Thursday, December 25, 2014

Phil's Top 10 Xmas Songs: 2014 Update

I try to do some sort of Xmas-related blog every year. Around this time four years ago I blogged about my favorite and least favorite holiday songs.


Well, like the college football rankings, things change and I've updated my list. Some songs have moved up or down, a couple have dropped out. Here's my 2014 list:


10) The Ronettes, "Sleigh Ride". I feel like I've heard this song more often than in past years, and for whatever reason it's grown on me. Maybe I need more '60s girl groups in my life.


9) Vince Guaraldi Trio, "Linus & Lucy". This still technically isn't a holiday song; you'll hear it at some point on nearly every Peanuts special. But it only gets radio airplay around the holidays, and if I'm fiddling with the radio in my car and stumble upon it, it's a total win.


8) The Waitresses, "Christmas Wrapping". I used to have this song up higher. I'm not necessarily down on it; I still like it a lot. I think it's just that it's become a little too much of a default Xmas song on every radio station. Still, a great holiday love story....


7) The Royal Guardsmen, "Snoopy's Christmas". I mean, let's face it Snoopy is a World War I Flying Ace. A great (if a little goofy) war story for the holidays, about Snoopy' epic battle with the Red Baron.


6) Vince Guaraldi Trio, "O Tannenbaum". Continuing on the German theme. Also, a song that you feel like you could jam to on a Saturday night at a jazz club has to make the list.


5) Trans-Siberian Orchestra, "Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24". Now we're getting to the point where it's really tough to sort out the top 5. This is such an intense song -- I used to hear this song at December Patriots tailgates all the time. So intense, and we all know I have a thing for intense songs.


4) Straight No Chaser, "The 12 Days of Christmas". This mashup is so random it's tough not to love. The best part is when the Jewish guy in the chorus breaks into "The Dreidel Song."


3) Vince Guaraldi Trio, "My Little Drum". This is a song that doesn't get radio airplay but it's on the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas. Kinda wish they would bust it out on the radio.


2) Barenaked Ladies featuring Sarah McLachlan, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings". Like all other songs, holiday songs become stale when you hear the same song over and over again, but I feel like I could listen to this song 10 times today and not get tired of it. Canada's greatest contribution to Xmas.


And of course....


1) Vince Guaraldi Trio, "Chrsitmas Time Is Here". This is pretty much the Xmas staple -- you know "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is just coming on when you hear it on TV. Still #1. The dynasty continues.







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