For me, it's been one of the traditions of the last ten years or so. And since I'm the person who loves to rank things, I got the idea about twenty years ago, to rank my favorite tunes during the holiday season. Of course, back then, all was well, before all the political correctness and turmoil started invading our society. But perhaps swimming against the tide might be worth it.
Below you will find the 2019 edition of my Top 100 Holiday Songs. But first, let me give you a background on how this came about.
From listening to Top 40 radio stations that would start playing Christmas tunes the first or second week of December, then hearing all holiday stuff on Christmas Eve and Day. and adding to that my parents love of standards by crooners of the day, and buying albums of such, I had really gotten a good cross section of music to hear around the holiday season. Add to that singing Christmas songs in vocal music class, and that's enough to get you into the holiday mood.
And while those standards of the 1940's and '50, plus the rock n roll ones from the late 50's and early 60's were what I listened to, I welcomed new songs that would come out. Soon to be classics like "Snoopy's Christmas", "Happy Xmas (War is Love)", "Step into Christmas" and more, they would just add to the legacy.
By the 1980's, I was rampant about listening to the new stuff to complement the old. When 1987's compilation of new takes on standards, A Very Special Christmas came out, I immediately bought the album. Through that decade and into the next, I would buy a lot of Christmas albums, both compilations and those by specific artists.
By 1999, I had an idea. As I had done with regular songs every year, I decided to rank all of my favorite Christmas (and Hanukkah....thanks Adam Sandler!) songs based on all the CD's I had. Many of them were novelty items from Bob Rivers, Dr. Demento, and the like, along with those I've listened to forever. I then recorded them, in order, on several cassette tapes, along with some taped family memories of Christmases growing up, and saving them. In addition, several friends wanted me to make them party tapes of much of the songs.
When I got a computer in 2001, I uploaded them all there, and using Windows Media Player, for my apartment parties, I would re-create my playlist and "count them down" during the duration of my parties.
Then came Facebook, and lo and behold, another idea!!!! In 2009, I published as a Facebook note, my finally updated list, which included several songs that came out in the 2000's. Social media enabled me to update it every year as new songs were released, as well as to track the rise and fall of older songs as my tastes can change from year to year.
In 2010 I took that one step further. I impromptu started posting my favorite songs counting down from #30 to #1, and it was a big hit. The following year, and for five years after that, I started at #100 just after Thanksgiving (or December 1), and made it all the way down to #1, which I would hit either Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. First, I would post a status whether my friends wanted me to repeat it every year; the answer was always "yes' and I had staunch supporters when I posted them. I would measure the number of "likes", and perhaps except for a stray negative comment or two, it was generally a thumbs up. The lesser-liked songs simply got less likes, but usually would pick up one. The popular ones would hit in double figures.
By 2017 I started getting weary of the process, and after struggling with the start of #100, around #87 or so, I quit; instead just focusing on the top twenty. Last year, I started with the top 30, while posting a few scattered songs that landed elsewhere on the Top 100.
This year, I decided to start at #40 and work my way down, with a break at the #20 mark to post a few between #41 and #100. However, things seemed a little weird. A few of my supporters were no longer following me (though still friends), but many others took their place, some of them more critical, but positive ones as well. People started getting more vocal in their responses, but on the other hand I got a record number of likes for certain songs, often numbering in the 20's.
 |
| Dan Fogelberg's 1980 song, "Same Old Lang Syne" led all posts with 33 likes. |
While the number of likes averaged around 7 or 8 per song, many were in double digits with one, Dan Fogelberg's "Same Old Lang Syne" getting a record 33 likes. Two others, Johnny Mathis' "Winter Wonderland"(20) and "Merry Christmas Darling" by the Carpenters (27), also exceeded the twenty mark, and the much-talked about "Baby It's Cold Outside" (Dean Martin) garnering 25 as well. The accolades seemed to be in favor of the era in which myself and my friend grew up....the 1960's and '70s.
On the other hand, friends seemed to shy away from the newer songs. Only receiving one like were "Underneath the Tree" (Kelly Clarkson) and "Cozy Little Christmas" (Katy Perry). While these two songs appear to be the new "standards" of the 2010's, much of my friends prefer the older stuff.
And then there were the negative comments.
Alt-music impresario Brian Sniatkowski was fine with what I had posted, until Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" (#21). "I was with you until that Paul McCartney song", he replied. Another music fan, John Piacentini, who got me into artists like Tame Impala, Alabama Shakes and Anna Calvi, wasn't a fan of Ray Coniff's "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (#20), especially since I prefaced my post that this was a straight-ahead song (as opposed to "novelty" versions of the song by artists such as Bob Rivers, Allan Sherman and Straight No Chaser). "You slay me with banality and boredom", he wryly exclaimed. He continued, "Reminds me of baby food". Ouch! Well, he did like "Little Saint Nick" by the Beach Boys, which I put at #45, and others I posted so he gets a pass...
Mariah Carey's ever-popular "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (#14), currently the number one song in the land according to Billboard, has always had its detractors (as well as fans). Among the negative comments: "it's just her voice that bothers me"; another exclaimed "you're not alone" in response to her. Another simply replied "ugh!" But, with 19 likes, it was among the most popular of my posts.
Then there's New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen's take on 1975's "Santa Claus is Coming To Down", in the ten position on my list. While many have no problems at all with his music, his vocal politics are a different story. While this comment from a friend may not be in response to political stances, his comment was "Ugh! I turn it off when it comes on, not to say he doesn't have a few good songs".
