As soon as Thanksgiving expires, who doesn’t inevitably turn the dials on their radio to the channel exclusively playing Christmas music? There is seldom an occasion that music does not brighten, especially when it is associated with a holiday as anticipated as Christmas. Over the years, we’ve heard popular artists like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and even Chance the Rapper, release popular albums embraced by the listening audience. Then, of course, there are seminal classics, like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” Amy Grant’s “My Grown-Up Christmas List, and “Last Christmas,” by Wham.
In this article, we’ll explore the songs, both contemporary and classic, that percolate most with the Christmas spirit we all treasure. Here are top 8 Christmas songs of all-time.
8. “Where Are You Christmas,” by Faith Hill (2000)
Featured in the Christmas film “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” Faith Hill’s “Where Are You Christmas” is a familiar tune consistently played on radio stations exclusively playing Christmas music during the holidays. About a young girl, yearning to capture the lost spirit of Christmas she experienced as child, it’s a tune about the complications associated with maturation and the concomitant loss of wonder we encounter.
7. “Last Christmas,” by Wham (1986)
“Last Christmas” is strangely not a song all that intertwined with Christmas. In the song, Christmas actually acts as mnemonic device, a marker of the anniversary of a failed relationship. Regardless of the content of the song itself, it remains a particularly ear-catching tune, one reliable to punctuate the heart of any adult going through a break-up during the holiday season.
6. “My Grown-Up Christmas List,” by Amy Grant (1992)
As youngsters, our wish lists often consist of whimsical items that hold minimal true value. As Amy Grant so sagely asks in the song itself: “What is this illusion called the innocence of youth?” Christmas, among many other things, is a time for reflection, a period of rumination as we contemplate the completion of another year of life, the events we may have missed out on, the aspirations we still cling to, the things we have yet to accomplish. Amy Grant’s ode is a recognition that as the years mount, so too does the depth of our desires and wishes.
5. “Step Into Christmas,” by Elton John (1974)
“Step Into Christmas,” by Elton John, is an admonition for all those feeling the pangs of the past year to eagerly step into the therapeutic spirit of Christmas. As Johnson says, in the chorus:
“Step into Christmas
Let’s join together
We can watch the snow fall forever and ever
Eat, drink and be merry
Come along with me
Step into Christmas
The admission’s free”
It’s a song beckoning people everywhere to embrace the music, the lights, the Christmas tree, family, and everything else so closely connected to the holiday. Turn on your radio and give it a whirl.
4. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” by Vanessa Williams & Bobby Caldwell (1996)
A song that used to be somewhat of a fixture during the holiday, has now become somewhat of a pariah, enraging particularly sensitive audiences. Nonetheless, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” remains a song with an appealing melody, an integrated narrative, and an overall delightful composition. It spins the tale of a young lady being courted by a man, who insists she should remain indoors, due to the likely freezing temperature outdoors. After some persuasion, she elects on staying for the night. Vanessa William’s 1997 iteration of the tune particularly stands out, though there are certainly many additional productions of this track.
3. “Please Come Home For Christmas,” by the Eagles (1978)
Another melancholy tune that bespeaks the sense of community and partnership that is so desperately pined for, particularly during the holiday season. In it, a man laments the temporary loss of a woman who has apparently departed him, for someone else, or something else. Though it is tinged with grief, it is a song that effectively encapsulates the vocals of Don Henley and the musicianship of the legendary band, the Eagles.
2. “Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas,” by Bianca Ryan (2006)
Sung by the winner of the competition show, “America’s Got Talent,” Bianca Ryan released a new take on the classic Christmas song “Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas Everday” in 2006. Only 12 years old when she released the single, Ryan’s precocious vocal ability is on conspicuous display in this classic song replete with youthful frivolity. In it, Ryan rhetorically asks why every day of the year cannot be as unique and special as Christmas, shorn of the more mundane realities that routinely populate our lives. As she sings in the chorus:
”Why couldn’t it be Christmas everyday
Riding around with Santa on his sleigh
Don’t you know iif you’ll be good just like you should
You’ll hear those jingle bells ring.”
Try to hear those jingle bells ring this Christmas.
1. “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” by Mariah Carey (1994)
Popularized by the inimitable film, “Love Actually,” the song “All I Want For Christmas For You” is regularly broadcast on radio stations throughout the country during the holiday. It’s catchy lyrics, feet-spinning melody, and optimistic energy seldom fail to render listeners with anything but a more positive outlook. The song truly encapsulates what Christmas is about: spending time with those one cannot live without. It remains a seminal anthem to all those who celebrate the holiday.
For further information on celebrating, reference the following articles:
Best Places to Visit During Christmas