5 Best Christmas Songs of the Last 50 Years

Seasons Greetings, music fans and, in particular, Christmas music aficionados.  I'm back with a semi-annual post about Christmas music.  This time around, I'm giving you my Top 5 Picks for the best Christmas songs of the past 50 years.  Why 50 Years?  Well, besides being a nice round number that represents a half-century, I'm rapidly approaching that landmark birthday so this is, in essence, the 5 best Christmas songs to come out during my lifetime.  But "5 Best Christmas Songs of the Last 48 Years" just doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?

In order to make the list, the song has to be a new composition, as opposed to a new arrangement or recording of an older song.  In addition, it has to have been released in 1972 or later, though all of these songs are well within that time frame.  The only bad thing about the 1972 cutoff is that it robs of us some absolute gems that came out in 1970 and 1971, including John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)", "Feliz Navidad" by Jose Feliciano, Donny Hathway's soulful "This Christmas," and the soft rock perfection of "Merry Christmas, Darling" by The Carpenters.  It's mind-blowing to think that all four of those modern Christmas hits - songs that are frequently played every December - were all released within a year of one another.

Without further ado, here is my list, counting down from #5...

5.) "Christmas in Dixie" by Alabama (1982) - This song, the only Alabama song credited to all four band members, differs from most Christmas songs in its focus on the Southern U.S. and the warmer weather in those parts.  While it makes mention of some northern cities (namely New York City, Chicago and Detroit), it also calls out southern locations like Memphis, Atlanta, Jackson, Charlotte and Fort Payne, AL. The sole country music entry on this list, it features the band's trademark harmonies.

4.) "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra (1996) - One could argue that this song technically violates my rules about being a new composition seeing as how it's largely based around two well-known traditional carols: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Carol of the Bells".  However, the song's mix of orchestral strings mixed with arena rock electric guitars is such a dramatic makeover that it ceases to be its source music and becomes something else entirely.  The concept of the song - which is entirely instrumental and actually based on a true story - tells the tale of a lone cello player playing a long-forgotten Christmas carol on his cello in the midst of the war-torn city of Sarajevo at the height of the Bosnian war.  It alternates between soft and loud sections, the soft sections being string instruments playing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" while the loud sections are electric guitars and rock instruments playing "Carol of the Bells."  The overall effect is mesmerizing.  More light show displays have undoubtedly been set to this song over the past 25 years than any other Christmas song.

3.) "Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg (1980) - Some may argue that this song isn't a true Christmas song in the traditional sense, but seeing as how the events the song describes take place on Christmas Eve, I beg to differ.  The song tells a largely autobiographical tale of two former lovers who have a chance encounter in a grocery store on Christmas Eve.  They begin talking and reminiscing and decide to go get a drink to continue their conversation, only to discover that all of the nearby bars are closed.  Instead, they buy a six pack and drink it in the female's car while continuing to catch up on each other's lives.  It's a sad, poignant piece and few singer-songwriters have ever so deftly intertwined music and storytelling lyrics as well as Fogelberg does on this piece.  You can completely visualize what he is describing and anyone who has ever had an awkward encounter with a former flame can undoubtedly empathize with the story it tells.  The song is a soft rock gem that deserves far more airplay that it receives.

2.) "Last Christmas" by Wham! (1984) - In late 1984, Wham! was one of the biggest new wave pop bands on the planet, coming off two monster hits, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Careless Whisper," earlier that year. They kept that hit streak going with this upbeat but melancholy holiday number that is the epitome of synthpop in the mid 1980s.  It has been covered numerous times in the ensuing 30+ years, by everyone from Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande to The Backstreet Boys and the cast of Glee, further cementing how catchy and popular it was.

1.) "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey (1994) - I'm sure that many of you had probably already deduced that this song was going to land in the top spot.  Written by Carey along with frequent collaborator Walter Afanasieff, this song became an instant Christmas classic almost from moment it hit the airwaves in the fall of 1994.  It was a global success, hitting the top spot on charts in more than 25 countries, from North America to Europe to Australia.  Most incredibly, the song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, a whopping 25 years after its release, breaking a myriad of records in the process.  What makes it such a great song?  It's an upbeat, happy song that is a mix of various music styles, from pop and R&B to gospel and dance.  Carey's vocals soar and it is has a fun, nostalgic sound where it appeals to fans of '60s vocal groups like The Beach Boys and The Mamas and the Papas as much as it does to modern day pop music aficionados.  It was one of those rare songs that was hailed both by music critics as well as average pop music fans.  It is a modern yet timeless gem of a song and that's why it takes the top spot on our list.

