Out With The Bad, In With The Good

So you've had enough bad Christmas, here's some of the good songs. My reasoning for a good Christmas song is one that a) you want to hear over and over, b) you can sing it walking around the neighborhood and c) it doesn't make everyone in the room cry. The song that tops the list by far is Irving Berlin's White Christmas, sung by Bing Crosby.This is the Christmas song that all others must compare themselves to. There are many versions of White Christmas, some good and some very, very bad (Otis Redding but I'm not naming names), but Christmas would not be Christmas without the old crooner himself, Bing.
     Some other songs that have one signature voice are, The Christmas Song, by Nat King Cole (even though it was written by the Velvet Fog himself, Mel Torme) and Blue Christmas, by Elvis.Some songs have been recorded by more then one person and they are both or all three good versions. Everyone knows Jimmy Durante's Frosty The Snowman from the TV special but I also like Leon Redbone and Dr. John's version.Winter Wonderland by the Eurythmics or Johnny Mathis. Andy Williams owns The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, even when Staples uses it in September.If you like All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey, check out the version from the movie "Love Actually" by Olivia Olson. I like Springsteen's Santa Claus Is Comming to Town  and U2's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), but I like both of those bands so I'm a little partial. A lot of songs don't have a lot to do with Christmas but we have put them in that category anyway, Baby It's Cold Outside is one for example.I like the song and I really like the James Taylor, Natale Cole version, although The Norah Jones, Willie Nelson version I almost put on the bad list. I like Norah Jones but it was a little creepy having Willie Nelson trying to keep her from going home. Let It Snow? Except that we all shed a tear at the end of the movie "Holiday Inn" when it's snowing and Bing is singing White Christmas. The Pogues, Fairytale of New York takes place on Christmas eve (in the drunk tank) so that puts it on many Christmas CD's (at least by the Irish).
Two songs that have a lot of meaning this Christmas are Christmas In New York Again by Shilelagh Law and I'll Be Home For Christmas by pretty much everyone. Christmas In New York Again is a song to honor the people of New York after 9/11. The song takes place on Christmas in 2011 just a few short months after the attack when people started to live their lives again. I'll Be Home For Christmas is a World War II song of soldiers away from home and longing for home and hearth. This song has as much meaning today as it did seventy years ago. We need to remember those that are in harms way serving our country and missing their families.This is just my choices in music and I have only scratched the surface of Christmas music. So sit back and enjoy the Holidays and put on a CD or two, as long as one is Charlie Browns' Christmas by The Vince Guaraldi Trio.