What Christmas songs do you enjoy?

Whether as a guilty pleasure, or openly.

I have always been partial to the more religious (despite being an atheist) songs like "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", etc.

Favorite non-traditional songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m__H-qE97C8 - Sufjan Steven's "It's Christmas! Let's Be Glad!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bC3fqXCWCk - XTC 's(though released under the name "The Three Wise Men") "Countdown to Christmas Partytime". Yes, it's as cheesy as it sounds. :lol:

"The Holly and the Ivy"

"Adeste Fidelis"

"What Child is This?" (Which is slightly cheating, because the tune was "Greensleeves" first.)

"Oh come, O come Emmanuel" (Which is more properly an Advent song, but oh well. It sounds medievally, so it wins.)

I love many newer ones and several traditionals.

John Lennon's So This is Christmas tops my list.
I enjoy Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses
I Believe In Father Christmas by ELP
Father Christmas by The Kinks


Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland
Silver Bells by whoever.


I also have a soft spot for Snoopy and the Red Baron Christmas by the Royal Guardsmen

I will probably add more later. These were off the top of my head.

Fairytale of New York by The Pogues.

None!


The only tolerable one is:



And I hadn't realised that it was a Christmas song until a couple of years ago.

Anything sung by Leon Redbone.

I like the religious ones, as well...musically speaking they offer the most, I think. Orual, O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of my all-time favorite religious songs of any kind. I look forward to hearing it at advent every year! I also love:

O Holy Night
Adeste Fideles
Angels We Have Heard on High
Sing We Now of Christmas
Do You Hear What I Hear?

Quote:

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Originally posted by Sarahfeena

Angels We Have Heard on High

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When well sung, this song makes me wish I believed in God.

An addition. Possibly.



Sadly I don't recognise more than a dozen of the contributors.

It is not easy to find arrangements that keep the saccharine to a minimum, although Stille Nacht / Silent Night allows them. This one will have to do.



Of course there is always this version.

Here's another I enjoy:



As far as I know the singer got the year wrong but it's not bad, like a Seasonal version of And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda.

Quote:

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Originally posted by What Exit?

I enjoy Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses

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I love this song.

Also, for me no Christmas is complete without "The Christians and the Pagans"

Carol of the Bells. I like it instrumental, I like it with a choir. I just plain like it.



Silent Night, previously mentioned, is also one of my favorites.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Zuul

Carol of the Bells. I like it instrumental, I like it with a choir. I just plain like it.

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Ooh yes. I like the Trans Sibera Orchestra one myself

Angels We Have Heard on High, Carol of the Bells, and We Three Kings. (Carol of the Bells and We Three Kings sound so ominous to me. I think that's why I like them).

Oh, We Three Kings is another good one. You're right about sounding ominous. It's definitely part of what appeals to me. It makes it much more dramatic.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Sarahfeena

I like the religious ones, as well...musically speaking they offer the most, I think. Orual, O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of my all-time favorite religious songs of any kind. I look forward to hearing it at advent every year! I also love:

O Holy Night
Adeste Fideles
Angels We Have Heard on High
Sing We Now of Christmas
Do You Hear What I Hear?

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Wow, are you me? That's exactly my top 5 list!

For non-traditional, Twisted Christmas by the Bob Rivers Comdey Troupe is my must-listen for bah humbug moments.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Katriona

Wow, are you me? That's exactly my top 5 list!

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Wow...Freaky. Maybe I AM you. OK, I'm pinching myself...can you feel it? :)

When I listed Sing We Now of Christmas, I was wondering if people would know what it was. I think the only recorded version I've ever heard was on a Kingston Trio album my parents had when I was a kid.