Baby, It's Cold Outside

My absolute favorite thing about the holiday season is the music. I adore Christmas music, and I hardly mind when radio stations start playing it around Thanksgiving. I'm perfectly fine with hearing Christmas music in department stores before I've even finished digesting my Thanksgiving dinner. I love how many different versions of classic Christmas songs exist, and I love that singing along with pretty  much any Christmas song is cake. It almost seems like knowledge children are born with: the lyrics to classic Christmas songs. And new Christmas songs are typically easy to figure out, and I love that instantaneous group unity when driving a car or walking through the mall and a classic Christmas song comes on that everyone knows the lyrics to.

Here's a listing of some of my favorite Christmas songs this year. Enjoy!

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch by Thurt Ravenscroft. I love the original version over any other version out there. The only one that comes close is Jim Carrey's version. I love the original so much because it always takes me back to my days playing clarinet in middle school band. The clarinet parts in that song are so fun and I miss playing the Christmas concerts every year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzXKWKaxt3c

Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John and Yoko Ono Lennon. Of course. Were you not expecting this? I love them, I love this song, I love the fact that Christmas is being served with a steaming hot pile of guilt for not doing your part to make the world a better place. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN4Uu0OlmTg

Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney. Yes, unlike the majority of the human race, I love this song, even though it's repetitive as all hell. It makes me smile and bop along, no matter how many times I hear it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9BZDpni56Y

P.S. The stark differences in John Lennon to Paul McCartney's Christmas songs is a perfect illustration of their different strengths as songwriters. John was always great at writing songs that held a message, made you think, were a little bitter, and yet still catchy and singable. Paul writes fun ditties that get stuck in your head and never go away. 

Step Into Christmas by Elton John. I never remember the lyrics to this song, it's only become a favorite of mine for the past Christmas or so. But I love the music and danciness of it more than the lyrics, I must admit. http://youtu.be/9Fjik78LapA

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by Nsync. This song is fun, simple, Christmas all over, and always makes me dance. The music video is also cute, and brings back my middle school self, when I was a die-hard Nsync fan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKj92352UAE&ob=av2e

Do They Know It's Christmas? by BandAid. I love love love the original. Yet again, it's a Christmas song serving up a steaming hot side of guilt, LOL. But I love the message, even though it's a but hypocritical. (Why don't they know it's Christmas? Oh... maybe because they aren't Christian???) But it's a catchy song and so fun to belt out in the car. I have to give an honorable mention to the Barenaked Ladies, I like their version, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5cX_ncZLls

Last Christmas by Wham. This song is starting to get on my nerves, but I still love it, deep down. And secretly.. I like the Crazy Frog version, too. This song is just fun, I guess, and I know all the words, so I can always sing along, which is a plus. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI&ob=av3e

Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses. I don't know why, but this song is addictive to me. I love the sound of it, even though I don't know all the lyrics and couldn't tell you quite what it's about. But I do love it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyEztz6nY9Q

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Yancy. This is a classic and my favorite version of it, by far, is Yancy's. The only place I found to listen to it online is on her website: yancynotnancy.com. I like her version a lot. It's country meets rock meets Christmas. What more could you want?!?!?

Christmas Time by Bryan Adams. I like this song. It's not one of my top ten, but I do like it and I can jam to it when it pops on the radio. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhkX2mjl9Qk

All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey. I always liked this song, but never related to it as much as I do this year. -blush- GOD I JUST WISH HE WAS HERE, JUST FOR A NIGHT. But I won't get down. I will jam to Mariah Carey's booming sex-voice and fun raucous music instead. WOOT. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5bo4VDEH-U

Please Come Home for Christmas by The Eagles. A classic rock classic (yes, I meant to put classic twice, deal) and it's one I never think of until I hear on the radio and then I realize how much I love it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeShHAZk3to

Twelve Days of Christmas by the Muppets. I love this version of the song and it's the only version I enjoy listening to every year. I love the Muppets, you knew something had to be on this list and why not their version of Twelve Days? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDBMzGq1vhs

Twelve Days Runner Ups
I also love these versions of that classic song:
Janice Dickinson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VraaEaOzYQ
Jeff Foxworthy http://youtu.be/VJOe3CXE-mA
Bob and Doug McKenzie http://youtu.be/l2oPio60mK4

Fairy Tale of New York by the Pogues. This is Jon's favorite Christmas song and I hadn't heard it in forever until he mentioned it. Now it's slid into my Christmas music list and I'm addicted to it. It's so funny, I love the drunken voice singing!! http://youtu.be/ev94MQ9KQUs

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by the Ronettes. I love love love this song. I love the humor of it, and I also love the music. http://youtu.be/kFj4D11Wmn4

I Wish it Was Christmas Today by Julian Casablancas. I heard this song for the first time last night and fell in love with it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wS-k66MKgs

Winter Wonderland by... I don't know. I heard it on the radio on the way home and fell in love with the version. I can't find it. When I can, I'll update this.