Aren't We Tired Yet of the Same Christmas Songs Over and Over Yet?; Deb Has Top Debut (SNS week of 11/19/2023)

 THIS YEAR'S WINNER of the annual "Wrappie Award" goes to Becky Bose.   She was the first one to hear the song "Christmas Wrapping" either on the radio or in a public place, and as a result, Christopher Butler, who wrote the song and performed it originally with his band The Waitresses in 1981, will donate $500 in Becky's name to the Akron Library's Children's Department in Akron, Ohio.    Becky mentions that it was late in the day, but she heard it while in Menards.   

Now, to be honest, I'm surprise that anyone has heard the song at all these days.    Always among my favorite holiday songs, I haven't heard the song in several years, except for my Christmas playlist on my iPod.    In fact, there are several songs that are among my holiday favorites that I haven't heard in a while, like "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" by Bing Crosby and David Bowie, "Snoopy's Christmas" by The Royal Guardsman, Joni Mitchell's "River" or Dan Fogelberg's "Same Old Lang Syne", just to name a few.

I bring this up because, once again, and the lateness of this week's blog enables me to report on the Billboard Hot 100 for week ending December 2.     Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas is You", having debuted last week at #17, moves up to #4, the perennial holiday bridesmaid, Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is next at #8.  That, in turn is followed by Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" (#12), Wham!'s "Last Christmas" (#13), Burl Ives' "A Holly Jolly Christmas" (#16), Andy Williams' "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (#28), Dean Martin's'"Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" (#35), followed by re-entries by perennials Nat King Cole, and The Ronettes, and newer but well-played song like Kelly Clarkson's "Underneath the Tree" and "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande.  And, in roughly the same rank order as they've been the last several years.    In other words, no surprises.

I have more than 250 songs on my playlist for the holidays, yet it's these same songs that keep popping up.   Who is to blame?    I theorize that a good chunk of it is streaming.     You request an Alexa, for example, or even Spotify to play Christmas music, and it's these same songs that keep popping up.   Last Saturday, November 18, my wife, who is a crafter, took part in a holiday craft show in Andover, NJ.   Pipped in over the loudspeaker was, of course, holiday music, and most of it were the songs I mentioned, plus other repeats like the Jackson 5's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", which no doubt will re-enter the chart soon.  When we ask Alexa to play Christmas music, it's always these songs.

But what about even the other versions?   "Jingle Bell Rock" was also a hit by Daryl Hall and John Oates, but you never hear that one anymore.   I would think that since that duo is in the news (Hall is suing Oates, with a "restraining order" prohibiting Oates to sell his share of the duo's catalog), that the 1983 version should at least pick up some airplay.   Dean Martin's "Let It Snow" is played, but what about his "Baby It's Cold Outside"? or are people still snake-bitten from the controversy of a few years back?    Where's John Mellencamp's version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", Stevie Nick's take on "Silent Night" or Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"?   Or even Run-D.M.C.'s "Christmas in Hollis".   If we're still going to be hip-hop heavy these days, doesn't this deserve a few spins, or is it too much "old school rap".   

Having said all that, I do hope that this is the year that Brenda Lee sneaks ahead of Mariah, for even just one week this year.     Oh, and there's a great new version of "Rockin' Around..." that debuts this week.  More on that below.

SNS  100: While The Beatles fall off the Hot 100 after only two weeks, "Now and Then" is alive and well on my chart, gaining a second week at the top.  It's also #2 on Triple-A, behind U2's "Atomic City".  Starbuck, Everybody Loves An Outlaw, Charlotte Sessions and The Rolling Stones hold steady in the top five.  

Christina Cooper Black enters the top 10 with "I Miss You Babe".  She became the sixth "Carolina Queen" to hit the top ten on her own, following Deb Browning, Marlisa Kay Small, Lesa Hudson, Sylvia Johns Ritchie, and Rhonda McDaniel.    Entering the top 20 are Thee Sacred Souls (Impact Award), Blonde Redhead, and Winnetka Bowling League.

Last week's top debuts, both beach music songs, make impressive advances.  Marlisa Kay Small's "No Matter Where You Go" (70-37), and Gary Alexander's "There's Always Beach Music" (72-38, Mover of the Week), are moving up.  

Deb Browning hast week's Top Debut with her rendition of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree".   

DEBUTS:  Six new songs, including the first holiday entries enter the SNS 100 this week, plus a big holiday song from last year re-enters.   Just one week after her singing partner Marlisa Kay Small had Top Debut honors, Deb Browning garners the award with her version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree".   The song is from the newly crowned CBMA Female Vocalist of the Year's 2022 holiday album Here Comes Christmas, and is being released as a single, along with a re-issue of her "Here Comes Amazon", which hit #1 last year (only the third holiday song to do that on my blog chart, and which re-enters this week).     "Rockin'..." is a fresh take on the song with Deb's velvety voice as sweet as ever, adding a nice touch to the classic.    The song debuts at #67.

