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!
