Christmas Carols: Blessed noise or sound punishment?

[senorcorazon]

Who's with me on this one: I say that Christmas Carols are the worst thing ever, except on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And there are NO exceptions, no Bruce Springsteen doing Santa Claus is Coming to Town caveats. It is the most awful music.

I am ready and willing to be Hate Pitted for this one. Let the argument begin.

Side thread: Any cherished Hanukkah songs besides Driedel, Driedel, Driedel, "O Hanukkah, come light the menorah" (or whatever that song's called), and the Adam Sandler songs?

[Laurie]

I fucking love holiday songs. I put together a supermix of all of my holiday-related music into one mega playlist on my iPod-o, and I have 295 Christmassy songs.

Here is a Chanukah song by The Smittens off of Total Gaylords' Cwistmas Twee comp. Enjoy.

[Gilly]

What's better: traditional or modern takes, or even original modern Christmas songs?

I can't stand most modern takes on Christmas tunes. Even though they weren't original then either, Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis can't be beat. I don't listen to those guys any other time but Christmas. I did like Soupjam Stevens take on "The Friendly Beasts". 

[jane]

Did somebody say Bing Crosby?

This probably gets posted on this board every year, nevertheless...
The singing starts at the 2:00 mark
     [youtube]gKTHvW2JcAA[/youtube]

[Beth]

I get really happy everytime Mariah Carey comes on the radio with "All I want for Christmas is Youuuu!"

I love Christmas, and all of the cheesy music that comes with it!

And Aimee Mann put out a really good Christmas album last year.


I do hate TransSiberieanSteamroller or whatever its called though.

[Gilly]

My Christmas guilty pleasure is Amy Grant's Home For Christmas. I don't think there is such a thing as a Christmas guilty pleasure but if there is that's a main offender.

[moonshake]

They've been playing Christmas music non-stop at my workplace since Thanksgiving. It's torturous.

[Sarah]

John Fahey put out a record of traditional Christmas music that's quite nice.  Other than that, I find most of it tedious, especially because I inevitably start humming it.

[masterofsparks]

I have a fairly decent collection of good Christmas albums - artists like the Beach Boys, James Brown, Louvin Brothers, Buck Owens, Elvis and comps like the Phil Spector and Motown albums - but I only play them on Christmas day. That's really enough. It's tough to get behind a solid month of Christmas music when there are only 6 songs.

[buffcoat]

They've been playing Christmas music non-stop at my workplace since Thanksgiving. It's torturous.

The Muzak in my building is Christmas-related from Thanksgiving to New Years.  So now I essentially associate Christmas Carols with the bathroom.  Thanks, corporate America!

I have heard more than 10 versions of the following songs:

"... everybody's waitin' for the man with the bag."
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
"Santa Baby" (including a new white-hip-hop one where the chick sounds like she wants to, uh, do it with Santa - keeps saying "gimme gimme gimme")

[Sarah]

Eartha Kitt's sounds the same way.  Isn't that the whole point of "Santa Baby"?

[buffcoat]

Eartha Kitt's sounds the same way.  Isn't that the whole point of "Santa Baby"?

Eartha Kitt wants Santa to THINK she wants to do it with him.  This chick wants to go through with it.

[Beth]

Eartha Kitt's sounds the same way.  Isn't that the whole point of "Santa Baby"?

I always thought so. While on this subject, I'd like to say that the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" has disturbed me since I was a tiny child.

[masterofsparks]

There's always "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy."

[yesno]

It's fun to try to locate non-annoying Christmas songs.

My favorite is "Don't Believe in Christmas" by the Sonics.

Runners up:  a lot of these are obvious, but the pickings are slim.

Losing my Sledge by TBC Poundsystem
Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses
Fairytale of New York by the Pogues
Child's Christmas in Wales by John Cale
Christmas on the Block by Go Home Productions (mashup)
Christmas Vacation by the Descendants

My favorite Christmas albums are the Spector one and the Ventures.  The Soupjam albums are already overplayed.  The others are too, but they're better so it's less annoying.