Christmas Playlist

I have a confession to make: I am not a fan of Christmas music. 

Let me restate that.  It’s not that I don’t like Christmas music – I just don’t care to hear the same songs sung by 50 different bands 50 different ways. I’m a creature of habit; therefore, when I hear one version I like then I’m done, thank you. I don’t want to hear someone else ‘make it their own’, dawg. Unless of course I love the new version which will require my tossing the old one forever. There’s no room for two Silent Night’s in my iPod.

If you are following me at all here, then it should make a little sense to you that I do enjoy original Christmas tracks for the simple fact I don’t have to choose who sings it best. I also don’t like restaurants with overly-large menus or furniture stores with 37 different sofas. I’m a featured item girl which is why I thrive at places like Sam’s Club where I’m pitched an item, I can decide yes or no to that one and then move on.

Now that I’ve given you yet one more glimpse into my illogical thought patterns, I will pitch to you my Top Ten Christmas Songs of all time.  Or of 2009 – whichever expires first. These are the songs (some hymns, some not) by the bands that I will love forever until I don’t anymore.

1. Little Drummer Boy : Faith Hill.  One of my two all-time favorite Christmas songs. I cry every single time even though my mind is troubled by the historicity of a drummer boy being at the home of baby Jesus. Something about Mary bobbing her head to the beat of a drum makes me love her even more though. If it really happened. Which I doubt. (But I wish it did.) Faith Hill’s version is beautifully simple. My other favorites (I know I said I could only like one but here is my exception) are the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Jackson 5. And of course it was hard to turn away New Kids on the Block or Jimi Hendrix but I didn’t get the feeling they believed what they were singing.   Or guitaring.

2. Go Tell it on the Mountain – Need to Breathe:  A newcomer to the list but I am crazy for this band’s sound.  For that reason, I now love this song that hasn’t necessarily been one of my favorites. Until now.

These next three are on Casting Crowns’ Peace on Earth so perhaps you can tell they are my favorite band. These songs are classics for me and I just couldn’t leave a single one off my Top Ten:

3. I Heard the Bells – Casting Crowns  “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men.”

4. While You Were Sleeping – Casting Crowns: “And while you’re lying in the dark,  There shines an everlasting light, For the King has left His throne, And is sleeping in a manger tonight…”

5. God With Us – Casting Crowns:  “God is in us, God with with us, God is for us, Emmanuel…”

6.  Ring the Bells – Travis Cottrell and Natalie Grant: “Heaven bends to earth below…” Man, I love this song. Especially the African-sounding singing at the end. Very Selah-ish.

7.  Baby It’s Cold Outside – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan: I first fell in love with this song on Elf (my favorite Christmas movie) and almost chose that version but who can possibly beat Ella Fitzgerald? For real.

8.  O Come, O Come Emmanuel – Sugarland:  I’m not a fan of country music but Jennifer Nettles is flawless in this version. 

9.  Do You Hear What I Hear? – Third Day:  This song reminds me of being a little girl.  I don’t know why.  Can’t recall a specific time of hearing this song as a child but it’s pure and I love it.  The Third Day rendering is fabulous.

10.  O Holy Night – Celine Dion:   My other most favorite Christmas song.  Celine sings it but doesn’t overpower the lyrics with her booming voice.  Just gorgeous.

Okay, so now y’all have my favorites.   What are some of yours?