My 10 Favorite Rock/Pop Christmas Songs
I made the mistake of only including five Christmas movies in my list a few days ago. That didn’t really do my list of Christmas movies justice. I won’t make that mistake with my list of favorite rock and pop Christmas songs. So, in no particular order, here are my favorites.
Please Come Home For Christmas. When I say I like this song, it has to be The Eagles version. Aaron Neville’s version doesn’t cut the mustard.
The Christmas Song. This one has to the Nat King Cole’s version of the Velvet Fog’s, Mel Torme, greatest song. On a side note, Nat King Cole recorded this three times. The 1961 version is considered the standard.
Christmas Wrapping. Not the Spice Girls version. No, this one has to be the original by The Waitresses from the early 80′s. I was introduced to The Waitresses through the TV show Square Pegs. Who remembers that show?
Wonderful Christmastime. McCartney is my favorite Beatle. No surprise that his Christmas tune would show up on my favorite list.
The Little Drummer Boy. For this one, I mean the Bing Crosby and David Bowie version. It’s a little weird, but it works.
River. Sarah McLachlan sings a tenderly, sad version of this song that is a staple every year in my Christmas tunes.
Do They Know It’s Christmas? I was in high school when this song came out. In fact, I was junior in high school and this song was superior to We Are The World, which tried to mimic the Brits attempt at solving world hunger.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings. Barenaked Ladies and the aforementioned Sarah McLachlan do a wonderful fun version of this song.
Merry Christmas, Darling. No one can sing a melancholy Christmas song like Karen Carpenter.
Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home). U2. That is all that is needed for this song.
What Pop or Rock Christmas songs would you include that I have left off of this list?
All I want for Christmas by Mariah, tobymac’s this Christmas, and Run DMC’s Christmas in Hollis.
Rob, that is probably the only Mariah Carey song I know. I can’t say I know anything about Run DMC.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
I left that one off on purpose. It would be in my top 20.
Christmas At Denny’s by Randy Stonehill…
Kidding! That’s a dang sad song!
Favorite Christmas song? That’s hard, Larry…
Jars of Clay’s rendition of The Little Drummer Boy.
Haven’t heard Randy Stonehill’s name in a while.
Hard to pick one. Your list is pretty great; you can’t go wrong with U2 and that whole bare naked ladies Christmas album was pretty solid. There’s a song called “What We Call Christmas” by Bleach that I thoroughly enjoy.
By the way I realize I’m a year late here.
Love the U2 song and the Barenakrd Ladies Christmas album is solid throughout. I enjoy a song by the band Bleach called “What We Call Christmas.”
Does my reply fall into the better late than never category?
Here’s a link to my updated list … http://www.jonstolpe.com/2012/11/23/ice-breaker-top-5-christmas-songs/
I’ve always liked Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas.” No one sings The Christmas song like Nat King Cole. Michael Sweet (Stryper) sings O Holy Night (although it is a shortened version). And as you know, I really like Tommy James’ Christmas album. I may stand alone but I heard a really horrible version of Go Tell it on the Mountain by a Christmas group (don’t want to say their name). I wish sometimes they would just sing it the way it is supposed to be sung. Yeah, I know random.