Is there such a thing as GREAT Christmas music?

[maycocksean]

I love Christmas music. I only listen to it from Thanksgiving Day to New Years, but during that time I love it (the rest of the year it's a sacrilege if I hear it played!)

But Christmas music has been sorely abused in my opinion. We've got this radio station on our island that's been playing mostly Xmas tunes since Thanksgiving and I'd say 90% of what they play is horrible. Nauseatingly cheesy renditions of Christmas classics or some songwriters attempt at creating a "new" Christmas classic and failing miserably.

Which made me wonder, is there any such thing as truly GREAT Christmas music? The canon of classics is pretty limited so it's more a question of what can be done with reinterpreting a song that's been done "many times, many ways." And then there's the "new" Christmas song. Have you ever heard any that really kept the Christmas-y vibe, yet also broke new ground, lyrically and musically with new, QUALITY seasonal songs.

For me my favorite Christmas album ever is one of those CD's made just for a particular store. Best Buy's Acoustic Christmas. Just some unknowns from Minneapolis playing Christmas classics on acoustic guitars. It's gorgeous, warm, golden music and is the perfect thing to listen to late Christmas Eve actually early Christmas morning when everyone else has gone to bed and you're still up staring at the Christmas tree.

Oscar Peterson's Christmas album is quite good.

The Windham Hill label, home of new-agey soothing sounds which I can't bear for most of the year knows how to do Christmas right. "Guittars and Other Stringed Things" and "A Windham Hill Christmas" are both great.

I like all three Amy Grant Christmas albums--the last one is probably the best musically.

In terms of quality original Christmas music (i.e. the dangerous ground of "new" songs), I have yet to hear anything surpass the new tunes found on A City on A Hill Christmas.

So that's what I think. What about you?

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Oh Holy Night, I can't say I've ever heard anyone butcher that one. That's my favorite Christmas carol.

I think Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan is pretty great. Same for Charlie Brown Christmas, I got the new remastered version but I haven't been able to listen to it yet.

 

[Axver]

I normally find very little interest in Christmas music, but Trans-Siberian Orchestra's multiple albums are simply gorgeous.

 

[Numb1075]

5 words for you: New Twisted Sister Christmas Album

 

[impy13]

MS already said it, but the Vince Guaraldi Trio tunes for Charlie Brown Christmas are fantastic.

Also:

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Also Handel's Messiah

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

 

[corianderstem]

Oh Holy Night, I can't say I've ever heard anyone butcher that one. That's my favorite Christmas carol.

How lucky for you that you've avoided Mariah Carey's or Christina Aguilera's versions.

 

[RavenBlue]

Or Cartmans version for that matter

Tom Jackson's version of The Huron Carol is very haunting and beautiful.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

The Three Tenors' Christmas album is superb. I highly recommend it.

As for original Christmas songs, "Christmas in Hollis" by Run DMC will always be a favorite of mine.

 

[Marko]

Also:

I second Sufjan Stevens - it's a great set of 5 cd's...don't DL it - buy it, its affordable...

but anything from Sufjan can be listened during Christmas - he has a lot of religious stuff in his music... i think almost 90% are some kind of christian music and I love iit...

 

[Snowlock]

I go with the classic crooners typically for Christmas, Bing, Deano, Frank.

Sinatra's rendition of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas can bring tears to my eyes at times.

For new(er) stuff, there's always our boys with Christmas Baby Please Come Home, that's excellent. The new Killer's song, Big Red Sled is a great song in its own right. Download it and it's proceeds goes to (red) which is a nice bonus. Mellencamp's I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus is excellent. And of course, Dion's Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree is fantastic.

There's a Bing Crosby christmas album out there where between songs he's talking to his listeners at home. It's such a nostalgic piece, you can almost picture your parents as little kids and your grandparents in their prime, huddled around the record player listening in and singing along, pre-tv. I love that one.

 

[impy13]

I'd really like to get my hands on one of Goulet's Christmas albums.

Ba ba bee ba ba boooooo

 

[BVS]

5 words for you: New Twisted Sister Christmas Album

I saw them on Leno the other night...scary!!!

