Holiday music is the only genre with the distinction of being able to successfully recycle the same songs over and over by different artists. The overwhelming themes of love and loneliness make the music easy for everyone to identify with. Nothing gets people more in the mood for snow and shopping than classic tunes such as \White Christmas"" or ""Silver Bells."" Another reason holiday music is so successful is its ability to cross genres, allowing for classic songs to appeal to different listeners. From Bing Crosby's ""Mele Kalikimaka"" to Alvin and the Chipmunks' ""Christmas Don't be Late,"" Christmas music finds its niche in mass appeal and adaptability. Here are a variety of songs to consider for your next holiday music mix CD.
""Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer""
Considering that it pokes fun at a very formal holiday and goes further by bad-mouthing grandmas, ""Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"" somehow manages to be a fitting holiday song.
It is macabre to think of somebody's deceased grandmother, and even tragic to see that her death happened around Christmas, but to think that Santa Claus' bad driving was involved is, well, just plain hilarious. Thankfully, Elmo & Patsy does not stumble along with overblown metaphors like ""Weird Al"" Yankovic's ""Christmas At Ground Zero,"" but instead keeps the humor confined to the home and the characters.
Where fruitcake and pudding are essential foods of the holiday, grandma and Santa Claus are essential characters. This song mocks them both. Apparently Santa ""Drives a sleigh and plays with elves,"" while grandma is found with ""Incriminatin' Claus marks on her back."" The best punchline is at the dinner table, featuring ""A blue and silver candle / That would just have matched the hair in Grandma's wig.""
Like many Christmas classics, this song can claim a number of performers, but it belongs to Elmo & Patsy, who is really just Elmo Shropshire. He made up the character of Patsy to complement him on a number of albums.
""Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,"" on an album of the same name, has gone on to sell over seven million copies and was even on MTV in 1983. The song is a classic and deservedly so because, after all, it still says that there is a Santa Claus. He just happens to run over relatives.
""Christmas Time is Here""
""Christmas time is here / happiness and cheer / Fun for all / and children call / their favorite time of year."" The theme song for the classic ""Charlie Brown Christmas Special"" paints a picture of Christmas that people of all ages can relate to. Just about everyone can remember the first time they saw the Christmas special. Charlie Brown goes through his usual ups and downs, yet ends up learning the meaning of Christmas in the end. But what does Christmas mean, anyway? The lyrics do a pretty good job of describing that. Families and friends gathered around a fireplace sharing dreams is just one of the images the song describes. This is what most people think of when they think of Christmas. It is a time when snowflakes fall, blanketing the world, and children play in the snow. ""Christmas Time is Here"" gives this feeling. Even the music itself sounds like Christmas. Once it starts playing, you think of the holidays. After all, December is a time when simple things like hearing sleigh bells can make it feel like Christmas. This song does just that. With its memorable lyrics and soothing piano melodies, ""Christmas Time is Here"" brings the spirit of Christmas to life. In the words of the song, ""Christmas time is here / Families drawing near / Oh that we could always see / Such spirit through the year.""
""All I Want for Christmas Is You""
Despite being a mall fixture, ""All I Want for Christmas is You"" is surprisingly non-materialistic and manages to get at the heart of the Christmas season-spending the holidays with the one you love.
Though Mariah Carey managed to avoid growing up in the tabloids the way Britney Spears so famously has, perhaps it was the invitation to participate in the 1998 VH1's Divas Live! that caused Carey to blossom into the diva we all know and disdain. But do not hold that against the 24-year-old Carey who recorded this classic Christmas song.
This is not the Mariah who demands 16 oz. Evian water bottles in her dressing room and a feast for her closest 15 friends at concert appearances. Look past Carey's decidedly un-Christmaslike behavior, and it's easy to relate to just wanting Santa to bring you your baby on Christmas Day.
""Wonderful Christmastime""
Released as a single in November of 1979 off of , ""Wonderful Christmastime"" by Paul McCartney & Wings has the distinction of either being the last true Christmas classic, or the first great modern Christmas tune.
On ""Wonderful Christmas-time,"" Wings blends light-hearted lyrics with a pervasive synth-pop beat to create an enjoyably haunting neo-carol. With Sir Paul's vocals leading the way, his Wings bandmates layer additional melodies atop his pleasurable caroling. The effect produces illusions of listening in on a real Christmas party, evoking the fun and excitement of the holiday season.
Hardly a commercial success at the time of its initial release (especially when compared to other works by McCartney and co.), ""Wonderful Christmastime"" went on to firmly establish itself as an immensely popular mainstay during the winter holiday season, appearing on Christmas radio playlists and holiday compilation albums for almost two decades.
""Blue Christmas""
Although was originally released in the midst of hip-shaking controversy and allegations of profaning Christmas, The King went on to release and re-release innumerable Christmas albums. Now considered a holiday music powerhouse, Elvis Presley delivers with the classic ""Blue Christmas.""
Anyone who has fallen victim to unrequited love during the holiday season can relate to his bluesy crooning of lyrics like ""Decorations of red / On a green Christmas tree / Won't be the same dear / If you're not here with me."" Recorded by a plethora of artists, this version stands out because of Elvis' obvious vocal talents and the complementary do-wopping of the background singers. Though a little short at a teasing two minutes, ""Blue Christmas"" will leave Elvis with a multitude of listeners willing to comfort him.
""Christmas in Hollis""
Featured on in 1989 (the first of several hundred of the song's appearances), ""Christmas in Hollis"" helped pave the way for Christmas rap songs everywhere. The song has rapper Run finding and returning Santa Claus' wallet, while DMC raps about a traditional Christmas dinner and decorations. The song relies heavily on sampling, including a bridge consisting of melodies from ""Frosty the Snowman,"" ""Jingle Bells"" and ""Joy to the World.""
No matter how cynical someone is, it is hard not to like a song with lyrics like, ""My name's DMC with the mic in my hand / And I'm chillin' and coolin' just like a snowman.""
If nothing else, ""Christmas in Hollis"" is classic camp fun that reminds listeners there is hip-hip that is not just concerned with women and fast cars.
