So I’m sitting down to read an article on the reasons
Machiavelli wrote ‘The Prince’ despite earlier writing in support of a republic
and sods law, when I actually try to do my work the internet is down. For that
reason you lucky readers get a bonus blog entry from me, providing the internet
doesn’t return as I begin writing. Now normally I write entry’s to my blog
because I either have something to get off my chest, or I feel the need to
share my opinion a current issue. However because this entry is written purely
out of boredom it is simply going to be a filler post and what better topic
than Christmas Songs. Everyone has their personal favourites and any best
Christmas song list is going to have peoples favourites missing but
nevertheless I am going to share my top 10.
10 – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy
Williams
An epic introduction as if a show was about to begin
followed by the line ‘It’s the most wonderful of the year.’ And how true it is,
the lyrics are a description of events the singer has experienced or observed
at Christmas and just hearing the events associated with Christmas sang helps
to get me in the mood for Christmas. The
song is quite hold but I heard it for the first time while watching Home Alone
2: Lost in New York and me having watched that film fondly as a child may be
one of the reasons I value this song so highly.
9 – War is Over – John Lennon
Those of you who know me well will know I’m not a fan of the Beatles but do like some of Lennons solo work. I have always been fond of this song and I own it on Rock Band 3 despite it not really being a proper Christmas song. It in essence a protest song at people spending vast sums of money and selflessly not spending a moment to think of others and Lennon uses the merry Christmas line ironically. It is however part of the seasonal line-up and one of my favourite songs musical from the period.
8 - Santa Baby – Kylie Minogue
This will not be the only time I select a cover over an extremely popular original but Kylie does this better and she deserves the credit. The song is supposed to be sexy, she’s supposed to be seducing Santa and Kyle’s version is far sexier than Eartha Kitt’s. Just listen to both versions of the song and think about who you would rather wake up next to on Christmas Day. The song itself is simple but it is the simple beat that gets you to want to bob your head from side to side. While I like the song I also think it symbolises just how materialistic society as become but I’m not going to be a humbug and bore you with details of that – not today anyway!
7 – Don’t Let the Bells End – The Darkness
Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean we can’t still listen to rock and The Darkness managed to get the balance right between their style and giving it a Christmas feel. When this came out I quite liked The Darkness and still love this song, I can’t really justify a reason for it being special or iconic enough to beat the countless other Christmas songs, but this is my blog and I deem it worthy of the top10 simply on being a fantastic song.
6 – Proper Crimbo – Bo ‘Selecta
Fast paced, catchy, witty lyrics and an interesting and unique video. One that came out towards the end of childhood but it was popular amongst us kids, perhaps because it contained words like ‘wee’ and our parents hated the song. For some reason it is a song that has stuck with me, I no longer find the lyrics funny but still find the tune catchy and is always one of the first I play on December 1.
5 – O Little Town of Bethlehem – Google Knows
Into the top 5 and I’m going to kick it off with a hymn. I know many of you reading this will be atheist but surely you can still appreciate the beautiful music. I always used to enjoy singing Christmas hymns at primary school as it meant that Christmas was coming, they were different from the ones we had been singing all year and I really liked the music. I used to enjoy singing them so much as a child I intend to go the university carol service and perhaps the midnight mass at my home church if I can drag my mother along.
4 – Do They Know it’s Christmas – Band Aid 20
A somewhat controversial decision not to choose the original but in my opinion pop music was dreadful in the 80s and I genuinely prefer both the artists and versions of the new version. One of the reason this song should appear high on any Christmas song is that it was for charity and we should always applaud people both giving their time up to record the song and those who at a financially difficult time giving £3 to a good cause by buying the song. Anyone who has ever pirated the song ought to hold their head in shame and have a good think about the Christmas spirit. Back to the song its self it has a catchy chorus, a decent guitar solo and a rap from Dizzie Rascal, what’s not to like about it.
3 – Fairy Tale of New York – The Pogues and Kirsty McColl
Probably most people’s favourite Christmas song, winner of numerous Christmas related awards and earns an excellent third place on my list. It is undoubtedly a fantastic song and works well as a piece of music and is now one of my personal favourites but its only in recent years I have come to appreciate it. My only problem with it and what has stopped it from attaining a top two position is its negative lyrics. Normally I don’t have a problem with artists writing about depressing events but at Christmas I like my music to be celebrating family time and optimistically looking towards the new year and fresh start.
2 – I Wish it Could Be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard
My personal favourite as a child and perhaps the reason it has stayed so special to me. As a child I always used to sing along literally meaning that I wished it could be Christmas every day, without realising how it would make Christmas less special, there wouldn’t be presents every day and I’d still have to go to school. But although I now understand it can’t be Christmas every day we can still aspire to create a society where there is a strong community spirit, families are close and most people are happy 365 Days of the year. It is also an immensely catchy song and its simple lyrics make it a great sing-a-long during December.
