The Christmas Song, by Nat King Cole. We had an album of Christmas music when I was a child, and nothing says “it’s the season” to me like the opening violin strains, followed by his smooth as silk voice.
Religious song wise I’d have to say “O Holy Night”.
It brings tears to my eyes.
For just Christmas songs, “Snoopy’s Christmas”. It just ain’t Christmas until I hear that.
Not a song, but a musical piece Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed. We performed it when I was in the High School Band, and I found it extremely moving. I looked for years for a professional recording of it – looking in arcane music catalogs, and in collections at music schools. Nada. I could find nothing about it.
This morning I type it into a search engine, and this pops up:
(from Wikipedia: Russian Christmas Music - Wikipedia )
“One of the most popular and frequently-performed”!!! I spent years asking people about this, and nobody ever heard of it. The search engines turned up a 1997 recording, which is pretty late.
YouTube has performances, like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6jBbOw0k7I&feature=related Not recommended.
“O Come O Come Emmanuel” is my absolute favorite, followed closely by “O Holy Night.” Third would have to be “The Christmas Song” (Chestnuts Roasting).
Riu Chiu is quite good too.
“Little Saint Nick” by the Beach Boys. Great harmonies, and it’s really about a car. Perfect.
I really hate Christmas music.
You’ll never hear it on the radio, but The Band’s Christmas Must Be Tonight is my personal favorite. You can catch it on the Islands album.
O Holy Night is another favorite if done by a good male singer. There is not a female voice that can do it justice.
Silent Night is another goodie.
Any song that features livestock keeping time or the land of “is-RYE-el” is not on my playlist.
You beat me to this one…
Then, to offset it, I like listening to “Father Christmas” by The Kinks.
Among traditional songs, “Auld Lang Syne” (I know, it’s more of a New Years’s song, but I associate it with Christmas because of It’s a Wonderful Life).
On this note, does anyone have a CD of Glen Campbell’s “Little Alter Boy” and/or “Old Toy Trains”? They’re the best but sounding a little worse for wear on my old LP.
I love the classics. I also love this nonclassic.
O Holy Night is a lovely song, one of my favorites. I also love O Come O Come Emanuel; it sounds almost eerie, for lack of a better term.
My favorite, which may not even be an actual Christmas song is Balulalow. My high school chorus performed this song and I absolutely fell in love with it.
Was coming in here to mention that one. Others I like are “Silent Night”, “Away in a Manger”, and “The Little Drummer Boy”.
I’m an atheist, but I’ve always loved the story of Christmas. shrug
Bruce Springsteen ‘Santa Claus is Comin to Town’.
In general I love Christmas songs that have parts where a guy is talking over the music…it’s so powerful in them for some reason. It gives an outside perspective, or a feeling of a higher power, over the song. Makes you feel like a kid again, listening to a voice of love, reason, and authority. The music weakens your critical faculties, allowing these spoken words to pierce your soul.
Massively seconded. An MP3 of that would find itself looped on my computer for the next week. Their best work.
“Nativity Carol” - Francis Patrick O’Brien
It’s overlaid over silent night, and one of the most beautiful songs that I can think of for Christmas. It makes me think of Midnight Mass in the choir.
Awww. I miss that choir.
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
She appears on Letterman every year and performs this song. They take the key down a bit, as Ms. Love probably can’t hit notes like she used to, but it’s still beautiful. Too bad about that writers’ strike, but I bet they’ll show a Christmas rerun sometime soon. Well, if they haven’t already.
“Little Alter Boy”? There’s a Christmas song about a eunuch?
:eek:
Hate to jump on the bandwagon, but O Holy Night has always been my favorite too. I also like the version of O Little Town of Bethlehem that Amy Grant did on her Christmas album.
I love “O Holy Night,” too.
My current favorite is one I’ve only ever heard done by one singer. It’s “La Virgen Lava Panales” sung by Placido Domingo.
Here’s a YouTube video that is odd, but you can hear the gorgeous song: http://youtube.com/watch?v=vDBdvDoN6Vc&feature=related