At no point are Jesus Christ, Santa Claus or Christmas mentioned. "Jingle Bells" is a winter song. How it got cast as a Christmas song (along with "Winter Wonderland," "Let it Snow" and even "Frosty the Snowman") is a mystery.
But there are great Christmas songs. Many of them. And because of public demand*, today I rank the 10 best. As you listen to a Christmas radio station while driving to work, you can now know whether you're listening to an elite Christmas song.
(* "Public demand" = me thinking of this while driving home from a Thanksgiving trip.)
All Christmas songs are eligible, from pop secular tunes to sacred hymns. The reasons vary, as you'll see.
Starting with No. 10:
10. All I Want for Christmas is You. Based on my musical tastes (it sounds like Motown!), this should be No. 1, but my dislike of Mariah Carey makes it impossible for me to fully enjoy this song. It is the most popular pop Christmas song ever, though, so it's on the list.
9. O Come All Ye Faithful. A joyous carol to belt out. "O come let us adore him . . ." is a great chorus that is easy to sing. (I've often wondered how the "joyful" and "triumphant" feel being left out of the title, though).
8. Sleigh Bells. A good song that became great when the Ronettes did their version with Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" behind them in the early 1960s. It gets ranked because of that version only.
7. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Maybe the only song on this list in a minor key (thinks to check, decides it's too hard), this haunting hymn is beautiful and lyrically rich.
6. The Christmas Song. Nat King Cole sings the definitive version, but any version is great. I don't know anyone who has roasted chestnuts on an open fire, but I also don't know anyone who dislikes this song.
5. Last Christmas. The peak of 1980s pop music, but charming. This was George Michael and Wham! at the top, which I loved. I'm pretty sure this is the most controversial choice on this list.
4. Silent Night. Baseball relief pitchers have walk-in music. Christmas church services have walk-out music: Silent Night. Everyone likes it.
3. Do They Know It's Christmas. More evidence that I watched a lot of MTV in the early to mid-1980s. This anthem is not only a really good song, it raised money for African famine relief–paving the way for "We Are The World," which was released four months later. It had Paul Young. George Michael. Boy George. Simon Le Bon. Bono. What else could you want?
2. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The most soulful song on the list, this is sentimental, sweet and sad. Whether it's the original by Judy Garland or one of the myriad remakes (my favorite is by The Pretenders), this always tugs at your heartstrings.
1. O Holy Night. The undisputed greatest Christmas song of all time – with elite lyrics ("Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new glorious morn") and a tune that gives great singers a chance to shine. When this song comes on – or when it's performed live – it is always worth your time.
Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@hotmail.com.
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