Over on Spinner they've compiled lists of the top 12 Worst Christmas Songs and the 12 Best Christmas Songs, limiting the choices to pop/rock songs (so, not including your average carols). As with any list, there are some bizarre choices on both lists, and some that totally hit the nail on the obnoxious-holiday song's head.
I totally agree with John Denver's "Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)" being number two on the Worst Christmas Songs list (seriously, there's nothing heartwarming about that diddy), though I must say I really like Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." And some of this has to do with mere repetition: I used to love Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" . . . until it was burned into my brain over and over again. This is also why I would add the Waitresses' boppy-tune "Christmas Wrapping" to that Worst Christmas Songs list. If I hear that song one more time I will be sent into a terrifying rage, and nobody wants that at Christmastime.
As for the Best Christmas Songs, it's an interesting mix. Of course Joni Mitchell's "River" and Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas" are there, but Run DMC's "Christmas in Hollis" is number one? Really? What do you think? Are there some glaring omissions on these lists? Were songs like "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (Mariah Carey) and "I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus" shafted from both lists? To see the full lists and discuss, read more
Spinner's 12 Worst Christmas Songs:
12. “Santa Baby," Madonna
11. "Wonderful Christmastime," Paul McCartney
10. "Christmastime," Smashing Pumpkins
9. "8 Days of Christmas," Destiny Child
8. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," Bruce Springsteen
7. "Christmas Conga," Cyndi Lauper
6. "Santa’s Beard," Beach Boys
5. "Merry Christmas With Love," Clay Aiken
4. "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)," The Ramones
3. "Oi to the World," No Doubt
2. "Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)," John Denver
1. "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Band Aid
Spinner's 12 Best Christmas Songs:
12. "I Want an Alien for Christmas," Fountains of Wayne
11. "Pretty Paper," Willie Nelson
10. "Candy Cane Children," White Stripes
9. "Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You," Billy Squier
8. "Someday at Christmas," Stevie Wonder
7. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," U2
6. "Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree," Brenda Lee
5. "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto," James Brown
4. "River," Joni Mitchell
3. "Blue Christmas," Elvis Presley
2. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," John Lennon and Yoko Ono
1. "Christmas in Hollis," Run DMC
Inspirations
Make Up For Ever
Prescriptives
I'm not big on Christmas music so I'd have to say they're all the worst.
1I feel the same way about Waitresses' Christmas Wrapping, Buzz. Even when I was around 8 I started to truly hate that song and these days it makes me want to gouge my eyeballs out.
I have yet to be bored by the repetition of Wonderful Christmastime. Sometime around college it became one of my favorites and remains there to this day. I really have to disagree with Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas for #1 worst because I still enjoy it. Even though I've heard it a million times it reminds me of Christmas
Then again, I'm really big on lots and lots of Christmas music, so this list is difficult for
me anyway.
I haven't even heard half of the songs on the "Best of" list. And the top 2 would probably land on my worst list...I feel the same way about Happy Xmas (War is Over) that I imagine they feel about Do They Know It's Christmas? Oh well...this is a pretty hard list to make because everyone associates different songs with different Christmases throughout their lives. I'm just happy it's the season for Christmas music!
2Brenda Lee's Rockin Around the Christmas Tree is my all time FAVORITE Christmas song! I do have many favorites, and none of them seem to be on this list. I love Wonderful Christmas time too, so BOO on it being on the worst list! I'm a Chirstmas (Eve) baby, so I listen to Christmas Music all the time and have a great collection. There are some pretty sucky ones out there, and I agree with most on the worst list.
3I like the Bruce Springsteen song
4and the Waitress song has been played in my presence way too many times- I am so sick of it.
My bro says that Happy Xmas (War Is Over) reminds him of sullen teenagers complaining that their allowance wasn't big enough, and he said the lyrics to Do They Know Its Christmas are so depressing he wants to cut himself.
I'm partial to Last Christmas by Wham! and anything from the Bing Crosby Merry Christmas CD.
And don't forget Christmas In The Stars, the under-appreciated Star Wars Christmas album.
Ugh, "Wonderful Christmastime" is the WORST. Actually, I'm not a fan of holiday songs in general. Except—and I'm serious when I say this—I *love* that Chipmunks song. ("Chreeeesmasss, Chreeeeesssmassss tiiiime is heeeereee...") The best part is "Me, I want a hoooooooooola hooooop." It always makes me laugh!
