# Christmas Songs: The Best And The Worst? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2008, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219 "2008-12-08T07:50:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/61 "2008-12-09T06:26:28Z")
> [@Shadowfyre](#): > > As for the worst, I can’t believe no one has mentioned _Feliz Navidad_ by Jose Feliciano. The entire song is two phrases repeated over and over and over and over and over and… OMG! Does this song ever end? Heh. This is a new monedegreen at the **-99** household. _Puh-leeze knock it off, Puh-leeze knock it off…_ ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/62 "2008-12-09T09:54:35Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > An early Christmas present for all of those who have never heard [_The Christmas Shoes_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g11EBSibsgk) (or possibly an early lump of coal in your stocking). I started this thread, and it is my own damned fault…here I was, blessed at never having heard this piece of crap, and wow…amazingly enough, the comments on YouTube were all raves! Once was too much for me. The only surprise is that the last chorus didn’t have the singer go to the house and watch mama open the package, see the shoes, kiss her son, die and then get buried wearing the shoes…and a Merry Christmas to ya’ll. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/63 "2008-12-09T11:32:22Z")
Best (and most underplayed by far) Christmas Must Be Tonight by The Band. Also good- O Holy Night, but only when sung by a male. Worst- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (is that a man or woman singing?) What an annoying voice. O Holy Night, when sung by a female. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/64 "2008-12-09T15:43:00Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > An early Christmas present for all of those who have never heard [_The Christmas Shoes_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g11EBSibsgk) (or possibly an early lump of coal in your stocking). > > I strongly recommend that you turn off your speakers before you click on this link. Only after you have experienced the horror that is the lyric to this abomination should you risk listening to it. There. That ought to insulate me from charges of crimes against humanity. No way am I clicking that link! Aside from the fact that youtube takes forever on dial-up, once heard it cannot be unheard and I prefer to main blissfully unaware until some day when I am rickrolled by it. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/65 "2008-12-09T18:28:07Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (is that a man or woman singing?) What an annoying voice. AC has a CD that features a version sung by some English dude. That’s just plain _wrong!_ ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/66 "2008-12-09T18:45:35Z")
My all time favorite christmas song is “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth” by Bing Crosby and David Bowie. I can’t think of a worst right now but I have “Now That’s What I call Christmas” in the car and I’m sure it’s on there. p.s. This version of “Little Drummer Boy” is possibly one of my favorite songs ever regardless of genre. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/67 "2008-12-09T20:23:54Z")
Best: I dunno, I got a lot of favorites. “Good King Wenceslas” by Loreena McKennitt is great, as is “Little Drummer Boy” by Low. Worst: I got you all beat, hands down, no question. The worst Christmas song ever is “I’m Gonna Spend My Christmas With A Dalek” by The Go Gos (not the Belinda Carlisle band, a British pop group from the 60s). [Listen for yourselves](http://www.stomptokyo.com/extras/DalekXmas.mp3). From the original stupid idea, to the grating Dalek voice, to the horrible lyrics, to the cutesy “Cwismas” pronunciation by the female singer…it’s just awful beyond description. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/68 "2008-12-09T20:29:44Z")
One nobody has mentioned yet that I’ve always liked is [this little tune](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yibz4xAejos) by Jethro Tull. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/69 "2008-12-09T20:58:23Z")
I am very fond of [this one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYNoh5wz7yA). And [O Holy NIght](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-8jYpa1-o) goes without saying. And Jose Feliciano should be punched once for every time he repeats the lines in _Feliz Navidad_. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/70 "2008-12-09T21:58:24Z")
Worst: The Little Drummer Boy. It just sucks in all kinds of ways. I keep hoping there’ll be a verse about baby Jeebus killing the Little Drummer Boy with a holy bolt of lightning for being so fucking pretentious. Best: Jingle Bell Rock. Cause it rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/71 "2008-12-09T22:09:22Z")
