Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Round 9: Christmas Music

WARNING: You are about to venture into the height of Becky's Christmas Dorkiness. All who are not prepared for what lies ahead may wish to turn back now and read a nice cooking blog instead. You have been warned.
Question: What songs do you have on your ipod? What makes you tick? What is the soundtrack of your life? What songs take up the most space on your ipod or computer or shelf of CDs? Okay, I have no idea what the answers to the first three questions are for myself, but I know the answer to the last one!
CHRISTMAS MUSIC!
As I have previously stated, I have over 1000 Christmas songs on my itunes. Sad, you might think, but I am actually quite proud of it. But instead of raving on and on about how Christmas music fills my soul with joy, how I used to secretly listen to it during studying for spring finals because it helped so much with winter finals, how the entire month of December is filled with nothing but Christmas music... Yeah, instead of that, and in honor of the announcing of the Golden Globe nomiations today, I'm going to give out nominations to Christmas songs. And there is the fact that I do not have one favorite. I have multiple.

Best Christmas Song -- Comedy
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer - Elmo and Patsy [A Connolly girls favorite. We know all the words.]
The Twelve Days of Christmas -- Bob and Doug McKenzie [I cannot help but crack up to this one. "And a beer...." Bah hahahaha]
Rusty Chevrolet -- Da Yoopers [I distinctly remember one Christmas Eve hearing this on the radio, and I have never forgotten it]
The Twelve Days of Christmas -- Allan Sherman [The most random song ever. Hilarious]
You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch -- Thurl Ravenscroft [technically, this is a soundtrack, but whatever]

Best Christmas Song -- Non-religious Non-traditional
Christmas in Killarney -- Anne Murray [I SERIOUSLY love this song!]
All I Want for Christmas is You -- Mariah Carey [truly a wonderful song, especially if you have a special someone]
The Night Before Christmas -- Amy Grant [Always loved this song. So good]
Please Come Home For Christmas -- Charles Brown [I really love this bluesy jazz number]
The Bells of Christmas -- Kenny Loggins [makes me get all choked up and stuff]
Feliz Navidad -- Jose Feliciano [Tell me THIS isn't your favorite too!]

Best Christmas Song -- Religious Non-traditional
Love Has Come -- Amy Grant [sorry, this song taps into my inner Baptist, complete with handclapping]
Mary, Did You Know? -- Clay Aiken [I'm not a huge Clay fan, but this song is awesome]
Breath of Heaven -- Amy Grant [Never fails to move me]
Rejoice -- Il Divo [This song is seriously amazing]
No Room At The Inn -- Anne Murray [I love this song. Again, my inner Baptist]I Cannot Find My Way/Three Kings -- The Forgotten Carols by Michael McLean [this song touches my heart every time]

Best Christmas Song -- Non-religious Traditional
White Christmas -- The Drifters [seriously, who DOESN'T love this song?]
Holly Jolly Christmas -- Burl Ives [it's a classic!]
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas -- Mel Torme [This song is the epitome of all Christmas songs]
The Christmas Song -- Nat King Cole [This is without a doubt, the best version of this song]
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year -- Andy Williams [seriously my happy song]
Sleigh Ride -- Johnny Mathis [grew up with him at Christmas, love this song]

Best Christmas Song -- Religious Traditional
Do You Hear What I Hear? -- Andy Williams [the BEST version of this song]
O Holy Night -- Josh Groban [I spent a major part of the Christmas of 2004 listening to this with all the lights off except Christmas lights]
What Child Is This? -- Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli [Best duet I have ever heard. Ever.]
O Holy Night -- Celtic Woman [they are INSANELY incredible]
Panis Angelicus -- Il Divo [it was a toss-up between them, Josh Groban, and Celtic Woman. I love them all.]
The Lord's Prayer -- Andrea Bocelli with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir [Yeah. 2 for 1 special. Seriously the most powerful song ever.]

Best Instrumental Arrangement of Christmas Song
Auld Lang Syne -- Kenny G [FAVORITE]
Ave Maria -- Will Galison and Toninho Horta from Carols of Christmas [very reflective and beautiful]
Mad Russian's Christmas -- Trans-Siberian Orchestra [it's really the sugarplum fairies and nutcracker songs, but HOLY CRAP is it awesome!]
A Christmas Festival -- The Boston Pops Orchestra with John Williams [it's got EVERYTHING!]
O Holy Night -- David Darling from Carols of Christmas [beauitful, beautiful, beautiful]

Best Christmas Song from a Motion Picture
Believe -- Josh Groban from The Polar Express Soundtrack [AMAZING song.]
Where Are You Christmas? -- Faith Hill from How the Grinch Stole Christmas [makes me tear up sometimes]
God Bless Us Everyone -- Andrea Bocelli from A Christmas Carol [Amzaing song. Amazing.]
Thank You Very Much -- Cast of Scrooge [don't start, it's an amazing song!]
Somewhere In My Memory -- John Williams from Home Alone [honestly, this is one of the greatest songs from a movie ever]
True Blue Miracle -- Sesame Street [do not laugh, it is an amazing song from my childhood that will ALWAYS be a favorite!]

Best Christmas Song by Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Yeah, they get their own category. I'm convinced they were the angels that sang when Jesus was born. Totally serious about that.)
What Shall We Give To The Babe In The Manger?
Hallelujah from Handel's Messiah
Joy To The World
Angels From The Realms of Glory
The First Noel
For Unto Us A Child Is Born from Handel's Messiah

Best Christmas Song in the LDS Hymn Book
Joy to the World #201
With Wondering Awe #210
Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains #212
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing #209
Angels We Have Heard on High #203
Silent Night #204

Best Spoken Word
The Polar Express read by Liam Neeson [Yeah....]
The Night Before Christmas by Robin Willams [SO good!]
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss [Yeah, I have the whole thing on CD, so I can actually listen to the movie. Way fun.]

Best Christmas Album
Christmas Album -- The Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by John Williams [AMAZING]
A Christmas Celebration -- Celtic Woman [OUTSTANDING]
My Christmas -- Andrea Bocelli [totally blew me away]
Noel -- Josh Groban [very VERY good]

Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits -- Various Artists [probably the best collection of original traditional Christmas songs ever]

Best Christmas Artist that is Totally Out There
Mannheim Steamroller
Trans Siberian Orchestra

Best Christmas Artist Overall
Kenny G [seriously, I adore all of his Christmas stuff.]
Andy Williams [classic]
Amy Grant [no really, she has everything!]
Anne Murray [a regular part of my Christmas music repetoire]
Nat King Cole [the true king of Christmas music]

Well, now that this has been the longest post EVER, I just have to say that I know these nominations are mine and not necessarily yours, but all of these were chosen for a specific reason and I love them dearly. And they are all on my ipod [winces]. And I KNOW I left some out, but really, look what I DID put in!

But anyway, whatever your preference for Christmas music, listen to it, love it, enjoy it, because we only get it for a limited time. It brings true magic to my Christmas, and I hope that it does to yours.
Oh, and PLEASE listen to some of my nominations if you aren't familiar with them. They're way good! And if you have any for me, let me know! I am always open to new songs! =)

5 comments:

Celeste said...

Do we get to vote? :)

sarah said...

i want these songs on a cd....please.

Yogurl and Manburger said...

Awesome Becky! I love the breakdown by genre. I think I'll have to be sure and listen to some of those I hadn't heard of. I like your comment about your "inner Baptist", b/c I too love a feet stomping, hand clapping gospel number. I know that's not what we do at church, but that doesn't mean I can't really like that stuff anyway, right? You should check out Moses Hogan for some great gospel numbers. Merry Christmas!

Celeste said...

My votes:

COMDEY—You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (CLASSIC)
NRNT (Non-Religious-Non-Traditional)—All I Want for Christmas is You
RNT—Breath of Heaven. LOVE IT. Although, I have to say, I do love the Anne Murray Christmas CD since that’s what we listened to as we put up the tree each year when we were young and I also love “No Room at the Inn.” I love a good gospel song, too.  My uncle’s funeral was fun in that way.
RT—While I love “O Holy Night” a TON, Josh Groban isn’t my faves. (Don’t hurt me!) So I’m going to have to go with the version by Celtic Woman.
INSTRUMENTAL—I LOVE the Trans-Siberian Orchestra! They win. Hands down.
MOTION PICTURE—While I believe that “Baby It’s Cold Outside” from ELF should be in the list purely for the simple joy it brings and the fact that it gets stuck in my head ALLTHETIME, it isn’t. So. I’m voting “Where Are You Christmas?” That is the song of my heart right now.
MOTAB—Motab + ANYTHING from Handel’s Messiah = closest to heavenly choruses we may ever get in this life. There isn’t even voting here. It’s a done deal. 
HYMNS—This changes for me every year. This year’s favorite is totally Hark the Herald Angels sing.
BEST CHRISTMAS ALBUM—I like the “Now That’s What I Call Christmas” CDs, which are pretty much the same thing as the Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits CD, but not. So I’m voting on that one.
TOTALLY OUT THERE—Can’t vote. Love them both.
ARTIST OVERALL—Nat King Cole. ALL THE WAY!

I love you. :)

Loni said...

Love the lists!! I am going to refer to this often... :) Do you have Jenny Oaks Baker's Christmas CD? Fantastic!