Oh, and 7kimba7, you reminded me. I like that Wham! song too.
5Best
Bing Crosby~Merry Christmas CD (incl. Melekeleki Maka! & Christmas in Kilarney)
6Eartha Kit~ Santa Baby
Christmas Don't Be Late~Chipmunks!
Who can forget the Beach Boys, Little Saint Nick?!
7Josh Groban Believe (from the Polar Express)
Johnny Mathis ~ It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year
Need a Little Christmas (from Mame)
& I'm sorry, but I love John Denver's Please Daddy. It reminds me of my childhood because we used to make fun of that song.
What's that Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers song?! That's another goodie. I guess I think they're all good!
8little drummer boy- bob segar
9My favorite Christmas song is The Kinks - Father Christmas
10Wonderful Christmastime is the worst! Ew. It might be a song that plays on repeat in hell. I absolutely hate every version of Grandma Got Run Over By a Raindeer! How did that ever get popularized??????????
11reindeer, excuse me
12Whats that song from sleepless in seattle when she is in the car going "horses, horses, horses, horses" That one is horrible!
Worst Christmas songs:
Little drummer boy, no one sounds sober singing that.
Grandma got run over by a reindeer, rednecks and christmas dont mix
Feliz Navidad, My niece knows this one by heart and i have paid her not to sing it this year
Best Christmas:
Christmas time is Here, from charlie brown christmas special
Holly Jolly Christmas , by Burl Ives
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Judy Garland
Baby its cold outside, From ELF with Zooey and Leon Redbone
13I loathe that song "Merry Christmas Darling" by the Carpenters. "Last Christmas" is played way too much too but its a classic. I LOVE "All I want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey, it wasn't on the list?
14First
at the Billy C comment.
15I thought this was maybe pop stars doing Christmas music, but if you are talking of all time, there's some serious issues with the Best List, like someone already mentioned, White Christmas, hello! I agree with Rockin Around, my son wants that one for the holidays even. But it reminds him of Home Alone.
I really love Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You", so I think that should've been on the best list. I don't like most of the songs that actually are on the best list.
16Love Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee. Bing Crosby should definitely be on there!
17I'm not much of an Elvis fan, but he sang gospel, and Christmas songs well.
18I hate to say it but my all time FAVORITE christmas song is All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey. Feel free and judge
haha
19Sorry, the best one's gotta be "Last Christmas".
I love George Michael and that song
seriously is one of my all-time favorites.
I also like this one called "Donde Esta Santa Claus?". It's been done by a few different people (Guster did a version that's up on iTunes) but the first time I heard it was on this homemade CD my friend gave me for Christmas. This little kid sings it and it's hilarious.
20I kind of like "Hard Candy Christmas" by Dolly, for nostalgia's sake, and my least favorite Christmas song is "Here Comes Santa Clause"-- "Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane..."-- CREEPS me put for some reason!! And I LOVE the Chipmunks song too, bella!!
21Seriously! Where's Wham's 'Last Christmas'...or the pop-ier cover by Jimmy Eat World!
22Last christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away, This year to save me from tears ill give it someone special.
ah the days when George was hetero (or so we thought!) and he had feathered bangs.
23i love that "i want an alien for christmas" is on the list! that's one of my favs! i'm also a fan of the rosie o'donnell christmas cds, marc anthony, the guy from savage garden, and trisha yearwood have some really good songs on them! there's also an oldies comedy christmas song that i used to love when i was a kid, but i can't think of the name of it of the life of me!!!! but i'd have to agree that paul mccartney's song is my least favorite christmas song ever.
24Speaking of Joni Mitchell's "River", I think my absolute favorite version of it was Robert Downey Jr singing it on Ally McBeal. His voice and persona fit the song so well. So wistful and sad, which is apparently how I like my Christmas songs haha.
Also love "Christmas Cake" by Rilo Kiley, though I dont know if just mentioning Christmas is enough to make something a Christmas song.
On the upside Im also a sucker for that Mariah Carey Christmas album which is definitely not wistful or sad in the slightest!
