Christmas Music

Hi all- I'm still around!  I can't believe it's almost Christmas.  My semester is over and now I can Christmas shop.  And vent and opine a bit about Christmas music on the radio.

One Philadelphia radio station actually started Christmas music 24/7 around 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. Another started the day before Thanksgiving.  My two cents: please, please stop this nonsense and don't start until after Thanksgiving at the very earliest.  I only really started listening around Dec. 7 or so, and already I'm tired of most of the songs.  I'm tired of Frosty and even Rudolph. Although there are many different artists doing them, I still get tired of hearing them more than once or twice a day.  I've had it with "Winter Wonderland" (the verses are in the wrong order anyway).  "Sleigh Ride", "Jingle Bell Rock", and "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" get tiresome. I really don't like "Happy Holidays (It's the Holiday Season)" or "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"; and please, please spare me "Merry Christmas Darling". "Feliz Navidad" sounds peppy and fresh the first few times or so I hear it, but then it gets a little much. I'm really not a Grinch (and "Mr Grinch" is clever and fun - again until I've heard it too many times in this short period).

I do like a lot of Christmas music, just wish they'd have more of a variety - there's got to be so much recorded.  As far as carols, I love "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", "O Holy Night", "Silent Night" and even "Away in a Manger"; "Joy to the World" is ok, too (Nat King Cole does a great version).

Other Christmas songs: I love "Rockion' Around the Christmas Tree" - and it HAS to be Brenda Lee.  I like "The Christmas Song" - Nat King Cole is tops, but Tony Bennett is a close second.  "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - I just love The Pretenders' version, and Tony Bennett's as well. And what about "What Child is This?"  as done by the Moody Blues? Radio never seems to play that one!  And while I hear Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra (I think there's one he does with Ella Fitzgerald) , can't they find ONE by Ella herself or even ONE by Rosemary Clooney they could play? Bob Seeger does a great "Little Drummer Boy" (haven't heard it in a while, though). And whatever happened to Darlene Love's "Noboby Ought To Be Alone on Christmas"?

I do like Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"  and Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" both of which get played quite often. And I think one of the best ever has got to be Bing Crosby and David Bowie - "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth"; it works and has a wonderful message, too.

Happy Holidays to all who are celebrating something this season - and peace and goodwill to ALL.