My picks for 25 top worst Christmas songs ever – so far

 

Christmas tunes may delight us … or cause us to cringe.

 Each December, the radio airwaves fill with festive holiday fare, as deejays load up playlists with Christmas carols and covers by artists from the past and present. Many stations forgo on-air advertising for long stretches, simply to allow uninterrupted holiday music to play for party hosts, motorists and other music fans.

 

Holiday music gains momentum, as Christmas approaches.

 After Thanksgiving, most of us fill our iPods, MP3 players or other personal music devices with winter holiday songs, getting us into the mood for merriment.

 What are your favorite Christmas songs? Do you love sacred holiday hymns, rollicking pop party songs, folksy versions or another genre altogether?

 NOTE: Written by this author, this copyrighted material originally appeared on another publisher’s site. That site no longer exists. This author holds all rights to this content. No republication is allowed without permission.

 

But some Christmas songs make us cringe.

 Amid all the Christmas spirit, a few harmonic heartbreaks and melodic mishaps seem to creep through every year.

 Just for grins (or groans), I drew up a list of my top 25 least favorite seasonal selections to date, including long-time Christmas classics and current chart toppers for the holiday season. Just to be fair, I’m listing these top dogs alphabetically (by song title) and including the names of the artists whose versions I like the least (if not the original performers).

 

Here are my top 25 worst Christmas song choices.

1. “And So This Is Christmas (War is Over)” – John Lennon & Yoko Ono
2. “Christmas All Over Again” – Tom Petty
3. “Christmas Conga” – Cyndi Lauper
4. “Christmas Through Your Eyes” – Gloria Estefan
5. “Christmas Time Is Here” – Vince Guaraldi
6. “Christmas, Don’t Be Late” – The Chipmunks
7. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – Band Aid
8. “Dominick, The Christmas Donkey” – Lou Monte
9. “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” – Elmo & Patsy
10. “Howdy Doody Christmas” – The Fontana Sisters
11. “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” – Gayla Peevey
12. “It Must Have Been Old Santa Claus” – Harry Connick, Jr.
13. “Jingle Bells” – Barking Dogs
14. “Jolly Old St. Nicholas” – Maurice Chevalier
15. “Last Christmas” – George Michael/Wham!
16. “Little Saint Nick” – The Beach Boys
17. “Merry Christmas, Baby” – Bonnie Raitt & Charles Brown
18. “Please, Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas)” – John Denver
19. “Run, Run, Rudolph” – Chuck Berry
20. “Santa Baby” – Madonna
21. “Snoopy’s Christmas” – The Royal Guardsmen
22. “Step into Christmas” – Elton John
23. “Suzy Snowflake” – Rosemary Clooney
24. “The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot” – Nat King Cole
25. “Wonderful Christmastime” – Paul McCartney

 

For most of the year, I actually enjoy songs by many of these artists. I’ve been a dyed-in-the-wool Beatles fan since before I could read words or musical notes. I’ve attended concerts by the Beach Boys, Elton John and others. Occasionally, I find myself in the mood for a little Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, Bonnie Raitt, or even Harry Connick, Jr.

 Still, these holiday selections are horrendous, I think. And every year, new nightmares will likely be added.

 Which perennial plays drive you up the wall, or perhaps the Christmas tree? What seasonal songs make you groan like Dr. Seuss’ Grinch? Which worst holiday tracks did I miss?

 Don’t be shy. Holiday party hosts need to know.

 

Related Items:

• 10 top Bible verses for Christmas cards and greetings
• 20 Holiday Music Video Favorites: Merry Christmas Carol Countdown
• Christmas party game: Holiday word scramble
• Favorite Christmas Song/s Ever
• What does your Santa look like?

 

Image/s: adapted from public domain artwork

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Ellen's Heads Up iPhone game app is a crowd-pleaser

We just played this ridiculously funny game after a pre-Christmas dinner gathering with a family group. We laughed ourselves silly.

