Five Best & Worst

I love Christmastime and almost everything that goes along with it. . .the remembrance, the worship, family, excellent dinners, parties. But probably the one thing that sticks with me throughout the whole month, day in and day out, is the music. And since the local radio station that switches to Christmas only music at this time decided that November 17 was not too early to start, right about now is when I start to get sick of the songs I normally love.

I've compiled list of some of the best and worst songs of the season. The list doesn't necessarily reflect my favorite songs, but rather the renditions of the songs that I love/hate to hear on the radio.

The BEST:

5. It Must've Been Ol' Santa Claus- Harry Connick, Jr., 1993 This isn't your traditional Christmas carol, but I can't sit still when I hear it come on in the car. It's a fun, rousing tune with a catchy rhythm- Happy "Ho!Ho!Ho!" to You

4. Last Christmas- Wham!, 1984 This song is really cheesy and dated, but it reminds of junior high, Battlefield Mall, and sending Santagrams to my friends at Cherokee.

3. All I Want for Christmas is You- Mariah Carey, 1994 Another one of those guilty pleasures. It's addicting and catchy, and I doubt anyone else could sing it like she does.

2. Do They Know It's Christmas?-Band Aid,1984 This song falls into the 'it's so bad, it's good' category. The African famine relief anthem sung by British performers inspired American musicians to follow with "We Are the World" a couple months later. If you listen to the lyrics, they'll depress and shame you, but it embodies the 80's sound so well, I turn up the dial a little when I hear it come on.

1. O Holy Night-Celine Dion, or Josh Groban I always loved this song, so far no artist has ruined it for me. Although it tends to be oversung like the Star Spangled Banner can be, when you have the pipes like Celine or Josh, it sends chills down my spine when they hit that last high note.


The WORST:

5. Sleigh Ride- Debbie Gibson, 1992 It's not so much Debbie, I mean Deborah, that bugs me. It's the annoying backup singers chirping-Sleighride! Sleighride! that drive me batty.

4. Santa Claus is Coming to Town- Bruce Springsteen, 1975 I don't know how this rendition is still getting airtime thirty years later. He sounds out of tune and he can't even finish the never-ending repetitions at the end without laughing. I think Bruce even knew how bad he sounded.

3. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas- Gayla Peevey, 1953 This song was maybe cute the first time I heard it, now it's grating on my ears. That voice is so deep and throaty I thought it was an adult made to sound like a kid, but I just read that it was a ten year old girl that recorded it, which might make it even wierder.

2. Santa Baby- Eartha Kitt, 1953 In conjunction with the above song, 1953 was not a good year for Christmas singles. This song is just creepy to me. Something about a grown woman singing in a baby voice trying to seduce Santa is just wrong on several levels.

1. Feliz Navidad- Jose Feliciano, 1970 The Spanish-speaking population really need another song to hit mainstream airplay. I can not listen to this song the whole way through. As soon as I hear it play, I switch to something else but you can bet I will be singing that little ditty for the rest of the day. And now that you've read my list, so will you.

What's your best/worst song of the season?