# Favorite And Not-So-Favorite Christmas Songs. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699 "2003-12-03T12:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/21 "2003-12-04T06:27:25Z")
My favorites: [ul] [li] **Silver Bells** [/li][li] **Greensleeves** [/li][li] **Christmas at Ground Zero** – “Weird Al”[/li][li] **Grandma Got Run Over by the Reindeer** [/li][li] **Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas** [/li][/ul] Least favorites: [ul] [li] **Santa, Baby** [/li][li]Almost any traditional carol, as well.[/li][/ul]Except for the first one, it’s merely overexposure. The first one is vile. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/22 "2003-12-04T17:18:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SnoopyFan \* > \*\*Favorites: > Oh Holy Night > Hallelujah Chorus > > \*\* [Hijack] Eons ago when my high school (a public school no less) choir sang the Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah our instructor told us that the song was actually performed at the _end_ of the Messiah and represented the elation of believers knowing Christ rose from the grave. So if he had it correct one of your favorite Christmas songs ,and mine too, is actually an Easter song. [/Hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/23 "2003-12-04T17:41:15Z")
**The Kinks - Father Christmas** **The Vandals - Oi To The World** (No Doubt’s version is pretty good too) **Sting - Gabriel’s Message** (I’ll second this one) **Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby** **The Coventry Carol** **The Holly and the Ivy** **Good King Wenceslas** ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/24 "2003-12-04T17:43:16Z")
I forgot to add, those are all my favorites. The onlt Christmas music I can’t stand is stuff like Mariah Carey and The Backstreet Boys etc. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/25 "2003-12-04T18:01:22Z")
Honorable Mention for Least Favorite Christmas Song - Santa Baby by Madonna. The pouty, Betty Boop singing is not good for Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/26 "2003-12-04T21:04:23Z")
**So if he had it correct one of your favorite Christmas songs ,and mine too, is actually an Easter song.** Yep, I’ve always heard the same thing. I wonder who decided it should be played at Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/27 "2003-12-04T21:35:44Z")
My favorite Christmas CD’s are by the Trans Siberian Orchestra. There’s something about a symphony orchestra fronted by a rock band that really gets me in the sprirt! You’ve never really heard _The Nutcracker_ until you’ve heard it with electric guitar. I also like: _The Little Drummer Boy_ - a love it or hate it song if there ever was one! _Mary Did You Know_ - the Mark Lowery version is the best. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/28 "2003-12-04T21:51:17Z")
Favorites: Adeste Fidelius(Come All Ye Faithfull) Jingle Bells(the full version) Little Drummer Boy by David Bowie and Bing Crosby Silent Night Grandma got Ran Over by a Reindeer Practically anthing by Trans-Siberian Orchestra The Christmas Song Least favorites: Twelve Days of Christmas(especially since hardly anyone knows it past “Five Golden Rings!”) Deck the Halls Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer Frosty the Snowman Santa Clause is Comin’ to Town Feliz Navidad ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/29 "2003-12-05T02:07:48Z")
I will admit, Christmas is my least favourite time of year, but I like the **Kinks’ Father Christmas** and also **Brenda Lee’s version of Rocking Around the Christmas Tree** because of the guitar work. I play classical guitar and have a lot of gigs this time of year, but instead of Christmas songs, I play 15th and 16th century Renaissance music…it’s funny, but many, many people have stopped in between tunes to tell me how much they like it better than the ‘traditional’ stuff! I keep the radio OFF from November onwards cos nothing makes me run screaming from the room faster than oldies stations that play novelty Christmas records…in another thread, I mentioned the abomination that is the Mel Blanc/Porky Pig version of Blue Christmas…my mum banned Little Drummer Boy forever after I was given the sheet music at age 8 by my piano teacher – it’s got this bam bam bam, simple, perfect fifth bass line that reminded her more of Comanchees on the warpath than anything to do with Christmas… ---
**Author:** ![DaisyFace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@DaisyFace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaisyFace)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/30 "2003-12-05T03:33:06Z")
**beadalin** stole mine! Favoritest ever is **Lo, How a Rose** Also on the must-have list are: **Silent Night** (or Stille Nacht if you prefer) **Angels We Have Heard on High** (C’mon, everybody! “Gloooooooooooooooooooria!”) **Go Tell it on the Mountain** **The Christmas Song** **Christmas is Coming** sung by the Muppets and John Denver Songs I’d willingly never hear again: **Little Drummer Boy** (I’ll give you a rum-pum-pum-pum!) **Santa Claus is Coming to Town** particularly the Bruce Springsteen version **Christmas Shoes** it made me cry the first time and throw up the 3,529 times since! ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/31 "2003-12-05T04:25:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BubbaDog \* > \*\*[Hijack] > Eons ago when my high school (a public school no less) choir sang the Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah our instructor told us that the song was actually performed at the _end_ of the Messiah and represented the elation of believers knowing Christ rose from the grave. \*\* Actually, it’s not even the end of _Messiah_ – it’s about three-quarters of the way through the piece (it’s the end of the second movement, to be precise). My favorites are the Coventry Carol (which is a hugely depressing song, actually, but beautiful), and “Lo, How a Rose,” as a couple of others have pointed out. Oh, and Britten’s _Ceremony of Carols_ is wonderful, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lynne\_kilii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lynne\_kilii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynne_kilii)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/32 "2003-12-05T06:01:49Z")
Alot of Christmas songs irritate me, but my absolute favorite Christmas song has to be Santa Baby. Maybe it’s because I love singing it, but as long as it isn’t one of the bastardized versions (Madonna, that woman that I liked before she started appearing on the Pier One commercials, anything that changes the lyrics of it)…think of all the fun I’ve missed, think of all the fellas that I haven’t kissed… ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/33 "2003-12-05T07:14:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Katisha \* > \*\*Actually, it’s not even the end of _Messiah_ – it’s about three-quarters of the way through the piece (it’s the end of the second movement, to be precise). > \*\* Everyone join in: And [sup]He[/sup] [sub]shall[/sub] reign [sub]for[/sub] ever and ever ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/34 "2003-12-05T14:37:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Katisha \* > \*\*Actually, it’s not even the end of _Messiah_ – it’s about three-quarters of the way through the piece (it’s the end of the second movement, to be precise). > \*\* Boy, that has me wondering. Having never taken the time to actually listen to the Messiah I am perplexed by another story. Maybe **Katisha** has info on this. I had also heard that the tradition of the audience “standing” for the Hallelujah chorus was based on some royalty figure who, hearing the chorus for the first time, was so impressed that he stood up. Royal protocol stated that one was not allowed to be seated if royalty was standing so the entire audience stood up. (That’s why I always try to stand up first whenever I hear the chorus: If I can’t be a king at least look like a king) So if the chorus occurs roughly 3/4 the way through then everybody sits back down to listen to the last 1/4? Sounds anticlamatic to me. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/35 "2003-12-05T14:50:51Z")
I’m surprised that no one’s mentioned this one: Eric Cartman’s version of “O Holy Night”. Anyone know if this is available to view on the internet? As far as the songs I loathe, there are just too many to name. I’m not a big Christmas fan. And I think that the music is main reason. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/36 "2003-12-05T16:26:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BubbaDog \* > \*\*So if the chorus occurs roughly 3/4 the way through then everybody sits back down to listen to the last 1/4? > \*\* Pretty much, yes. Of course, at every performance I’ve been to there’s a five-minute pause between the second and third movements (the intermission comes between the first and second, as the first is the longest movement by far). Also, as far as irritating Christmas songs go, perhaps the most annoying thing about the season is being subjected quite frequently to “Jingle Bell Rock.” It does not, to put it mildly, rock. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/37 "2003-12-05T16:28:04Z")
I’ve always heard the same thing about why we stand when the HC is played. I don’t see how anyone COULD sit through it. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/38 "2003-12-05T18:07:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Katisha \* > \*\*Also, as far as irritating Christmas songs go, perhaps the most annoying thing about the season is being subjected quite frequently to “Jingle Bell Rock.” It does not, to put it mildly, rock. 😉 \*\* More of a “swing” than a rock 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/39 "2003-12-05T18:08:40Z")
I hate most Christmas music, ever since my mom thought letting my sister play Christmas carols every day for 6 straight months was “cute.” And working retail at Christmas didn’t help. That said, I make some exceptions: **The Night Santa Went Crazy** by Weird Al **It’s Christmas Time Again** by Blink 182, because I could’ve written it. **Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight)** by the Ramones **Christmas in Hollis** by Run DMC. **Santa’s Coming And He’s Gonna Kick Your Ass** by the Arrogant Worms **Christmas Sucks** by the Arrogant Worms And the video with Bing Crosby and Bowie. Cause it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. Most of the rest suck. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699/40 "2003-12-05T21:18:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jackknifed Juggernaut \* > \*\*I’m surprised that no one’s mentioned this one: Eric Cartman’s version of “O Holy Night”. Anyone know if this is available to view on the internet? > \*\* I know that you can download it from Kazaa, if you’re into that sort of thing. I don’t know about being able to just listen to it without downloading it, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-and-not-so-favorite-christmas-songs/216699.md?page=3)