Best Xmas songs ( No carols)/ Who does the best versions?

Cafe Society
1

I know I am late. I want to make a mix CD for next year. This is my family’s first Xmas. Previously all at my parents.
I preface by saying I do not like carols. But I like Xmas music of the last 60 years. I like Dean Martin and some Bing Crosby ( no White Xmas please).
Here are my favourites in alphabetical order:-

All I want for Christmas is you

Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire) – Nat King Cole

Frosty the Snowman

Happy Christmas (War is over) - John Lennon

Here comes Santa Claus

I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus

Jingle bell rock

Jingle bells

Last Christmas – Wham

Mele Kalikimaka – Bing Crosby

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

Santa Claus is coming to town

Winter wonderland

Wonderful Christmastime – Paul McCartney

. I would also like suggestions of who does the best versions. Many songs here would have been recorded by numerous artists. Thanks.

2

Found a few more
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee
Run Rudolph Run Chuck Berry

3

Little St. Nick–The Beach Boys

4

“Frosty the Snowman”–My favorite version of this is Leon Redbone and Dr. John. But I adore Leon Redbone, so take that for what it’s worth. I like his “Christmas Ball Blues,” too.

“Here Comes Santa Claus”–Elvis.

“Jingle bells”–Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, Frank Sinatra (this is only an excerpt).

“Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer”–Dean Martin, The Temptations.

“Winter Wonderland”–The Platters

“Santa Claus is Back in Town”–Elvis

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”–Lou Rawls
And my favorite Christmas song of all that isn’t even a Christmas song really is the Angela Lansbury Broadway version of “We Need a Little Christmas.”

5

“Christmas At Ground Zero” by Al Yankovic. Best Christmas song ever.

6

I’m partial to “I’ll be Home for Christmas” just because it’s so desperately stoic, Happy Christmas (War is Over), and as a child of the 70s I’m a big sucker for Burl Ives “Silver and Gold” and so on.

On the flip side, I love “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues.

Also, I, too, have a secret weakness for “Last Christmas” by Wham!

7

“Christmas Wrapping”-The Waitresses.

8

The best Christmas song ever recorded is Jussi Björling’s “O Helga Natt” (O Holy Night). Though that song is undeniably more *Christmas *than Xmas, if you get my distinction.
Here is a link:

9

I’m kinda fond of Let it Snow as performed by Vaughn Monroe and worked into the closing credits of Die Hard, though Dean Martin’s version is also okay.

10

“2000 Miles”-The Pretenders

11

A couple of years ago a friend came over and we got on iTunes to make him a “X-mas Mix”. Most of them came from a series of CDs called “A Very Special Christmas”. This is what we ended up with:

  1. The Little Drummer Boy - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
  2. Do You Hear What I Hear? - Whitney Houston
  3. Winter Wonderland - Eurythmics
  4. Run Rudolph Run - Bryan Adams
  5. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - John Mellencamp
  6. Silent Night - Stevie Nicks
  7. Merry Christmas Baby - Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band
  8. Santa Baby - Madonna
  9. Blue Christmas - Ann Wilson & Nancy Wilson
  10. Please Come Home for Christmas - Jon Bon Jovi
  11. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - Various Artists (sorry but that’s what it says)
  12. Christmas Tears - Eric Clapton
  13. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Chicago
  14. Little Drummer Boy - Chicago
  15. White Christmas - Willie Nelson
  16. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer - Elmo & Patsy
    The last one was all him.
    I also downloaded Alvin and the Chipmunks’ “Greatest Christmas Hits” for him.

Just for fun I made a CD for myself that was all versions of “The Little Drummer Boy”. It had songs by:
Los Straightjackets
Elvin Bishop
Ringo Starr
The Bomboras
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
.38 Special
Chicago
Brave Combo
Dave Koz
Jimi Hendrix (4:29 version)
Gypsy Soul
Larry Carlton
Kitaro
Lori Andrews
Jimi Hendrix (7:25 version)
Four Tops
Hearing the same song done so many different ways is pretty interesting (at least to me, but then I’m easily amused.)
The Hendrix versions are a medley (with Silent Night/Auld Lang Syne) from an EP that also includes a song called “Three Little Bears” (and a picture of Jimi with a Santa beard).

12

Ella Fitzgerald did a great version of White Christmas that I heard years ago and have been looking for since. It’s Big Band/swing, rather than wistful.

Simply awesome.

For terrible and sell out extraordinare: Billy Idol’s Jingle Bell Rock. Suddenly Bill Nighy in Love, Actually got even funnier.

13

My favorite “All I Want For Christmas is You” is the version from the film Love Actually, sung by Olivia Olson.

Otherwise I’m no help on Christmas music: I got the Hanson Christmas CD when I was 10 or so, and therefore my ability to judge other versions of the songs is non-existent. Damn you tweeny fangirlishness!

But you definitely need an Elvis version of something. Just because he’s Elvis.

14

“Snoopy’s Christmas” by the Royal Guardsmen.

“Sleigh Ride” by the Ronettes.

Not a song, but “Santa Claus and His Old Lady” by Cheech and Chong.

And anything from the Charlie Brown Christmas special, by Vince Giuraldi.

15

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – either The Carpenters or Judy Garland

16

I’m curious as to your distinction between “xmas songs” and “carols”. To me they’re one & the same.

Best version of Rudolph: The Temptations.

Weirdest version of Little Drummer Boy: Marlene Dietrich.

17

Silent Night - Angie Aparo’s version

18

Carols are religious in general while Xmas songs are not.

19

I like a lot of those already mentioned and I’ll throw in:

“Oh Come All Ye Faithful” by Twisted Sister (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De47fjH6RKY)

“Yelling At The Christmas Tree” by Billy Idol (goofy animated video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zMmEj2SXz0)

20

“Blue Christmas” by Danielle Dax is pretty amazing, as are, well, lots of others.