Honorable Mention: "Christmas All Over Again" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid and "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses

Thanks for reading...and a VERY Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!

Concert Review - American Aquarium

This is the fourth in my series of reviews of concerts that I've recently attended.  Please check out my previous reviews of the George Strait concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Turnpike Troubadours in Chesterfield, MO and Randy Rogers Band in Chesterfield, MO

Next up...American Aquarium

Headliner: American Aquarium
Opening Act(s): Mike McClure

Date: September 18, 2022

Venue: Delmar Hall (St. Louis, MO)

Set List:

• Chicamacomico
• All I Needed
• The Long Haul
• Casualties
• Saint Mary's
• Just Close Enough
• Lonely Ain't Easy
• Wildfire
• Losing Side of Twenty-Five
• Wolves
• Harmless Sparks
• Before the Dogwood Blooms
• A Better South
• Six Years Come September
• Southern Sadness
• The Luckier You Get
• Wichita Falls
• I Hope He Breaks Your Heart
• Burn. Flicker. Die.
• The First Year
• When We Were Younger Men
• Katherine Belle

Review: This was my first time seeing this band from Raleigh, NC and I was very impressed.  Lead singer and primary songwriter BJ Barham is absolutely one of the most energetic performers I have ever seen.  He was bouncing all over the stage and seemed to pour every ounce of his energy into his performance and his singing, to the point where he was drenched in sweat by the end of the show.  What he may lack in vocal range he absolutely makes up for in the passion he pours into his music.  The band's setlist list spanned from songs from their newest album Chicamacomico all the way back to 2008's Bones.  While Barham didn't say much during the majority of the set, he spoke for quite a while before playing a solo, acoustic version of "The First Year" and he proved himself an engaging, funny and self-deprecating storyteller.  The background he provided for that song (written about the first year after his mother's death) made the song that much more powerful and poignant.  It was definitely a highlight of the show.

Oklahoma and Red Dirt music legend Mike McClure opened the show.  McClure has had a two decade career writing and performing, as well producing songs for Oklahoma music royalty like Cross Canadian Ragweed and Turnpike Troubadours.  For his 30 minute set, however, it was just him and an acoustic guitar, with occasional vocal accompaniment from his wife.  It was easy to see why he is so respected in music circles.  One interesting highlight of his performance was an alternate version of the Turnpike Troubadours song "The Funeral," which he wrote with Turnpike front man Evan Felker.  

Highlights:  Besides the aforementioned "The First Year," other highlights of the performance were their stellar offerings of "All I Needed", "The Long Haul," "Before the Dogwood Blooms," "A Better South" and "Burn. Flicker. Die."

Lowlights:  It's a very minor quibble, but I was hoping to hear "The World is On Fire." Besides that, it was a terrific show.

Overall TGR Grade:  A

Concert Review - Randy Rogers Band

This is the third in my series of reviews of concerts that I've recently attended.  Please check out my previous reviews of the George Strait concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and Turnpike Troubadours in Chesterfield, MO.

Next up...Randy Rogers Band

Headliner: Randy Rogers Band
Opening Act(s): Wade Bowen

Date: September 2, 2022

Venue: Chesterfield Amphitheater (Chesterfield, MO)

Set List:

• Better Off Wrong
• Buy Myself A Chance
• Tonight's Not The Night (For Goodbye)
• I'll Never Get Over You
• One More Goodbye
• Drinking Money
• Nothing But Love Songs
• One Woman
• Fuzzy
• Chupacabra
• Steal You Away
• This Time Around
• Down and Out
• Lonely Too Long
• Speak of the Devil
• Picture Frames
• You, Me and a Bottle
• Interstate
• San Antone
• Last Last Chance
• Too Late for Goodbye
• In My Arms Again
• Kiss Me in the Dark
• Just Stay Here and Drink (Merle Haggard cover with Wade Bowen)

Review: It was a night of Texas Country in the Gateway City, as Texans and good buddies Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen shared the bill on a rainy night in the St. Louis area.  While Randy's trademark raspy voice was a little more so than normal on a few songs, the band cranked out a great, long set of songs.  They did a good job of playing songs from across their lengthy discography, including two new songs - "Nothing But Love Songs" and "Pictures Frames" from their forthcoming Homecoming album.  Rollercoaster is still my favorite album of theirs and I was happy to hear three songs from that record.  Rogers didn't say a whole lot as the front man and fiddler Brady Black almost stole the show with his high energy performance.  One interesting (and somewhat disappointing note) was that there were no duets by Rogers and Bowen (besides the encore cover of a Merle Haggard), despite the fact that they've recorded two full records together.  I would have loved to have heard them team up for "Standards" or "In The Next Life," but alas it didn't happen.  Besides that, the band churned out a lengthy, straightforward set that kept the crowd happy, despite the rain that got progressively harder during their set.

