Come post your fave Christmas songs here!

For years, this was my fave.

My favorite version of this song. It made me cry just listening to it. It is so sad (to me).

The Vietnam War was going and I recall reading a story about Otis Redding thinking of U.S. soldiers overseas when he recorded it.

The image of him singing to them makes me cry. His delivery reinforces the imagery. Even if the story isn't true, it's much too late to change my perception of his recording of the song.

I have six versions of White Christmas (curiously all by Black artists) and this is the only one that makes me sad and makes me cry.

funkyslsistah said:

For years, this was my fave.

I love this whole album.

Instant Christmas classic that get lots of play every year.

The last great original Christmas song, IMO.

"This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway

"Silent Night" by the Temptations

"Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes

"It's Christmas Time" and "Soul Holidays" by Sounds of Blackness

"Sleigh Ride," "Jingle Bells" and the medley "We Three Kings of Orient Are/O Little Town of Bethlehem" by Ella Fitzgerald. The first two are a nice upbeat jazzy spin on Christmas classics. The latter is not upbeat at all, but beautiful.

"Oh! He is Christmas" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" by Take 6

"What a Wonderful World" by Ledisi

A very somber version of "Christmas Time is Here" by Diana Krall

"Skating" and "Christmas is Coming" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio (Peanuts/Charlie Brown Christmas Special music)

"White Christmas" by Stephanie Mills

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and "Happy Holidays/The Holiday Season" by Andy Williams. I'd think this would grate on my ears, but I love it. My mom and her mother were Andy Williams fans and it always brings back good memories. As for the former song I like Williams' version better than Johnny Mathis' version, which was also played non-stop in my house.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Frank Sinatra

"The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole.

There are others, but that's all for now.

I know it's sacreligious to say, but while I certainly like Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" and usually include it in Christmas mixes, I don't love it.

And, I finally purchased Mariah's first Christmas CD (arguably the "good" one) on the recommendation of a friend who absolutely loves it. Again, not bad, but I'm not very excited about it. Nothing made the cut for my Christmas iPod mix.

I actually, as you can tell, really like Christmas music. And, I like seeing what artists can do by either writing new christmas songs or interpreting standard/classic songs. I always think "I like this artist, great voice, good choice of Christmas songs, what could go wrong?" But, surprisingly, it's not as easy as it seems.

Also, I like by Christmas music to be "Christmas-y", which is a hard thing to pin down. You know it when you here it. I don't like it when you have just basic music (R&B or country, for example) with Christmas lyrics and references, without the music itself really having any holiday overtones.

Okay, that's probably way more than you wanted to know about my viewss on Christmas music.

Have a great day.

[Edited 12/8/11 10:07am]

[Edited 12/8/11 10:10am]