Next is Fitz and the Tantrums' "Give Love This Year" which is from the band's just released holiday EP, Perfect Holiday.    The band, still holding the blog record of twelve #1's, has its best song in years.   This is a mid-tempo heartfelt song, that, while not in the neo-soul mode of their first couple of albums, still is an emotional plea and lacks the repetitive bubblegum-like sound of their last few sets.   No autotune, just a great vocal by Michael Fitzpatrick.  I am a bit surprised that the band hasn't been too visible on the holiday specials this year like the Macy's Parade or the upcoming Rockefeller Center tree lighting given the new EP, especially since they performed on a couple of specials a few years back with "Santa Stole My Lady".

Last year, violinist Lindsay Sterling hit the blog top 30 with her rendition of "Joy to the World", and she returns this year with her version of "Sleigh Ride".  The instrumental version originally by Leroy Anderson (ANOTHER song you never hear anymore) is an all-time fave, and Ms. Sterling's version does it complete justice.    While of course I love the vocal versions, there's something about an instrumental of this, where you just close your eyes and imagine you're out there on the sleigh in the snow.   

Another new holiday song enters on the Tremors list.   Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz trade in their medieval helmet for a Santa hat with "A Glittering Christmas".   This is, of course, the Tim Izzard/ Gregory Dobbins project modeled after the golden era of Saturday Morning Cartoons.   And the title of the song is apropos given Izzard's neo-glam style.   As for the song, it's a sentimental song that has Izzard exercising his most palatable vocal yet.    The song deals with the fear that the good times of Christmas may have left, but realizing that the holiday isn't dead after all.   The second half the song is more uptempo and is one of rejoice and hope.  It's interspersed with some spoken words a la the still-rising "Arthurian Rhapsody". 

Among the other debuts is The Record Company's follow-up to the top 3 "Talk to Me" with "Roll With It".  The band switches gears and comes up with a rockabilly romp that couldn't be more different than the prior song.   Dua Lipa follows up her "Danec the Night" with "Houdini".   Another one that's different from her most recent charter; this is a pop/EDM moving gem that is scoring on the dance charts and is her best since her blog #1 "Love Again".  Finally, it's been a while since we heard from The Vaccines (ironic, since a name like that would have been perfect during the pandemic), but the band's first since 2018 is "Heartbreak Kid".   Definitely some power pop heaven.  The band has had a lot of blog success, and this should follow suit.    Emotional and rocking at the same time.

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

November 19, 2023

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: THE BEATLES "Now and Then" Album: 1967-1970 (2023 Edition) (2 Weeks at #1)	4
2	2	Starbuck - On the Sand▲	12
3	3	Everybody Loves An Outlaw - I See Red●	6
4	4	Charlotte Sessions - Should I Be The Man	11
5	5	The Rolling Stones - Angry	9
6	7	Cannons - Desire	11
7	9	Orbis Max - I Think It Was Over	6
8	10	Carolina Blue Dots - Under The Moonlight▲	7
9	12	Christina Cooper Black - I Miss You Babe	8
10	6	SZA - Snooze	18
11	8	Black Pumas - More Than A Love Song	11
12	13	Beabadoobee - The Way Things Go	9
13	15	Maneskin - Honey (Are U Coming?)	9
14	11	Deer Tick - Forgiving Ties●	12
15	30	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: THEE SACRED SOULS "Easier Said Than Done"● Album: Thee Sacred Souls	3
16	16	Doja Cat - Paint the Town Red	10
17	23	Winnetka Bowling League - Breakfast For Dinner	5
18	18	The Beaches - Blame Brett	9
19	22	Blonde Redhead - Snowman●	7
20	14	Fall Out Boy - We Didn't Start The Fire▲	13
21	17	Pepper - Get Me Ready	13
22	36	U2 - Atomic City	4
23	20	The Revivalists - Good Old Days	14
24	21	The National - Eucalyptus	12
25	25	Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer●	20
26	27	The Tonez - Caught Up	26
27	29	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Edisto	13
28	32	The Front Bottoms - Emotional	6
29	19	The Record Company - Talk To Me●	17
30	24	Phillip Phillips -- Dancing With Your Shadows	15
31	28	The Killers - Your Side of Town	8
32	46	Mitski - My Love Mine All Mine	4
33	39	Einsteins Dad - Rolling Indie	4
34	26	Momma - Bang Bang	11
35	40	Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz - Arthurian Rhapsody	6
36	55	Juliet Callahan - Beacon	3
37	70	Marlisa Kay Small - No Matter Where You Go	2
38	72	MOVER OF THE WEEK: GARY ALEXANDER "There's Always Beach Music" (Single Only)	2
39	35	Say She She - Astral Plane●	16
40	45	Iration ft. Maxi Priest - Last Night	4
41	54	Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot - Sitting In the Park	5
42	38	Olivia Rodrigo - Bad Idea Right?	7
43	49	The Holiday Band - Drowning In the Sea of Love	6
44	57	Sylvia Johns Ritchie and Mike Taylor - Goin' Down Swingin'	5
45	44	The Wheelgunners - Girls Alright	10
46	48	Deb Browning - Think I Found Forever▲	35
47	33	Iration - Daytrippin'●	21
48	47	The Joy Formidable - Cut Your Face	8
49	31	Michael McMeel with Marlisa Kay Small- I'll Be Around	14
50	34	Thee Sacred Souls - Running Away	16
51	37	Rivermist - Right Place Right Time	13
52	68	Sia - Gimme Love	3
53	52	Colony House - Cannonballers	7
54	80	Richard Swift - Would You	2
55	64	The High Frequencies - Eleven	4
56	41	Loverboy - Release	19
57	62	The Sand Band - I'll Come Running Back To You	9
58	66	Grouplove - Cheese	5
59	43	Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot ft. Bridger Warlick - Picture of You	16
60	51	Orbis Max with Lisa Mychols ft. Ed Ryan - R U OK	33
61	42	Cold War Kids - Run Away With Me	12
62	63	Marlisa Kay Small and Jerry Thomas West - Love Really Hurts Without You●	28
63	65	Grace Potter - Good Time	19
64	53	Jim Quick and Coastline - Eight Four Three●	15
65	67	Barns Courtney - Young In America	5
66	73	Gus Dapperton - Horizons	6
67	---	TOP DEBUT: DEB BROWNING "Rockin'  Around the Christmas Tree" Album: Here Comes Christmas	1
68	76	Jenny Lewis - Cherry Baby	3
69	58	Local Natives ft. Suki Waterhouse -NYE	10
70	50	Lainey Wilson - Watermelon Moonshine	17
71	---	Fitz and the Tantrums - Give Love This Year	1
72	82	Freecloud - Suit Still Fits	3
73	83	Blur - Barbaric	3
74	56	Daisy Jones and the Six - Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)	10
75	60	Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire	19
76	77	Blink-182 - One More Time	6
77	81	David Kushner - Daylight	3
78	59	James Hunter Six - Heartbreak	10
79	93	Varsity - Runaway	2
80	61	Wilco - Evicted	10
81	69	City and Colour - Underground	6
82	71	Lesa Hudson - Count On Me	23
83	79	Jerry Powell - One More Summer Night	29
84	86	David F. Porfirio - The Morning After	3
85	98	Jaime Wyatt - World Worth Keeping	2
86	---	The Record Company - Roll With It	1
87	78	Say She She - Reeling	25
88	---	Dua Lipa - Houdini	1
89	87	Royel Otis - Sofa King	5
90	96	Latewaves and Pollyanna - Call Me	2
91	REENTRY	Deb Browning - Here Comes Amazon	13
92	75	King Tappa - One Day	13
93	95	Orbis Max - Selling The Van	10
94	---	Lindsay Sterling - Sleigh Ride	1
95	74	Noah Kahan - Dial Drunk	11
96	84	Kesha - Only Love Can Save Us Now▲²	22
97	---	The Vaccines - Heartbreak Kid	1
98	92	Royal Blood - Pull Me Through	5
99	99	Chris Stapleton - White Horse	10
100	101	MGMT - Mother Nature	1

 

Tremors:

101. Morgan Wallen, "Thinkin' About Me"

102. Green Day, "The American Dream Is Killing Me"

103. Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz, "A Glittering Christmas"

104. lovelytheband, "Nice to Know You"

105. Train, "I Know"

106. Bon Jovi, "Christmas Isn't Christmas"

107. Cher, "DJ Play A Christmas Song"

108, The Maine, "Blame"

109. Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson, "Got It Right (The First Time"

Tremors: Songs which have steady or increasing points but not enough to chart on the SNS 100.

▲Song garnered most plays on Spotify, for the  month, with a superscript following the symbol if most played for multiple months ● Song among top 5 most plays on Spotify.  Awards given during the last blog of each month.  To qualify, the song must be currently or have peaked in the top 40.

  

Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.   

 

Holiday Songs

 

Songs on the SNS 100 are included on the following public Spotify playlists

 

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves Top 40:  Contains songs in positions 1-40 on the SNS 100

Scenes Up and Coming:  Songs below #40 that are moving up the chart.

Scenes Recurrents: Songs which have dropped below the top 40 but are still on the SNS 100