Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Ultimate Christmas Music
So, (many of you are about to hate me for what I'm about to say, but....) I've never really liked Christmas music. I can't really put into words the reasons why I don't like it. I just kinda can't stand it. I've always been that way. It's a curse. Every year, the first day that I walk into a store and the canned Christmas music is playing, I'm pretty much in a bad mood until February.

BUT (and this is where all of you who just hated me will like me again) this year I've decided to like Christmas music. I've done some serious soul-searching, I've delved into the depths of my psyche, and I've determined that the problem is that I've just never found versions of Christmas music that I like.

So . . . to make myself like Christmas music this year, I've spent the better part of the past three days searching through every piece of Christmas music I could possibly find to develop my very own Ultimate Christmas Music playlist.

(I may have gone a bit overboard. I finally made myself stop at 77 songs. It has turned into a 4-disc boxed set.)

I don't care if you agree with my picks. Just remember, I am on the road to recovery from a lifetime of hating Christmas music (it's all very dramatic). The following versions of everyone's Christmas favorites do not overtly annoy me, so that I might listen, enjoy, and grow to love.

(okay ONE song does really annoy me, but I put it in my boxed set so that I might attempt to grow to love it. it won't happen, but at least it will make my parents laugh)

Ultimate Christmas Disc 1 - Sarah & Sufjan

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - Sarah McLachlan
In The Bleak Mid-Winter - Sarah McLachlan
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Sarah McLachlan
O Little Town Of Bethlehem - Sarah McLachlan
Silent Night - Sarah McLachlan
The First Noel (Mary Mary) - Sarah McLachlan
What Child Is This (Greensleeves) - Sarah McLachlan
Did I Make You Cry On Christmas - Sufjan Stevens
What Child Is This Anyway - Sufjan Stevens
Amazing Grace - Sufjan Stevens
Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing - Sufjan Stevens
Get Behind Me, Santa! - Sufjan Stevens
Holy, Holy, Holy - Sufjan Stevens
I Saw Three Ships - Sufjan Stevens
Joy To The World - Sufjan Stevens
O Come O Come Emmanuel - Sufjan Stevens
The Little Drummer Boy - Sufjan Stevens
We Three Kings - Sufjan Stevens
O Holy Night - Sufjan Stevens

Ultimate Christmas Disc 2 - Jessica, Christina, Mariah, Celine, Leigh Nash, & More

The Little Drummer Boy (duet with Ashelee Simpson) - Jessica Simpson
Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Jessica Simpson
Oh Holy Night - Christina Aguilera
The Christmas Song (Holiday Remix) - Christina Aguilera
Silver Bells - Harry Connick Jr.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies
Feliz Navidad - Celine Dion
O Holy Night - Celine Dion
My Only Wish - Britney Spears
Joy To The World - Aretha Franklin
Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer - Elmo and Patsy
O Holy Night - Mariah Carey
All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
Come On! Let's Boogey To The Elf Dance! - Sufjan Stevens
Hey Guys! It's Christmas Time! - Sufjan Stevens
That Was The Worst Christmas Ever - Sufjan Stevens
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Sixpence None The Richer
O Holy Night - Leigh Nash
The Trouble With Love Is - Kelly Clarkson/Love Actually Soundtrack

Ultimate Christmas Disc 3 - New Kids, Gregorian, Crash Test Dummies, Muppets, Charlie Brown, & More

Happy Xmas (War is Over) - John Lennon And Yoko Ono
Little Drummer Boy - New Kids On The Block
Last Christmas - Wham!
Little Drummer Boy - Chicago
Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland
White Christmas - Aimee Mann
Carol Of The Bells - Celtic Woman
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Crash Test Dummies
Good King Wenceslas - Crash Test Dummies
Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
Happy Christmas - Neil Diamond
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - Jackson 5
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of the Year - The Muppets
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - The Muppets
Linus And Lucy - A Charlie Brown Christmas (this is the one I HATE)
Christmas Time Is Here - A Charlie Brown Christmas
Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
Baby, It's Cold Outside - Tom Jones
O Come All Ye Faithful - Gregorian Christmas Chants
Pie Jesu - Gregorian Christmas Chants
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) Gregorian Christmas Chants

Ultimate Christmas Disc 4 - Amy, Rebecca, Michael, Darrell

Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Rebecca St. James
Happy Christmas - Rebecca St. James
O Come Emmanuel - Rebecca St. James
O Holy Night - Rebecca St. James
O Come All Ye Faithful - Rebecca St. James
A Cradle Prayer - Rebecca St. James
Tennessee Christmas - Amy Grant
Christmas Hymn - Amy Grant
Little Town - Amy Grant
Heirlooms - Amy Grant
A Mighty Fortress-Angels We Have Heard on High - Amy Grant
Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song) - Amy Grant
No Eye Had Seen - Michael W. Smith
Memoirs - A Trilogy: The Voice / Good King Wenceslaus / Hark the Herald Angels Sing - Michael W. Smith
Gloria - Michael W. Smith
The Coventry Carol - Darrell Shepherd
I'll Be Home For Christmas - Darrell Shepherd

I'm sure you see that there are some real treasures in this compilation (ahem... Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, and all things Muppet).

Also, I've remembered three important things:
1. Pretty much any version of O Holy Night will bring me to tears. You will see it 6 times in the compilation.
2. Happy Xmas is always good times. You will see it 5 times in the compilation.
3. I will always have a soft spot for Amy Grant Christmas music.
Those are the three exceptions to my lifetime of anti-Christmas music.

A lot of hard work went into this compilation. I hope I'm not annoyed with it by tomorrow.

Holiday cheer and all that crap.

C.T.

No comments: