Worst/Best Christmas Songs?

[MU82]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P30ckBf1wk

[GGGG]

Counterpoint, read in the context in which it was composed, "Baby it's cold outside" is a song about a woman exercising her own sexual agency in world that would judge her for doing so.

https://twitter.com/hels/status/676118244168704000

https://twitter.com/adamheine/status/935684652068569088

"... the woman has a voice, and she's using it to give all the culturally-understood signals that she actually does want to stay but can't say so [...] at the end of the song, they're signing together, in harmony, because they're both on the same page and they have been all along."

Plus it's a nice duet.

It's possible to completely understand the historical context of this song but at the same time snicker about it since it comes off as a little date-rapey.

[Spotcheck Billy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P30ckBf1wk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdN_8OlJGs0

[tower912]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7sm49fHlyI

For you Hamilton fans who like a little Weird Al mixed in........

[Galway Eagle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P30ckBf1wk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehWTJbtEvBk

[Galway Eagle]

Surprised nobody's mentioned Twisted Christmas, 12 Pains of Christmas is a classic

[tower912]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjvUFBZWkKE

My favorite Christmas song of all time.    My son's 6th birthday and he had a cold.   He turns 12 this week.   This will be the first Christmas my daughter will not be home.    So, I am going to be sentimental now.   

[theBabyDavid]

It goes in waves.   Best:   Oh, Holy Night, Josh Groban.       The one that I used to be ambivalent about is 'Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas'.    Then, after seeing/hearing it in Monuments Men, I hear it differently and I have come to enjoy it.   
Silent Night/Night of Silence sung together by a decent choir.
Worst:   Rockin around the Christmas Tree.       Baby, its cold outside.

We went to the Seattle Symphony Orchestra's Christmas Pops on Saturday (the SSO is world-class, by the way.)

If played by a proper orchestra with a choral ensemble and lead vocalists in the right venue these songs can be magical.

I understand your take on Merry Little Christmas. As originally written for and sung by Judy Garland in Meet Me in St Louis it invests an emotional value in the Christmas Spirit that is perhaps rivaled only by I'll Be Home for Christmas. We lose sight of the fact that Christmas is about the people in our lives. And it's not always about what we have or want; it is also about what we have lost or are missing.

Anyone who has been away from home during Christmas and Thanksgiving has a visceral appreciation of those lyrics.

The SSO had vocalists Capathia Jenkins and Tony DeSare and their take on Baby, It's Cold Outside was priceless. They alternated between wolf and mouse which gave perspective to the silliness over the manufactured controversy the song has experienced recently. And the crowd at Benaroya Hall in hyper-liberal Seattle loved their take on the age old dance of courtship.

I do agree that most of the Christmas songs written by contemporary pop stars are rubbish.       

[Benny B]

The SSO had vocalists Capathia Jenkins and Tony DeSare and their take on Baby, It's Cold Outside was priceless. They alternated between wolf and mouse which gave perspective to the silliness over the manufactured controversy the song has experienced recently. And the crowd at Benaroya Hall in hyper-liberal Seattle loved their take on the age old dance of courtship.

"Alternated" between wolf and mouse?!?

Well of course that's silly, because nobody would ever try to blame a victim for bearing some sort of responsibility for - or influence on - the aggressor.

And WTF does it matter how hyper- or hypo- you are??  This isn't a liberal/conservative thing.  If anything, it seems to be an age thing, as in people of a certain age making excuses for their obsolete, but still beloved, institution of male sexual determination (or whatever "scientific" euphemism you fogeys want ascribe to what we simply call date rape today).

The same reason the confederate flag is not acceptable today also applies to "Baby, It's Cold Outside," i.e. the original intention/meaning is irrelevant, it's symbolism is no longer tolerated.

[theBabyDavid]

"Alternated" between wolf and mouse?!?

Well of course that's silly, because nobody would ever try to blame a victim for bearing some sort of responsibility for - or influence on - the aggressor.

And WTF does it matter how hyper- or hypo- you are??  This isn't a liberal/conservative thing.  If anything, it seems to be an age thing, as in people of a certain age making excuses for their obsolete, but still beloved, institution of male sexual determination (or whatever "scientific" euphemism you fogeys want ascribe to what we simply call date rape today).

The same reason the confederate flag is not acceptable today also applies to "Baby, It's Cold Outside," i.e. the original intention/meaning is irrelevant, it's symbolism is no longer tolerated.

False syllogism.

[Benny B]

False syllogism.

Syllogism requires an A, B, and C, i.e. 'A is B,' 'B is C,' therefore 'A is C.'


After ascribing letters to my logic, all that's left is an F for incorrect use of the term syllogism.

[barfolomew]

In this instance, Kirsty MacColl > Shane McGowan

Speaking of Shane McGowan, who are your Ugliest Men in Rock History?

Mine:
1) Shane McGowan
2) Rik Ocasek
3) Any of the Ramones
4) Tom Petty
5) Pick 'em: Keith Richards/Mick Jagger

[warriorchick]

Speaking of Shane McGowan, who are your Ugliest Men in Rock History?

Mine:
1) Shane McGowan
2) Rik Ocasek
3) Any of the Ramones
4) Tom Petty
5) Pick 'em: Keith Richards/Mick Jagger

Good list, but you are missing a few:

All of the traveling Wilburys
Lemmy Kilmister
Pete Townsend
Geddy Lee

[Benny B]

Speaking of Shane McGowan, who are your Ugliest Men in Rock History?

Mine:
1) Shane McGowan
2) Rik Ocasek
3) Any of the Ramones
4) Tom Petty
5) Pick 'em: Keith Richards/Mick Jagger

Fat Weird Al
Amish Weird Al
Madonna Weird Al
Thriller Weird Al

Prince was one scary motherf-ker, too.  Baller could ball, though. 

[patso]

Freddy Mercury and Ringo Starr

[warriorchick]

Prince was one scary motherf-ker, too.  Baller could ball, though.

Prince definitely does not belong on an ugly rock stars list. Sounds to me like he intimated you a little bit. 

[tower912]

Meatloaf.

[Spotcheck Billy]

Steven Tyler
Gene Simmons (why do you think he wore make-up?)
Marilyn Manson
Phil Collins
Michael Jackson in his later years
Southside Johnny
Iggy Pop
Mark E Smith

[MU82]

Let's not be sexist!

Patti Smith
Janis Joplin
Yoko Ono
Mama Cass

[Pakuni]

Gwar

[warriorchick]

Gwar

How do you know?

[warriorchick]

Let's not be sexist!

Patti Smith
Janis Joplin
Yoko Ono
Mama Cass

Can't help but notice how much shorter this list is.

#doublestandard

[T-Bone]

https://www.youtube.com/v/Zry4GO8acLk

[CTWarrior]

Can't help but notice how much shorter this list is.

#doublestandard

There could be a lot more, but we are gentlemen.  Chrissie Hynde for example.  But who cares?  She is fantastic.  IF you are good enough, your looks won't stop you.

I think on the other end of the spectrum is where your point makes sense.  There are a lot more attractive but relatively untalented women (like Jessica Simpson, Katie Perry and Brittany Spears) selling records than there are male counterparts (although there are boy bands for that.)

[reinko]

Can't help but notice how much shorter this list is.

#doublestandard

JB thinks Carrie Underwood deserves to be on this list...

Just checked. She still looks like a dog.