Christmas has more songs than all other holidays combined. It's true. I did the math, don't look it up. Since there are so many Christmas classics, they can become routine or just part of the background noise. However, a few stand out each year that bring a smile to your face or remind you of fond Christmases past.
So please enjoy The Browmunity's fondest yuletide tunes and take sometime to give each a listen as you sip hot cocoa by the fire.
“O Tannenbaum” - Vince Guaraldi Trio
The greatest Christmas album ever composed is the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas. The opening track sets the stage for a beautiful and iconic jazz album that sounds like snow falling outside of your living room window. I’d like to watch a live stream through a window in some stranger's living room in a random midwestern town. I want snow to be falling at a steady and comfortable pace, and I want this album, A Charlie Brown Christmas, to be playing on repeat.
-- Keith Miller
"Sleigh Ride" - Boston Pops Orchestra
This is purely instrumental, and purely enjoyable! It will take you back to the time you were in high school band and envied the one percussion player (fucking Kevin Shaw) who, in front of everyone and their familes, got to play the slapsticks (see 1:10 for example). The sound of the slapsticks is thrilling and I personally slap my ass on tempo everytime it plays. In fact, I’ve been humming and slapping to this song since Dec 1 and I don’t plan on stopping. My cats get nervous, my boyfriend annoyed, but I’ll never stop slapping to Sleigh Ride by the Boston Pops Orchestra.
-- Erin Evers
“Jingle Bell Rock” - The Muppets
Neil Diamond, George Strait, and even Hilary Duff have all covered this Christmas classic. But none of them came even close to the pure gem that a group of hand puppets was able to create. But one hand puppet specifically really brought the house down with his performance. I’m talking about the one and only Animal. Name a more talented drummer than Animal from The Muppets. If you say Dave Grohl, then you don’t know music. His energy and wild hair alone make this cover of “Jingle Bell Rock” the best ever performed.
-- Caleb Tackes
"Hallelujah" - Carrie Underwood and John Legend
This song came out last year during 2020 when Christmas spirits were quite low. The pair’s voices blend well together and make the song extremely powerful. This is the song that got me into the true Christmas spirit of giving to others and bringing family/friends together when social distancing was still very much a thing.
I am happy I found it and that I get to listen to it again this year in another round of Coronavirus- Holiday Edition Spectacular ft. the Omicron variant.
-- Ashley T.
"Dominick the Donkey" - Lou Monte
I’m not sure why this is a Christmas song. Who is this famous Dominick? Do they use donkeys instead of reindeer in Italian Christmas folklore? While I don’t have these answers I do know this song is a Christmas classic. Unlike Rudolph, who was only looking for his chance at fame and making it all about himself, Dominick stepped in when it was needed. Santa couldn’t deliver gifts (from Brooklyn) to the children in Italy because of the steep hills. Dominick took charge and traversed those steep hills of Italy to make sure everyone could celebrate Christmas. A true hero (unlike that fraud Rudolph). This heroic ballad is a must listen to every Christmas. Let’s all give a big Hee-Haw in honor of Dominick, the Italian Christmas Donkey.
--Kyle Gosiewski
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" - by anyone who felt like singing it
This song is one of those classics that will forever be synonymous with Christmas, perfectly encapsulating all the warm and fuzzy feelings Christmas is about. It’s the song that really has it all: Santa, Presents, Family, and ADULTERY?!?! That’s right people not only has Santa been unfaithful to Mrs. Clause, but he’s dragging an innocent wife into his adulterous ways.
So much drama, so much heartache all in one song, telling the tragic story of a young child watching his parent's marriage fall apart before his very eyes. On Christmas no less. But there's an important lesson underneath this beautiful song for us not to take those around us for granted and always keep our loved ones near us. And isn't that what Christmas is all about? But, unless your cool with Santa frenching your mom, there's one more thing to remember every Christmas before Santa slides down your chimney and into your mom's dm's and it's:
Hide your kids
Hide your wife
Cause santa’s kissing everyone round here.
I didn't and like Santa's been dating my mom for like a year now. He wants me to start calling him Dad and I'm all like no bro you're like all Santa and stuff, I'm not calling you dad, that's weird. Anyway its like super weird and uncomfortable just like hide your wife. Santa's got game...
-- Mario Garza
If you're looking for some alternative December tunes not so Christmas-oriented, please also check out Highbrow Lowbrow's December playlist. Make sure to follow us Spotify while you're there for monthly playlists and a whole lot more.