Wade Bowen opened and was very impressive.  He sounds live just like he does on record.  While I'm only familiar with a handful of his songs, he sounded great.  Interestingly, he did play one of the songs from his first duet album with Randy Rogers, albeit sans Rogers.  Bowen played a couple of his songs off his recently released album and those were good enough that I subsequently downloaded a few of them.

Highlights:  The opening trio of songs were a great kickoff to the show, while the back-to-back songs from Rollercoaster ("This Time Around" and "Down and Out") were standouts as well, with the former featuring Black's blistering fiddle solo.

Lowlights:  Besides the weather, which kept people hunkered under umbrellas for most of the show, the omission of any duets between Rogers and Bowen was disappointing.  When two artists have collaborated on two albums and they are touring together, you expect to hear at least a few duets on the setlist.

Overall TGR Grade:  A-

Concert Review - Turnpike Troubadours

This is the second in my series of reviews of concerts that I've recently attended.  Please check out my previous review of the George Strait concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Next up...my favorite group of the past 10 years: Turnpike Troubadours!

Headliner: Turnpike Troubadours
Opening Acts: Old 97s and Muscadine Bloodline 

Date: August 19, 2022

Venue: The Factory at the District (Chesterfield, MO)

Set List:

• Every Girl
• 7&7
• The Winding Stair Mountain Blues
• The Bird Hunters
• Good Lord Lorrie
• Easton & Main
• Before the Devil Knows We're Dead
• Pay No Rent
• The Housefire
• A Tornado Warning
• Something to Hold On To
• Gin, Smoke and Lies
• Whole Damn Town
• Kansas City Southern
• Diamonds & Gasoline
• All Your Favorite Bands (Dawes cover)
• Long Hot Summer Day
• 1968
• Morgan Street
• Long Drive Home

Review: This is the fourth time I've seen Turnpike Troubadours and, due to their 2-year hiatus following frontman Evan Felker's issues, the first time I've seen them in more than 4 years.  Every single time, they have delivered an incredible show.  Felker looked healthy and happy and his voice sounded as great as ever.  He seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself, which is a treat in and of itself.  They played a broad array of songs from all four of their albums, but they leaned heaviest (seven songs, almost 1/3 of their set list) on their first album, Diamonds & Gasoline, which is still my sentimental favorite of theirs.  From the opening chorus of "Every Girl" to the final farewell of the appropriately placed closing song of "Long Drive Home," the six-piece band was in sync and the sell-out crowd was in full voice, singing along with every word.  Ryan Engelman's scorching Telecaster lead the way, complimented wonderfully by the superb fiddle work by Kyle Nix.  Special props to multi-instrumentalist MVP Hank Early, who played no fewer than four instruments during the show: steel guitar, banjo, dobro and accordion.  It never ceases to amaze me how a band who has had essentially zero radio exposure can sell-out venues and inspire such a devoted fan base.  But then I remember how great this band in on record and how tremendous they are live and it baffles me that they aren't playing arenas or stadiums instead of medium-sized venues.  Whereas most of the mediocre pop junk that gets played on so-called "country" radio is bland, overly produced, sophomoric garbage, Turnpike Troubadours are real country for intelligent audiophiles who appreciate deep, evocative, storytelling lyrics paired with stellar musicianship.

Old 97s played nearly an hour-long set prior to Turnpike and Rhett Miller's energy and antics on stage were solid.  While they didn't play some of my favorites off their songs - how do you NOT play "Murder (Or a Heart Attack)"?? - they pumped through a solid cross section of their substantial catalog, including a cover of Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried," which featured bassist Murray Hammond on lead vocals.

