Blog Archives
24 days of Christmas Music
Last year I did 24 posts, leading up to Christmas, on Christmas music.*
Here are the links for you to peruse.**
#24 Christmas songs that aren’t really about Christmas.
#22 Broadway Christmas… *jazz hands*…oh, shut up.
#20 Christmas songs that make us laugh.
#17 Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
#15 Pine Needles and Pretty Pretty Lights
#14 Songs about something I have to drive 2 hours to see…Snow.
#13 Christmas songs that I feel are vaguely creepy
#5 – #9 and #8 of my absolute favorite Christmas songs (in no particular order)
#4 – #7 and #6 of my absolute favorite Christmas songs.
#3 – #5 and #4 of my absolute favorite Christmas songs.
*This is a purely subjective list, Conservative New Ager.
**Let me know if any links aren’t working!
#1! My favorite Christmas song.
Though #2 and #3 of this list are fairly close, both because I like the songs and because I like the musicians who sing the particular versions I shared with you.
However this #1 song on this list is one that I think encapsulates a lot of the true spirit of Christmas. It also never fails to make me cry when listening to it, which I personally think is the mark of a good song or story…and this song is both.
#1. Old City Bar – Trans Siberian Orchestra
Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope your Christmas Eve will be wonderful and you will get along with your family, have wonderful gifts, your Christmas tree will be beautiful (and not a fire hazard) and that your Christmas dinner tomorrow will be wonderful.
#2 – #3 and #2 of my absolute favorite Christmas songs.
#3. What Child Is This?
Jennifer Knapp just made this version available free download on her website. It’s a brand new version, just recently recorded.
#2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
#3 – #5 and #4 of my absolute favorite Christmas songs.
#5. We Need A Little Christmas
I may have some issues with Glee, but I do like their version of this song as well.
#4. Christmas Nights In Blue
#4 – #7 and #6 of my absolute favorite Christmas songs.
#7. An Angel Came Down & An Angel Returned
#6. Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel
#5 – #9 and #8 of my absolute favorite Christmas songs (in no particular order)
Okay, that’s a lie. The post on Christmas Eve will contain my number one favorite Christmas song, here-to-fore unmentioned in these blogs. I’ve kept it a carefully guarded secret! *maniacal laugh* *maniacal laugh*…sorry, if you haven’t seen the new Muppets movie that joke will make no sense whatsoever.
Hey look! I’m exhausted while writing this. Won’t this be fun?
#9. Carol of the Bells
#8. Angels We Have Heard On High
While I love several of the modern interpretations of this song, nothing beats, in my opinion, a really good choir singing the song. It was made for multiple singers.
#6 Hollywood Christmas
Christmas movies, love them or hate them, are a ubiquitous part of the Christmas Holidays. (btw, I have to thank The Conservative New Ager for helping me choose this theme, as I just got back from an exhausting ice skating adventure with one of my friends. Go to his blog and check out his series on the top 24 Christmas movies. )
Here are a few songs that have appeared in Christmas films over the years.
#1. Have A Holly Jolly Christmas
#2. White Christmas (White Christmas)
#3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Meet Me in St. Louis)
#4. Bells of St. Mary’s (Bells of St. Mary’s)
#5. Auld Lang Syne (It’s A Wonderful Life)
#6. One More Sleep ‘Til Christmas (A Muppet Christmas Carol)
#7. What’s This? (The Nightmare Before Christmas)
Shut up. This is totally a Christmas movie.
#7 Bright Eyes Christmas
Bright Eyes is a band that is very much an acquired taste, one which I have been acquiring since I was 14. Conor Oberst’s voice (and, alleged, drug habit) have cleared up over the years, but this Christmas Album came from several years ago and his voice is still a little rough. However, they singers and the band clearly had fun recording this album and that’s makes it all sorts of fun.
#1. Away In A Manger
#2. Blue Christmas
#3. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
#4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
#5. The First Noel
#6. Little Drummer Boy
#7. White Christmas
#8. Silent Night
#9. Silver Bells
#10. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
#11. The Night Before Christmas
#8 Religious Christmas Songs
I’m not Christian, but there are definitely some beautiful religious Christmas songs out there that I really love to listen to at this time of year.
#1. O Holy Night
#2. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
#3. Got Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
#4. The First Noel
#5. Silent Night
and in German, the language it was composed in and that I have also sang it in.
#6. Angels We Have Heard On High
#7. Come All Ye Faithful
#8. What Child Is This
You know, I used to know how to play this song on the Psaltry…
#9. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
And these last two are precisely Christmas, but they are religious and related to Christmas and I do love them both.
#10. Mary Did You Know
#11. Sing Mary Sing – Jennifer Knapp
A song by one of my favorite musicians, top ten for sure.
#9 Christmas Romance
Christmas is all about love for your fellow man, your family, and your significant others.
Did you know that in Japan, Christmas is second only to Valentine’s day as a major romantic holiday? Yeah, a bit strange compared to American Christmas traditions, but even in America we attach a lot of romance to this holiday. How many Christmas movies contain an element of romance? I don’t know, but I’m sure The Conservative New Ager could give you an idea with his list of the top #24 Christmas movies.
Here’s a few songs that connect love and Christmas.
#1. All I Want For Christmas Is You
#2. Last Christmas
#3. Blue Christmas
#4. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
