-Santa Baby

I’m looking for anything unconventional (or conventional and beautifully done e.g. some really nice choir music). So gimme your best.

Silent Night by The Temptations. If you like Motown Soul, this is a beautiful rendition of the song.

Marilyn Monroe had a Santa Baby? Are you sure it wasn’t Eartha Kitt?

I love a boy’s choir singing Carol of the Bells; that’s been my favorite for about forty years.

The Christmas Waltz by Frank Sinatra

Christmas Time Is Here – the Peanuts Gang

Music from The Messiah, especially And he shall feed his flock

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker

Winter Wonderland – but only by Ray Charles

Blitzkrieg’s Santa, though it’s about a pedophile santa.
There’s also Tales from the Crypt Christmas album if you want some songs with new lyrics set to classic songs. I can’t wait to get this out for this year.

I love *Carol of the Bells *and John Lennon’s Happy Christmas (The War Is Over)

I may be back to add to the list. :slight_smile:

Jethro Tull - ‘Ring Out Solstice Bells’
Steeleye Span - ‘The Miseltoe Bough’ and ‘The Unconquered Sun’ (Both from their Christmas album ‘Winter’. What the hell - Buy the album.)

**Martin Mull ** – Santa Doesn’t Cop Out on Dope

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: The Carpenters version. One of the local stations has started playing Christmas music non-stop, and I’ve willingingly suffered through the usual caroling crap just to hear this absolutely gorgeous song. But only this version, or the original.

My favorite is, “Please Come Home For Christmas.” I usually don’t like Bon Jovi, but I’ll make an exception for this song.

I was hoping to come in here to find the answer to this question: Anyone know of a naughty Christmas song that goes like this…

“I’ve got a present for Santa
He’s got a big one for me…”
Anyone?

I’m a traditionalist. I only like instrumental or choral Christmas carols. My absolute favorites are Carol of the Bells and O Holy Night.

The song about the um…challenged individual who works at a fast food joint.

to the tune of Carol of the Bells, its’

Ding Fries are Done

O Holy Night. Beautiful song if you can catch someone singing it straightforwardly; ie, without any of that stupid melisma shit. And no copping out on the high note at the end.

Carol of the Bells by Mannheim Steamroller.

Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton. I don’t care if it’s really a Christmas carol, I want to hear it!

“Good King Wenceslas” by Loreena McKennitt. Great version, even though she skips a verse.

in no particular order my favorites are

**No Place Like Home For The Holidays ** - Karen Carpenter
**Wonderful Christmas Time ** - Paul McCartney
The Chipmunk’s Christmas Song
from The Messiah - For Unto Us A Child Is Born
**Christmas All Over Again ** - Tom Petty
**Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree ** - Peggy Lee
all the Boby Rivers Troupe stuff:
12 Pains Of Christmas
Walkin’ 'round in Women’s Underware
The Chimney Song
The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen
both of Adam Sandler’s Chanukah Songs
and many many others

Can anyone recommend a version of “Silent Night” sung in the original German (“Stille Nacht”)? Choral version is fine, but I am curious if there are any definitive solo versions sung by German-speaking artists?

For sheer lungpower, you can’t beat the Mormon Tabernacle Choir doing O, Come All Ye Faithful.

For goosebumpy, thrilling beauty, try EmmyLou Harris singing Light In The Stable.

For good old classic feelgood, Bing Crosby is the touchstone of White Christmas. He also has a fine Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) with the Andrews Sisters singing backup.

I’d better stop, or I’ll be here all day. I have at least 40 Christmas music albums.

Here’s a decidely unconventional version of “The 12 Days of Christmas”:

“The 12 yats of Christmas”

It gets plenty of play in the New Orleans area during the holidays. I’m not positive if it will have universal appeal. But even if the New Orleanian in-jokes are unfamiliar, the way the song is performed is like a little play in itself – the characters and their deliveries are hoots.

Here Comes Fatty Claus-Rudolph & the Gang

Christmas Rappin-The Waitresses

I’m another who only likes traditional Christmas carols.

I like Gaudete (Rejoice), which is a Latin carol from the Renaissance. It’s very traditional and chorus-y, or at least it is on the version I have. I’d never heard it before until a few days ago. It’s nice to listen something that hasn’t been played to death.

I also like O Holy Night, We Three Kings, and What Child Is This.