 

[LMP]

Charlie Brown Christmas

 

[tonyhotland]

don't cut me out now, but i'm quite a fan of Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas such a guilty pleasure.. got it the first time it came out circa 1994 and it's been on every Christmas ever since

... bla bla bla.. all i want for christmas is youuuu ... bla bla bla..
shoot!

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Low's Christmas album is very interesting.

And I quite like the Raveonettes' 'The Christmas Song'. The melody is vaguely reminiscent of an old Magnetic Fields song ('Long Forgotten Fairytale').

Check this website out (christmasagogo.blogspot.com) for a lot of kooky Christmas music.

 

[maycocksean]

don't cut me out now, but i'm quite a fan of Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas such a guilty pleasure.. got it the first time it came out circa 1994 and it's been on every Christmas ever since

... bla bla bla.. all i want for christmas is youuuu ... bla bla bla..
shoot!

You know I've had that album about as long. . .my students always love it. . .

But to tell the truth I kinda can't stand it. I like her version of Joy to the World but beyond that there's not much on the album that I really want to listen to. I especially dislike the "all I want for Christmas is you. . ." and I also dislike that there are like four songs in a row on the album that are all about how she wants some person for Christmas or she's lonely on Christmas. . .

Not that I dislike Mariah Carey per se or anything. Just that album.

Not meaning to "cut you out" of course. I'm a big believer in liking what you like, and to hell with what the music snobs think.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I really need to check out this Sufjan album.

I have a mix of old and newer favorites, but I only own a couple of Christmas albums outright. I have two of the Very Special Christmases (truth be told, the first two are really the only ones you need), and the rest of them I downloaded or burned from other people's CDs.

 

[Got Philk?]

I really need to check out this Sufjan album.

Yes, you do. It's amazing.

 

[corianderstem]

I actually really like Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," it's a lot of fun. I just really dislike the histrionics on "O Holy Night."

And hey - I'm no music snob ... I have loads of CDs by cheesy pop artists!

 

[HeartlandGirl]

I actually really like Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," it's a lot of fun.

My Chemical Romance's version of it is lots of fun too.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

My Chemical Romance's version of it is lots of fun too.

 

[Harry Vest]

Fairytale of New York - The Pouges
So Much Wine - The Handsome Family
River - Martin Tielli (from The Rheostatics)
Holiday - James McMurtry
Charlie Brown Christmas - Vince Guaraldi Trio
The Christmas Song - Warren Zevon
Merry Christmas From The Family - Mike Plume Band
A Change At Christmas - The Flaming Lips
Blue Xmas - Miles Davis
to name but a few...
The answer is YES THERE ARE GREAT CHRISTMAS SONGS!!!

 

[Popmartijn]

20+ posts and no mention yet of Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift For You?
Truly one of the greatest Crimbo albums ever.

 

[tonyhotland]

My Chemical Romance's version of it is lots of fun too.

yep, it is.
but i've always wondered how they ended up covering that song in the first place. i suppose they came to Mariah and said "hey, can we cover your Christmas anthem?"

seriously, i fall on the floor laughing everytime I think of the idea.
it's the black parade wishing someone under the mistletoe

music snobs, btw, are indeed the worst of all the species. Or any snobs, come to think of it

 

[Zoomerang96]

the traditional scores are some of the most beautiful music ever written in my opinion.

stuff like o holy night, silent night, etc. are incredible.

but most commercial christmas music is unbearable in my mind. i have very little use for it.

 

[BonosSaint]

Oh Holy Night.

My favorite too. The music is incredible in that song.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Judy Garland version.

"What Child is This?" ("Greensleeves")

"Do You Hear What I Hear?" (Whitney Houston version)

(I like the ones that sound like dirges)

Other than that, I don't listen to any Christmas music. And I only listen to those the week before Christmas, if that. In my office, Christmas music is on everybody's radio. I crank up Pearl Jam.

 

[XHendrix24]

Fairytale of New York has GOT to be the best "modern" Christmas song by quite a bit.

 

[corianderstem]

but i've always wondered how they ended up covering that song in the first place. i suppose they came to Mariah and said "hey, can we cover your Christmas anthem?"

I'm fairly certain Mariah didn't write or do the original version, so your amusing scenario is alas, only a fantasy.

 

[bayernfc]

and let's not forget this little gem!