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Dec
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Posted by maureen
December 21, 2006 |
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Christmas music is an important part of family gatherings all over the world and as traditional as the tree and all the trimmings. Most people have one song or carol that says Christmas more than any other. The biggest selling Christmas Song ever is Bing Crosby’s recording of White Christmas, which has sold over 100 million copies around the world. Here is a list of Christmas music worth listening to from all genres and some of my favorites:
- The Great Voices of Christmas. This is my personal favorite and the one that says Christmas to me. Luciano Pavarotti and Leontyne Price are among the artist on this album of classical favorites. Beautiful voices and wonderful music make this a must for my collection.
- Simply The Best Christmas Album. I like this one because it’s a mix of classical Christmas favorites from Bach and Vivaldi and standard Christmas favorites from a variety of artists. Great album with over 2 hours of music
- Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy [CD-Single]. Performed by David Bowie & Bing Crosby. A very unlikely pairing produced another one of my favorite Christmas songs. It was originally performed on a 1977 Christmas special and is a beautiful rendition of a classic song. Simple but great.
- Christmas Time Again. I wanted to include a rock’n’roll Christmas album and this is a great one. The album has plenty of typical Skynyrd here but it also has some surprises. I liked the sensitive, acoustic instrumental treatments of Greensleeves
- A Rock ‘N’ Roll Christmas. Another one for the Rock “N” Roll fans. Nice mix of the punkish Father Christmas (Santa gets beat up!) by The Kinks, Chuck Berry’s bluesy “Merry Christmas Baby.” and Elvin Bishop’s funky arrangement of “Silent Night”. I liked Jon Bon Jovi’s version of “I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas”
- A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector. Darlene Love, The Crystals, The Ronettes, Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans, contribute on this timeless album. A classic oldie from 1963 and one that I bring out every year.
- If Every Day Was Like Christmas. Whether you are an Elvis fan or not you’ll appreciate this album. It includes all of the Christmas songs Elvis recorded. I particularly like his version of “Silent night”
- Now That’s What I Call Christmas! If you want an album that has it all then this is a great Christmas album. It has a good selection of the old and new and is another that gets lots of playing time.
- Diana Krall: Christmas Songs. A great album for anyone who likes listening to Diana Krall ‘s sultry smooth voice singing holiday standards like “Let it Snow “ and “Jingle Bells”
- A Very Special Christmas. This album was released in 1987 to benefit the Special Olympics. In my mind it’s also the best in the series. Some of the great performers on the album include Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, Sting and Bruce Springsteen.
Happy listening!
Comments
Great choices, its interesting who comes out of the woodwork and releases Christmas albums these days. There are lots of great new tunes also, but the classics are timeless.