1 – Merry Christmas Everybody – Slade
My favourite Christmas song of all time, that just tipped Wizard to number 1 in one of the most competitive Christmas number one battles of all time. But like I said this is my favourites and therefore I shouldn’t be using chart success as a criteria for judging what in my opinion is the greatest Christmas song. It’s in many ways similar to a lot of Slades work with the simple guitar rifts with simple lyrics over the top and yet it works so well as a Christmas song and I think one of the reasons it is so popular is because of its descriptions of things we all do or believed in when we were younger. Ok I have yet to walk in on my mother kissing Santa Clause but we’ve all experienced things such as; the moaning grandparent who brightens up after a few sherries, the excitement of hanging our stocking ups, the childhood excitement of talking about Santa, waiting for the family to arrive and the fond memorys in the overcrowded rooms, for this reason I think on hearing the song it makes the memories of previous Christmas’s come flooding back. There is also the famous scream for lead singer Noddy that has become as part of Christmas as the Coca-Cola advert, Santa and trees.
And don't worry Chris Monarch Part II is coming
Ryan Kelly
This will not be the only time I select a cover over an extremely popular original but Kylie does this better and she deserves the credit. The song is supposed to be sexy, she’s supposed to be seducing Santa and Kyle’s version is far sexier than Eartha Kitt’s. Just listen to both versions of the song and think about who you would rather wake up next to on Christmas Day. The song itself is simple but it is the simple beat that gets you to want to bob your head from side to side. While I like the song I also think it symbolises just how materialistic society as become but I’m not going to be a humbug and bore you with details of that – not today anyway!
7 – Don’t Let the Bells End – The Darkness
Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean we can’t still listen to rock and The Darkness managed to get the balance right between their style and giving it a Christmas feel. When this came out I quite liked The Darkness and still love this song, I can’t really justify a reason for it being special or iconic enough to beat the countless other Christmas songs, but this is my blog and I deem it worthy of the top10 simply on being a fantastic song.
6 – Proper Crimbo – Bo ‘Selecta
Fast paced, catchy, witty lyrics and an interesting and unique video. One that came out towards the end of childhood but it was popular amongst us kids, perhaps because it contained words like ‘wee’ and our parents hated the song. For some reason it is a song that has stuck with me, I no longer find the lyrics funny but still find the tune catchy and is always one of the first I play on December 1.
5 – O Little Town of Bethlehem – Google Knows
Into the top 5 and I’m going to kick it off with a hymn. I know many of you reading this will be atheist but surely you can still appreciate the beautiful music. I always used to enjoy singing Christmas hymns at primary school as it meant that Christmas was coming, they were different from the ones we had been singing all year and I really liked the music. I used to enjoy singing them so much as a child I intend to go the university carol service and perhaps the midnight mass at my home church if I can drag my mother along.
4 – Do They Know it’s Christmas – Band Aid 20
A somewhat controversial decision not to choose the original but in my opinion pop music was dreadful in the 80s and I genuinely prefer both the artists and versions of the new version. One of the reason this song should appear high on any Christmas song is that it was for charity and we should always applaud people both giving their time up to record the song and those who at a financially difficult time giving £3 to a good cause by buying the song. Anyone who has ever pirated the song ought to hold their head in shame and have a good think about the Christmas spirit. Back to the song its self it has a catchy chorus, a decent guitar solo and a rap from Dizzie Rascal, what’s not to like about it.
3 – Fairy Tale of New York – The Pogues and Kirsty McColl
Probably most people’s favourite Christmas song, winner of numerous Christmas related awards and earns an excellent third place on my list. It is undoubtedly a fantastic song and works well as a piece of music and is now one of my personal favourites but its only in recent years I have come to appreciate it. My only problem with it and what has stopped it from attaining a top two position is its negative lyrics. Normally I don’t have a problem with artists writing about depressing events but at Christmas I like my music to be celebrating family time and optimistically looking towards the new year and fresh start.
2 – I Wish it Could Be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard
My personal favourite as a child and perhaps the reason it has stayed so special to me. As a child I always used to sing along literally meaning that I wished it could be Christmas every day, without realising how it would make Christmas less special, there wouldn’t be presents every day and I’d still have to go to school. But although I now understand it can’t be Christmas every day we can still aspire to create a society where there is a strong community spirit, families are close and most people are happy 365 Days of the year. It is also an immensely catchy song and its simple lyrics make it a great sing-a-long during December.
1 – Merry Christmas Everybody – Slade
My favourite Christmas song of all time, that just tipped Wizard to number 1 in one of the most competitive Christmas number one battles of all time. But like I said this is my favourites and therefore I shouldn’t be using chart success as a criteria for judging what in my opinion is the greatest Christmas song. It’s in many ways similar to a lot of Slades work with the simple guitar rifts with simple lyrics over the top and yet it works so well as a Christmas song and I think one of the reasons it is so popular is because of its descriptions of things we all do or believed in when we were younger. Ok I have yet to walk in on my mother kissing Santa Clause but we’ve all experienced things such as; the moaning grandparent who brightens up after a few sherries, the excitement of hanging our stocking ups, the childhood excitement of talking about Santa, waiting for the family to arrive and the fond memorys in the overcrowded rooms, for this reason I think on hearing the song it makes the memories of previous Christmas’s come flooding back. There is also the famous scream for lead singer Noddy that has become as part of Christmas as the Coca-Cola advert, Santa and trees.
And don't worry Chris Monarch Part II is coming
Ryan Kelly
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