As for the classic version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" (#6), by Dean Martin? The song was temporarily banned last year for its lyrics in the wake of the #MeToo movement, such as "what's in this drink", before public opinion put it back on the airways. Nothing but love for the song, however: 25 likes (third most as of Christmas Eve morning) and nothing but positive comments. So you never know.
But once we got by the Springsteen song, there was nothing but love for the music in the top 9. Many loved the Bing Crosby/David Bowie song as their favorite. It actually tied for the top spot this year, but the tie breaker is most points from last year; thus The Waitresses' perennial number one, "Christmas Wrapping" takes the honors one more time. But will it change next year?
The most popular year? That would appear to be 1963 with 11 songs; most of them....7...from the iconic "A Christmas Gift For You" set released that year, but also songs from the likes of Bing Crosby, Andy Williams and the Beach Boys.
As for appearances on the list, Bing Crosby and Darlene Love tied for the most entries with four. Several others had two songs on the list: Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Kelly Clarkson, The Ronettes, Elvis Presley, The Pretenders, Vince Guaraldi Trio, Mannheim Steamroller and Sia. As for songs, "Sleigh Ride" appears four times, followed by "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Winter Wonderland" with three.
Here is my Top 100 Christmas/Holiday Songs, 2019.
I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Holidays!!
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves Holiday Top 100 -
2019 Edition
2019 Edition
This Year
|
Last Year
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Year
|
1
|
1
|
NUMBER ONE:
Album: A Christmas Record
(12 seasons at #1)
|
1981
|
2
|
2
|
1977
|
|
3
|
4
|
1942
|
|
4
|
5
|
1963
|
|
5
|
3
|
1967
|
|
6
|
13
|
1959
|
|
7
|
6
|
1960
|
|
8
|
7
|
1963
|
|
9
|
8
|
1950
|
|
10
|
10
|
1975
|
|
11
|
9
|
1987
|
|
12
|
11
|
1953
|
|
13
|
12
|
1973
|
|
14
|
26
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE SEASON:
Album: Merry Christmas
|
1994
|
15
|
14
|
1992
|
|
16
|
17
|
1971
|
|
17
|
23
|
2013
|
|
18
|
24
|
1996
|
|
19
|
15
|
1954
|
|
20
|
27
|
1962
|
|
21
|
22
|
1979
|
|
22
|
25
|
1970
|
|
23
|
28
|
1989
|
|
24
|
16
|
1970
|
|
25
|
20
|
1989
|
|
26
|
84
|
MOVER OF THE SEASON:
(Single Only)
|
2018
|
27
|
21
|
1980
|
|
28
|
32
|
1963
|
|
29
|
33
|
2013
|
|
30
|
88
|
2017
|
|
31
|
31
|
2004
|
|
32
|
30
|
1970
|
|
33
|
18
|
1992
|
|
34
|
34
|
1973
|
|
35
|
36
|
1963
|
|
36
|
40
|
1965
|
|
37
|
19
|
2004
|
|
38
|
29
|
1963
|
|
39
|
42
|
1963
|
|
40
|
54
|
1958
|
|
41
|
38
|
2013
|
|
42
|
49
|
1987
|
|
43
|
68
|
1984
|
|
44
|
41
|
1951
|
|
45
|
45
|
1963
|
|
46
|
39
|
1953
|
|
47
|
50
|
1983
|
|
48
|
55
|
1987
|
|
49
|
53
|
1987
|
|
50
|
56
|
1998
|
|
51
|
59
|
1957
|
|
52
|
37
|
1992
|
|
53
|
43
|
1984
|
|
54
|
47
|
1960
|
|
55
|
58
|
2015
|
|
56
|
35
|
1965
|
|
57
|
44
|
2004
|
|
58
|
46
|
1963
|
|
59
|
48
|
1993
|
|
60
|
51
|
1983
|
|
61
|
62
|
1984
|
|
62
|
71
|
1996
|
|
63
|
70
|
2008
|
|
64
|
52
|
1987
|
|
65
|
86
|
1984
|
|
66
|
64
|
1949
|
|
67
|
66
|
2012
|
|
68
|
67
|
1987
|
|
69
|
61
|
1957
|
|
70
|
60
|
1957
|
|
71
|
63
|
1963
|
|
72
|
95
|
2010
|
|
73
|
57
|
2006
|
|
74
|
65
|
1966
|
|
75
|
77
|
2011
|
|
76
|
73
|
1978
|
|
77
|
74
|
1963
|
|
78
|
108
|
TOP DEBUT:
Album: Takin' Care of Christmas
|
2003
|
79
|
75
|
1975
|
|
80
|
72
|
1963
|
|
81
|
101
|
1959
|
|
82
|
69
|
1977
|
|
83
|
78
|
1979
|
|
84
|
83
|
1957
|
|
85
|
79
|
1954
|
|
86
|
---
|
2018
|
|
87
|
91
|
2017
|
|
88
|
92
|
Vince
Guaraldi Trio - Skating
|
1965
|
89
|
85
|
1992
|
|
90
|
102
|
2013
|
|
91
|
76
|
1982
|
|
92
|
82
|
2012
|
|
93
|
89
|
1981
|
|
94
|
90
|
2000
|
|
95
|
80
|
2009
|
|
96
|
87
|
The
Ventures - Sleigh Ride
|
1965
|
97
|
122
|
2017
|
|
98
|
94
|
2012
|
|
99
|
93
|
1958
|
|
100
|
123
|
2017
|
Dropping out of the Top 100 this year: Tommy James "I Love Christmas"; Madonna "Santa Baby"; XTC "Thanks for Christmas"; Whirling Dervishes "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch"; Rob Thomas "New York Christmas".
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