What’s the game?

The Ellen Show watchers are likely familiar with Heads Up. It’s an application download for iPhones, which Ellen DeGeneres seems to enjoy playing on her TV talk show. 

Take a look.

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There’s even a Heads Up Facebook page, which currently boasts more than 45,000 “likes.”

The game is really simple. The Head's Up Party Game is sort of like a combination between Password and Catch Phrase, with a bit of 21^st Century technology tossed into the mix.

Someone is the guesser. That person holds an iPhone to his or her forehead, so everyone else can see the screen, but he or she cannot.

In timed play, the Heads Up guesser tries to figure out what the mystery word or phrase is, while everyone else acts it out or offers clues. They’re not allowed to use the actual word in any form.

Here’s a new twist. While folks are cuing the guesser with clues, they are being videotaped. That means their Heads Up antics may be saved for playback or online posting.

Uh-oh.

Yep. Heads Up is silly, but it can be fun in the right company.

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Disclaimer: I am neither employed nor affiliated in any way with the product/s mentioned herein or anyone associated with it. I received no remuneration or compensation from the manufacturer/s for this post.

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Image/s:

Heads Up promo image - fair use

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Do You Hear What I Hear? Merry Christmas Carol Countdown

Music lovers lost a bright star with the tragic and sudden passing of Whitney Houston, just before Valentine’s Day of 2012. 

In tribute, here’s the late daunting diva’s cover of a perennial Christmas classic.

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“Do You Hear What I Hear” was penned in 1962, with lyrics by Noel Regney and music by Gloria Shayne.

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Image/s:

Whitney Houston

Photo by PH2 Mark Kettenhofen

US Government Photo 

Public Domain

Public Domain Art

Merry Christmas Carol Countdown

Art by Nickers and Ink Creative Communications

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Do They Know It's Christmas - Merry Christmas Carol Countdown

Christmas is about generosity and giving, of course, and sometimes stars set a shining example.

In 1984, Bob Geldof of The Boomtown Rats wrote the lyrics to “Do They Know It's Christmas” after viewing a BBC special about Ethiopian famine. Midge Ure of Ultravox set Geldof’s words to music. Soon, they assembled a rock-star celebrity choir to perform the single, with proceeds directed at relieving hunger in Africa.

The song, often called “Feed the World” (for its chorus), became an overnight hit. Now, 30 years later, “Do They Know It’s Christmas” is still a popular part of rock music fans’ holiday playlists.

Do They Know It's Christmas? (Glee Cast Version)

See how many popular musicians (from Bananarama and a former Beatle to Spandau Ballet and U2) you can pick out in the video by the assemblage, tagged as Band Aid:

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Did you spot Adam Clayton, Andy Taylor, Bob Geldof, Bono, Boy George, Bruce Watson, Chris Cross, David Bowie, Dennis J.T. Thomas, Francis Rossi, Gary Kemp, George Michael, Glenn Gregory, Holly Johnson, Jody Watley, James (J.T.) Taylor, John Keeble, John Taylor, Johnny Fingers, Jon Moss, Keren Woodward, Mark Brzezicki, Martin Kemp, Martyn Ware, Midge Ure, Nick Rhodes, Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, Paul Young, Pete Briquette, Peter (Marilyn) Robinson, Phil Collins, Robert (Kool) Bell, Rick Parfitt, Roger Taylor, Sarah Dallin, Simon Crowe, Simon Le Bon, Siobhan Fahey, Steve Norman, Sting, Stuart Adamson, Tony Butler, and Tony Hadley?

“Do They Know It’s Christmas” raised some $14 million for African hunger relief.

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so you won’t miss a single

Merry Christmas Carol Countdown post.

Image/s:

Do They Know It's Christmas

1984 Cover Art

Fair Use

Public Domain Art

Merry Christmas Carol Countdown

Art by Nickers and Ink Creative Communications

Do They Know Its Christmas

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