Christmas Radio

Post ImageI remember way back in the day hopping in the car, flipping on the radio, and hearing a Christmas song. It was early December and I thought, “Hey cool, something to get me in the mood.” After the song finished another one came on. Then another and another and another. Now, some dozen or so years later, they’re still playing.

While it was kind of charming at first, I really hate to say it but it’s getting really old now. Yes, yes, I know. “Just don’t listen to it. If you don’t like it, Charlie, just turn on the All Britney Spears station in stead and quit wasted precious blog space on a pointless rant.” And I agree with you. When I first set out on this whole blogging thing, I promised myself I wouldn’t just randomly rant about stuff. So prepare yourself for the most controversial post in Back to the Fridge history.

My peeve? The fact that over the last seventy years or so of quality audio recording technology, the Christmas Radio Industry has selected just sixteen some odd songs. Sixteen songs which they play over and over and over and over. And then, when they’re done, they do it again.

I probably tune in for fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes on the drive home. Tops. That’s one forty-eighth of the day, what some might consider a small sample size. Yet in that tiny, tiny slice of time, I’ve heard “Feliz Navidad” about one hundred and seventy-two times. I’ve heard “Here Comes Santa Clause” almost twice that many times. What gives? Is it that hard to find a few rare gems out there? You know, something we’ve never heard before and might appreciate? Or is playing the “classics” just that much in demand that we have to hear WHAM!’s “Last Christmas” every twenty-two minutes for a solid month?

I guess I don’t get it.

So now, for your holiday pleasure, here’s the list of Christmas Radio Songs I don’t ever need to hear again ever (not counting the ones already listed above). In no particular order:

  • All I Want For Christmas Is — Mariah Carey
  • Do They Know It’s Christmas — Band Aid
  • Anything with chipmunks singing
  • Jingle Bell Rock -or- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
  • Home For the Holidays — The Carpenters
  • The Christmas Shoes
  • I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas
  • Same Old Lang Syne — Dan Fogelberg (come on! It’s not even a Christmas song for Pete’s sake!)
  • Wonderful Christmastime — Paul McCartney & Wings
  • Blue Christmas — Elvis Presley

And just so you know two things: 1) I’m not a hater, and 2) I am a complete hypocrite, here’s a list of songs I don’t mind hearing over and over and over.

  • It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year — Andy Williams
  • Christmas Eve (Sarajevo) — Trans Siberian Orchestra
  • Wizards in Winter — Trans Siberian Orchestra
  • Santa Claus Is Coming to Town — Bruce Springsteen
  • White Christmas — Bing Crosby
  • Sleigh Ride — Johnny Mathis
  • Jingle Bells? — Barbra Streisand
  • The Twelve Pains of Christmas — Bob Rivers

Of course, neither list is exhaustive, but in an effort to not exhaust you, I’ll just go ahead and stop here. Whew! And just to leave things on a happy note, here’s a re-run from last year. Rachel and I playing Carol of the Bells:

And with that, I bid you a Happy End of 2009! I shall be taking the rest of the year off, blogging-wise, and will see you back here on January 5, 2010 where hopefully my weight won’t be 2,010. Take care everyone!



19 Responses to “Christmas Radio”

Steffi said
on
December 17, 2009 at 12:15 am

Ha! I’m SO with you on this! You’ve copied my thoughts exactly. Now I don’t have to rant about it on my blog.

“Last Christmas” probably tops the list of songs I never need to hear again, though.

    Charlie said
    on
    December 17, 2009 at 8:18 am

    Did you hover your mouse over the radio picture?

TexasDeb said
on
December 17, 2009 at 7:49 am

Well anybody would be creeped out by hearing “Here Comes Santa Clause” indicating, as that final “e” does, that there is potentially some sort of contract dispute in the works.

Once Santa Clause is invoked, one can only imagine the Advent Attorneys will turn their eagle eyes towards New Year’s Resolutions with the intent to uncover fraudulent promissory practices. Or something…

Have a lovely Christmas with your family and we’ll be waiting here (patiently? maybe…) for the 5th.

    Charlie said
    on
    December 17, 2009 at 8:19 am

    Dang. Guess I was inadvertently channeling Tim Allen on the Clause thing. I shoulda just called him “Sandy Claws” (to channel a completely different Tim.)