25the band aid remake was way worse
26I live in WA and there is horrible song that is just played around here called "Northwest Christmas" it makes me want to kill others when I hear it. It is so bad that some Christmas's I think of moving just to get away from it.
27Ugh. I hate most Christmas music except the really, really classical stuff (hey I used to work retail, find me someone who worked in retail who doesn't hate it!) But the song I hate MOST is that stupid "Wonderful Christmastime" one....if it is playing I have to leave the room. For some reason it just sucks the Christmas spirit right out of me!
28I LOVE Santa Baby, hate the MAdonna version.
29"It's Christmastime in Hollis Queens,
30Mom's cookin' chicken and collared greens!"
mashed potatoes, macaroni 'n cheese...
#1 "All I want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey
31I love "Sleigh Ride" by Debbie Gibson. It's kind of bubblegumpop-like, but it's so cheerful and happy!
32PinkUnicorn- I worked retail for 6 years...in a mall...in a CD store no less...and I still LOVE Christmas music. One of my recent favs that I forgot to mention is "Aye Aye Aye It's Christmas" by Ricky Martin. It puts me into giggle fits every time- hysterical!
33Awww... I absolutely LOVE "Do they know it's Christmas"!!!! Duran Duran, Boy George, U2 all joined together to make money for the hungry in Africa. (Can you tell I'm an 80's child?)
34All I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey is my favorite Christmas song ever!
35Brenda Lee's Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and Joni Mitchell's River are two of my faves! I wonder why they didn't include Mariah's song? I love All I Want For Christmas Is You! I disagree about Paul McCartney's song, I love Wonderful Christmastime. Interesting list.
36Love "Last Christmas" by WHAM! I also love "Little Drummer Boy" by David Bowie and Bing Crosby.
37I've heard that Bruce Springsteen song on the radio a few times this year and it's a live version and Bruce sounds HORRIBLE!!!!
As for "Do They Know it's Christmas?", uhm, they don't because they don't celebrate the same holidays that we do nor does it EVER snow in Africa (or does it?).
Best Christmas song EVER is def Barbara Streisand's "Jingle Bells."
38I like some of the "worst" songs, but my favorite carol didn't make the list and is "Silver Bells"
39Huh, I've heard almost none of these. I like the more traditional stuff better in general - Silent Night, etc. - and some of the classic albums from the 50's and 60's - Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, etc.
40Fairytale for New York by the Pogues is my favourite.
41'Christmas Eve ...In the drunk tank'!
I'm really surprised White Christmas by the Drifters didn't make the best list. That's one of my favorites. Sleigh Bells by the Ronnettes, Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt, Winter Wonderland by Darlene Love, Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives, and most of the classics by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams are all songs I'd prefer to listen to over most of the "best of" list here.
As for worst, I really don't like Grandma got run over by a reindeer or All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. I don't need to hear those anymore.
42dont like them at all!
43YES. OI TO THE WORLD so deserves to be there.
and what, there's no BuzzSugar Holiday Mix?
I did find a long list of Holiday mixes here...
44http://gyozamonsta.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/countdown-to-christmas-inaug...
Why in the world isn't the song "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" on the list of worst Christmas songs?!?!?!?!? I LOATHE THAT SONG!! I also hate "Last Christmas" by George Michael. UGH!
Really? Christmas in Hollis is #1?? So, don't agree. I'd have chosen Mariah's "All I Want For Christmas." And I'd also put Harry Connick Jr. on the list of best songs. Love his rendition of "Sleigh Ride"...so jazzy and upbeat!
45I absolutely love "Do They Know It's Christmas." I also like "Santa Baby" by Madonna . Two great songs.
46Are you seriously going to tell me that the best Christmas Song EVER is a Run DMC song!? I don't think so!
47'The Christmas Shoes' is the worst...song...ever. You MUST hear this parody called 'The Christmas Thong':
48http://thefump.com/fump.php?id=1120
I wish so much to thank you for such a wonderful and memorable collection you have here…I was looking on the net for this information. I have a good collection of christmas classical songs . Hope you will enjoy it as much as I do….
49I wish so much to thank you for such a wonderful and memorable collection you have here…I was looking on the net for this information. I have a good collection of christmas classical songs on christmas classical songs . Hope you will enjoy it as much as I do….
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