Best (or at least My Favorite Christmas Albums) Tennessee Ernie Ford’s O HOLY NIGHT & O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM Julie Andrews’ WHAT CHILD IS THIS? The Ray Conniff Singers LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (great mix of old favorites everyone knows and of more obscure songs or of foreign songs [e.g. Jeanette Isabella] in English, and great medleys. Oy to the World- Christmas classics done by a klezmer band Worst: Any upbeat versions of _O Holy Night_ or _Little Town of Bethlehem_ Harry Connick Jr.- I don’t know why, I like his voice okay, but can’t stand his Christmas songs ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/72 "2008-12-10T08:12:03Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ll be home for Christmas > You can plan on me > Please have snow and mistletoe > And presents on the tree > > Christmas Eve will find me > Where the lovelight gleams > I’ll be home for Christmas > **If only in my dreams** He’s not going to make it home. ☹ Emo. I know. **Best:** O Holy Night or I’ll Be Home for Christmas **Worst:** Silver Bells is the worst Christmas song ever. Nothing is even close. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/73 "2008-12-10T11:05:32Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > AC has a CD that features a version sung by some English dude. That’s just plain _wrong!_ Mel Smith and Kim Wilde did a version of this for the Comic Relief charity in about '87/'88, is this the version you’re talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Radegast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@Radegast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Radegast)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/74 "2008-12-10T11:43:30Z")
There are just so many awful Christmas songs: Christmas Shoes Grandma, Reindeer, etc. Little Drummer Boy Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer Shotgun Shells on the Christmas Tree (though I can at least understand where this is coming from) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/75 "2008-12-10T12:02:53Z")
I like Adeste Fideles, among the classics. Among the ones you’re not likely to hear in Parts Too Abroad, I get periodic earworms of _hacia Belén va una mula_, aka _la chocolatera_ (“a mule goes to Bethlehem” aka “the chocolate jar”), at any time during the year. Can’t stand the freaking drummer boy, specially because the Spanish version by Raphael seems to be the only song he ever recorded and gets trotted out every. Single. Year. To exhaustion. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/76 "2008-12-10T13:07:49Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Worst-“Grandma got ran over by a reindeer” > > Ugh. Dumb novelty song that I thought would disappear the same year it came out. Sound like it came off a skit from Hee-Haw. yuk-yuk. Agreed. I haven’t heard it this year, yet and if I’m lucky I won’t. Runners up for the worst Christmas song is _ **anything** _ by **Alvin and the chipmunks.** Personally I like **Carol of the bells** for my favorite best christmas song. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/77 "2008-12-10T15:27:04Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Worst: The Little Drummer Boy. It just sucks in all kinds of ways. I keep hoping there’ll be a verse about baby Jeebus killing the Little Drummer Boy with a holy bolt of lightning for being so fucking pretentious. :D:D ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/78 "2008-12-10T16:21:46Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I am very fond of [this one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYNoh5wz7yA). And [O Holy NIght](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-8jYpa1-o) goes without saying. > > And Jose Feliciano should be punched once for every time he repeats the lines in _Feliz Navidad_. > > Regards, > Shodan They’ve been singing Feliz Navidad at my daughter’s school, because there are a lot of bilingual kids there. She doesn’t speak Spanish, so the only words she understands/remembers are the title words. This has resulted in her going around the house singing, “Feliz Navidad! Feliz Navidad!” Of course, always at top volume, and just repeating those 4 words over and over. Fun. Come to think of it, it doesn’t sound THAT much different from the actual recording. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/79 "2008-12-10T16:57:52Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Mel Smith and Kim Wilde did a version of this for the Comic Relief charity in about '87/'88, is this the version you’re talking about? IIRC, and could be wrong, it’s credited to “The Platinum Strings Orchestra”. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219/80 "2008-12-10T21:09:14Z")
When we did a thread like this last year, I mentioned “The Cat Carol” by Meryn Cadell makes you want to put a bullet through your head! Lyrics [here.](http://www.tsrocks.com/m/meryn_cadell_texts/the_cat_carol.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-the-best-and-the-worst/476219.md?page=5)