Tami said
on
December 17, 2009 at 10:25 am

I’m kinda pathetic about Christmas music. I love it.

Not ALL of it, mind you. That “I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas ” song can die in a fire, as far as I’m concerned.

But in general, it puts me in a good mood.

I wish people would allow more new songs to become holiday music, though. I’m a bit of a classicist when it comes to my Christmas music – I think it’s criminal when a new artist sings an old song, but in order to make it NEW and PERSONALIZED they mutilate the melody. Some personalization is good. If I can’t sing along with it anymore, you’ve ruined it.

Instead of beating the old stuff to death, let some of the new music in! Encourage people to write new Christmas songs!

Sadly, I’m in my car for about 15 minutes each way in my commute, and I am incapable of hearing two full songs back to back. It’s a curse. Even the local Christian station and the seasonal station have fallen prey to my curse. You wouldn’t think it’d be this hard to hear MUSIC on the RADIO (scandalous!)

cbuffy said
on
December 17, 2009 at 12:12 pm

Christmas Shoes. Dumbest song ever ever ever written.

Otherwise, I’m a sucker for Christmas music on the radio. I have it playing at work all day. Luckily I have no roommies.

Quix said
on
December 17, 2009 at 12:51 pm

I can’t stand Christmas radio. Magic 95.5, which is one of the stations I flip through (not my favorite but sometimes I’ll get lucky there), but gets locked out between turkey day and new years.

What I do love is the old timey stuff from the big band era. Luckily, they play this on the digital music channels under songs of the season. I spent one day listening to it drinking irish coffees (my traditions are different – don’t judge, hehe) and hey, instant holiday cheer!

    Quix said
    on
    December 17, 2009 at 12:52 pm

    D’oh, and I also meant to say Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year, and see ya in 2010. I hope to have written something by then. πŸ˜›

kathy said
on
December 17, 2009 at 12:55 pm

I DID enjoy the Carol of the Bells – thanks for that!

Biz said
on
December 17, 2009 at 12:59 pm

I have heard the Mariah Carey song about 15 times already!

And grandma got run over by a raindeer – I kinda want to slit my wrists when I hear that one.

See you next week Charlie! πŸ˜€

Emi said
on
December 17, 2009 at 2:06 pm

I think that:

Do They Know It’s Christmas β€” Band Aid

Take the cake for awful Christmas songs. I mean, come on. Talk about no tolerance for other people’s culture.

Kyddryn said
on
December 17, 2009 at 2:23 pm

I’ll listen to Trans Siberian Orchestra any time…and frequently do! Their rendition of Carol of the Bells is tremendous.

Also The Gift, sung by Aislin Debison…holy wow, does that child have a sweet voice.

For the most part, I don’t listen to radio – I have much love for my iPod and have a Yule list on it so I can listen to what I like rather than what commercial radio wants me to hear. The play list is mostly TSO with some GRP Jazz mixed in and a Bing Crosby set as well. I love it when the Evil Genius sings along to the TSO, and we rock out together to several of their songs. We must look a sight on the highway!

Happy Christmachannukwanzika…see you next year!

Shade and Sweetwater,
K

Stephanie said
on
December 17, 2009 at 4:11 pm

I love holiday music – the old fashioned, folky kind. There was a great Pandora channel for it last year but they took it off this year. πŸ™
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Jason said
on
December 17, 2009 at 6:39 pm

Wonderful!

Joey said
on
December 21, 2009 at 6:47 pm

“Santa Baby” should come with a side of arsenic.

And why would anyone attempt to cover “Feliz Navidad”? What’s the point?

Joey said
on
December 21, 2009 at 6:53 pm

The problem is, there are just too many references to Jesus in all these Christmas songs.

tuscanystone said
on
December 22, 2009 at 1:08 pm

Ahhh, a rant close to my heart <3

Fairy Tale of New York is my fave tho, can listen to that one all the time.

Merry Xmas and much Happiness for 2010

Tusc πŸ˜€

Tony said
on
December 24, 2009 at 5:22 pm

Wow, a music only version of Ding, fries are done. How beautiful.

Sagan said
on
December 28, 2009 at 1:38 pm

I think I listened to Christmas songs exactly one day this year: while baking cookies at my mum’s place. The rest of the time, I was all about the normal music. Holiday tunes get a little excessive!