Christmas Jukebox - my festive top 10


Tis the season to be jolly and there's no doubt that this year's festive joy has come as somewhat of a tonic for this most difficult of years. Amidst the festive songs are the songs about Christmas that are the best at making me dance, chuckle or just sing and so here are my favourite ten songs about Christmas in chronological order. Merry Christmas!!

1. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Frank Sinatra (1957)
For some reason the winter season always makes me want to listen to jazz and along with Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis, it's Frank who I go back to again and again and this hymn on his 1957 Christmas album hits the spot perfectly.

2. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes (1963)
It wouldn't be Christmas without some Ronettes and their festive take on Phil Spector's wall of sound. Genius.


3. Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys (1963)
Arguably one of the best originally penned Christmas songs, this minor Brian Wilson classic is for rock aficionados who don't want to listen to the usual Christmas cheer.


4. 7 O'clock News / Silent Night - Simon & Garfunkel (1966)
A perfect merging of traditional with contemporary, albeit with a recording of a news bulletin! Shows that behind their great pop songs and silky voices was daring  songwriting and ingenuity.


5. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
A live concert recording of The Boss and his E-Street Band at a Christmas show, hot off the heels of his Born To Run album and tour, this is Bruce at his peak covering a well known classic.

6. Last Christmas - Wham! (1984)
One of George Michael's most enduring songs - half a billion views on YouTube alone - shown by its countless re-releases and cover versions, even being covered by The Beatles (if you believe YouTube!!).


7. All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit - Half Man Half Biscuit (1986)
Undoubtedly my favourite alternative Christmas song, this relatively unknown song about receiving an obscure football kit and Scalextric before encountering inevitable difficulties setting it up, perfectly sum up parts of my Christmas' past.


8. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl (1987)
From alternative, to mainstream popular song, this classic took 2 years to write and many rewrites before it was released and it has since hit the UK Top 20 on 17 separate occasions such is it's timeless appeal. A perfect blend of folk and festive cheer, and one of the greatest duets in all of popular music.


9. Christmas At The Zoo - Flaming Lips (1995)
Whilst not intended to be a Christmas song, indie kids warmed to this Lips song, released a few years before they became a household name in indie/alternative circles. A song about animals rather than humans, it shows off the best of the Lips, namely delivering a heartfelt song sincerely without being overly sentimental (and mushy). Lovely.


10. Must Be Santa - Bob Dylan (2009)
Away from writing enduring songs, Dylan released this Christmas album for charity. Containing many traditional classics, my favourite is this song, the original of which was based on a German drinking song 'the Schnitzelbank' song. Hilarious.

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