1. Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season (Andy Williams) - We lost him last September, but classic songs like this one will assure he is never forgotten. "Whoop de do, and hickory dock - and don't forget to hang up your sock!" Good stuff.
2. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays (*NSYNC) - Justin, Lance and the gang serve up some 90's holiday spirit. Chris Kirkpatrick would go on to guest star on the "Simpsons" TV show! Not sure what happened to any of the other members...
3. The Cowboys' Christmas Ball (the Killers) - Great holiday song from the Las Vegas band, and the proceeds go to the Product Red campaign, to fight AIDS in Africa!
4. Up on the Housetop (Reba McEntire) - Reba gives the holiday standard a bluesy, barnstorming edge.
5. I Think It Was December (Wendy & Lisa) - Prince sidekicks did this on their 1989 album, "Fruit at the Bottom". It was never a hit, but always takes me back to Christmas and the college days.
6. Baby It's Cold Outside (Colbie Caillat & Gavin DeGraw) - For some reason I figured I'd hate this CD (Christmas in the Sand), but have to admit it's really fun. This is her duet with Gavin DeGraw. She also does a great version of "Merry Christmas Baby" with Brad Paisley.
7. Donde Esta Santa Claus (Augie Rios) - I first became aware of this song via the Guster version, but when I found out it was a cover, I tracked down the original - which is from 1958. Cute in a not-so-politically-correct way!
8. Light of the Stable (Emmylous Harris) - This lady's voice sounds like an angel! Every time I hear her I'm blown away. No wonder she's won 12 Grammys.
9. You Raise Me Up (Secret Garden) - Josh Groban made it a hit, but I kinda dig the original version.
10. Christmas Vacation (Mavis Staples) - A little gem from the movie soundtrack. This needs to be more widely available!!!
11. Miracle (Matisyahu) - We don't want to forget our Jewish friends during the holidays. Not sure if this is a Hanukkah song, per se, but I like it.
12. Little Saint Nick (the Beach Boys) - Another classic single that I never get tired of.
13. All I Want for Christmas Is You (Vince Vance and the Valiants) - Fun facts from Wikipedia: This is the most-played Christmas song on Country Radio! The vocals are NOT by Vince, but by Lisa Layne! I was SO glad to read that. I wasn't sure, but suspected Vince might be a eunuch.
14. Pretty Paper (Glen Campbell) - I just love classic country. This is from Glen's 1968 holiday album "That Christmas Feeling". Clearly paper cuts were not as painful back then as they are now.
15. The Gift (Jim Brickman featuring Collin Raye and Susan Ashton) - DON'T HATE. This is a guilty pleasure.
16. Angel (Madonna) - Not a Christmas song, but not entirely out of left field. I miss Madge's bubblegummy sound. She would never sing about starry-eyed infatuation these days.
17. Mele Kalikimaka (Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters) - I'm guessing the Andrews Sisters weren't fans of cold weather. Like their hit "Christmas Island", this is a song about the holidays in a tropical paradise.
18. Christmas Blues (G. Love) - Just to give my holiday playlist some Rock credibility!
19. Kissin' by the Mistletoe (Aretha Franklin) - Somehow I missed this one the first time around. Luckily Sirius radio has been playing it. From Aretha's 1962 album "The Electrifying Aretha Franklin" which was not a holiday collection but a mix of jazz standards.
20. Christmas Won't Be the Same Without You (Plain White T's) - Tee hee! This is from a Target collection, but still a fun song.
21. Same Old Lang Syne (Dan Fogelberg) - I wasn't a fan of this for a long time, but as I've grown into middle-age and can relate to the story it tells, the song is becoming more and more poignant to me. I guess Fogelberg is an acquired taste.
22. The Christmas Waltz (Nancy Wilson) - Nancy closes us out with this cool-as-ice rendition of the holiday classic.
Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! Stay warm and I'll see you in 2013!!!
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