Mobile, Alabama-based Muscadine Bloodline took the stage first and gave a worthwhile performance that lasted a little more than 30 minutes.  While I'd never heard of them prior to the show, they impressed me enough to get me to check out some of their songs on Spotify.  The vocal interplay between the co-lead vocalists Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton was great.  High points of their set included "Can't Tell You No" and "Dead on Arrival."  They also played back-to-back Travis Tritt covers ("Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" and "T-R-O-U-B-L-E") which were well received by the still arriving crowd.

Highlights:  It's hard to beat the opening salvo of the first two songs off Diamonds & Gasoline, "Every Girl" and "7&7."  Two of my favorite songs, back-to-back is a pretty incredible way to kick things off.  The back-to-back offerings off A Long Way From Your Heart - "The Housefire" followed by "A Tornado Warning" (my two favorite songs off that album) was another highlight.  Finally, getting to see my first concert at The Factory and getting to enjoy my favorite band in concert with my son was pretty great, too.

Lowlights:  Throughout the show, the steel guitar seemed a little too low in the mix to where it didn't pierce through the rest of the band's sound like it does on record, which was a mild disappointment.  While I enjoyed the new venue - it was very nice and a good place to see a concert - traffic getting out of the parking lot afterwards was a nightmare.

Overall TGR Grade:  A

Concert Review - George Strait

Hello, dear readers.  It's been a looong time since I've posted and much has changed since my last blog post.  For now, however, I'm going to ease back into things by reviewing some of the concerts I've been to recently.  I've been to three in the past month and a half and have two more coming up in the near future, so I'm going to tackle them one at a time.  The highlights, the lowlights and my overall thoughts on the shows.

Here we go...

Headliner: George Strait
Opening Acts: Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town and Parker McCollum  

Date: July 30, 2022

Venue: Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO)

Set List:

• Here For A Good Time
• Ocean Front Property
• Check Yes or No
• I Can Still Make Cheyenne
• Wrapped
• Marina del Rey
• I Got a Car
• I Saw God Today
• Every Little Honky Bar
• How 'Bout Them Cowgirls
• I Just Wanna Dance With You
• That's What Breaking Hearts Do
• Give It Away
• Codigo
• Waymore Blues (Waylon Jennings cover)
• The Weight of the Badge
• The Fireman
• The Chair
• Barmaid
• Amarillo By Morning
• Run
• Come On Joe
• It Just Comes Natural
• I'll Always Remember You
• Troubadour
• Unwound
• Encore
• All My Exes Live in Texas (with Chris Stapleton)
• You Wreck Me (Tom Petty cover with Chris Stapleton)
• Take Me to Texas
• The Cowboy Rides Away

Review: George sounded great, as great as the first time I saw him in concert almost 25 years ago. Even at 70 years old, his voice is as great as ever.  My only beef was that there were several big hit songs that I wanted to hear that he didn't play.  Now, anytime you're talking about an artist whose career has spanned more than 40 years and who has 50 #1 hits and dozen other Top Tens, it's impossible for them to play all of their hits.  I get that and fully expected it going in.  But no "I Cross My Heart?" No "Blue Clear Sky?" No "Carrying Your Love With Me?"  It seemed like those could have been played in lieu of some of the more obscure songs that were included and especially in lieu of the two unnecessary covers that were included.  When you're an artist as accomplished as George Strait, you shouldn't need to include covers in your show unless it was a cover you recorded and had a hit with. Beyond that, the sound, George's voice, the musicianship of the Ace in the Hole Band, and the lighting were all top notch.  A big production fit for a sold-out stadium show.

Chris Stapleton was very good.  He doesn't do much on stage, but his voice and the vocal interplay between him and his back-up singing wife were great.  And, unlike George, he played pretty much all of his big songs and filled up the huge venue with just his voice and an acoustic guitar.

Little Big Town was good and energetic, even if it did rain for a bit during their set.  I'm not much of a fan of theirs, but the vocal harmonies were stellar and they were certainly entertaining.

Parker McCollum?  Ehh...whatever.  Dude wore a flat-billed baseball cap and a gold chain.  He looked more hip hop than anything else and his songs sounded like a million other songs on country radio these days.  He was fine but nothing that really grabbed me and made me want to delve into his music more.

Highlights: The early one-two-three punch of "Ocean Front Property," "Check Yes or No" and "I Can Still Make Cheyenne" and the later back-to-back of "Amarillo By Morning and "Run." Bringing Stapleton out for "Exes" was a treat, too.

Lowlights:  Not really any, besides the few covers George played instead of his own songs.

Overall TGR Grade:  B+