the best way to spread christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear

I listen to Christmas music all year long.  I had this friend in college, Tim, and the two of us would discuss the awesomeness of Christmas music outside Linthicum Hall in the middle of May.  We both really love Christmas music.  As soon as Thanksgiving is over, I turn the radio dial to the Light FM station because you know they start the 'all Christmas all the time' program as soon as they can.  I cook to Christmas music, I wake up to holiday songs, I fall asleep humming carols, and clean with Nat King Cole running through my brain.  Like my favorite holiday movies, my favorite Christmas songs are hard to narrow down into a top ten.  But for my dear readers, I'll try.  So in no particular order, here is a list of my favorite songs for the season -

Vince Guaraldi Trio's "Christmas Time Is Here" for the Charlie Brown special is so lovely and sweet.  It just captures the simplicity and kindness that should prevail around the holidays.  And who doesn't love Charlie Brown?

A favorite of both me and my kid sister was always Band Aid's "Feed the World."  We liked to watch the video and see how many of the celebrities we could recognize (which wasn't many because we were just kids and a lot of them were British.)  Our favorite line was always "and there won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime" because it wasn't true and it made us laugh.  Need proof that it isn't true?  Here's a picture of Mount Kilamanjaro and it's snow peak... and an elephant.

I love the Pogues and I love New York at Christmastime so it only makes sense that I would love "Fairytale of New York."  So you can imagine my near heartbreak when I read this article at Bowery Boogie about the video almost never happening.  But it makes sense because they are the Pogues and they are drunks. 

A true holiday classic combines the old and the young with David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing a duet of Little Drummer Boy and Peace on Earth.  David Bowie might just be my favorite ever so it's kind of a given that I would totally love this one.  But I also love that Will Ferrell and John C Reilly do a very tasteful parody of the video.  It's good to laugh this time of year... no one really wants a belly that jiggles like a bowl full of jelly; laughing is good exercise.  But the original is great, too!

Stevie Wonder sings "This Christmas" like nobody else.  In fact, he sings anything like nobody else because he's awesome.  And he was on The Cosby Show that one time (jammin on the one.)  But I found this picture of him singing with the Biebs and decided that it would be acceptable to include another duet on my list, but only as a Christmas gift to Lizzie B.  She creepily has Bieber Fever.

Anything by the Kinks is always rockingly awesome.  So it makes perfect sense that they would come up with an amazing Christmas song and in it, demand that Santa give them money.  I love the Kinks.  I want a time machine so I can travel back in time and go to a Kinks concert.  Think you can manage that Santa?

How about the delightfully indie track "Just Like Christmas" from Low?  I love this one because it's not just a Christmas song... and it was on The OC.  Oh, Chrismukkah!

No list is complete without a little holiday message from those shaggy haired Ramones.  "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)" is so good at capturing the spirit of the season and the spirit of rock and roll.  Well done, boys.  Bang your head to this one for sure!

Duh, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" is always way up on the list.  How about we all join Sarah O of desirous of everything and learn the choreography for this amazing video?  It's not a holiday party until you bust out the choreographed dance moves!

Probably my ultimate fave holiday song ever in the history of the world is Wham!'s "Last Christmas."  It was especially poignant for me when I sang it at karaoke this year, though I tend to sing it at karaoke every year... I really gave it my all on the stage at Trash Bar.  I'm not sure if this is while singing a la George Michael or another song (I probably got in about four songs that night,) but here's me in my holiday flare with Julie singing about lost loves at Christmastime -

I've got about a million more holiday songs that I love and listen to on repeat, these are just the ones that are coming into my head right now.  But if you want a complete list of my favorite carols and Christmas jams, let me know.  I'd be happy to send it along.  Or better yet, I'll mail you a copy of my collection - way better than any TimeLife cd combo pack you might get that boasts to have all the hits of the holidays.  No way, mine is way better!