Sit Back With Some Seasonal Sing-Alongs

It’s the holiday season, and any nondenominational figure of gift-giving customs is on their way! Yes, we are all eagerly awaiting that unique time of year in which the days shorten, knuckles dry out faster than day-old focaccia bread, lips become more chapped than a latex-clouded rave, and we all dissociate for the week-long period between Christmas and New Year’s.   

Nothing enlightens this season quite like music, and golly, do I have an extensive selection! To focus on the primary emotions and traditions of the holiday season, I’ve split this collection into four main categories: traditional Christmas tunes, modern classics, encompassing cultural music and one ultimate recommendation.   

Firstly, the classics. For a sultry evening, “Silver Bells” rings with rich pleasure. Dean Martin or Bing Crosby’s iterations compliment the mood, with Corsby’s rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” serving as a faithful follow-up. Nat King Cole swoons and croons on “The Christmas Song,” the most overt Christmas song.   

The 1950s brought along a handful of hits, most notably Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”   

The symphonic waves of “The Andy Williams Christmas Album” illustrate a bustling New York City winter, an attractive image compared to the sub-zero Canton climate.   

In this era, holiday music often turned to comedy: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Dominic the Donkey,” etc. All in good fun, of course, but no piece compares to the euphoric energy of José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad,” standing as the second time my aunt has become violent in front of a blind man.  

Later in the century, the American public attained loads of boisterous modern classics. Darlene Love began the contemporary pop era with her Phil Spector collaboration, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” Without mentioning the other-worldly songwriting, the production stands as the neatest layering of “wall-of-sound” instrumentation and bombastic vocals. Love’s opus influenced a decade of rightfully festive R&B singles, including “What Christmas Means To Me” from an adolescent Stevie Wonder and “This Christmas” by 1970s soul perfectionist Donny Hathaway.   

Joni Mitchell and John Lennon follow the calmer Christmas tone with their respective ballads, “River” and “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” This somber tone was left to rot in the ‘70s by Bruce Springsteen’s rockin’ live cover of “Santa Claus in Comin’ to Town” and The Pogues’ Celtic-inspired ode, “Fairytale of New York.”   

The 21st century saw highlights from Kanye West (“Christmas in Harlem”) and Kelly Clarkson (“Underneath the Tree”). Both songs were ultimately obscured as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” annually topped advertisements for Macy’s Black Friday Sale.   

Yet, The Vince Guaraldi Trio still overshadows the entire season with their soundtrack to 1966’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The album single-hand confirmed jazz as the defining genre of the season.   

For those who celebrate differently, I have a few recommendations. Remember, I don’t know the full scope of these respective fields; this is simply a brief list from limited research.   

“The Christians and the Pagans” by Dar Williams solidifies the all-powerful storytelling of the 1990s Boston folk scene and celebrates the traveling experiences of Yule.  

The Seinfeld theme song is now an official holiday song thanks to the real-life gatherings of “Festivus” inspired by Frank Constanza.  

Hanukkah lacked signature “sing-a-long” standards until recent decades. Of course, there is “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel” and “The Hanukkah Song,” but nobody would have expected comedian Adam Sandler to record the most memorable Hanukkah tune: “The Chanukkah Song.” I’ll also shout out Oakland rapper Daveed Diggs’ brilliant “Puppy for Hanukkah.” If there was one song in this article I recommend most, it’s obviously “Puppy for Hanukkah.”  

Similarly, Kwanzaa lacks a defining single. Instead, the holiday celebrates all forms of music from artists of African descent, from Marvin Gaye to James Brown to Ms. Lauryn Hill. Some more direct holiday songs include Lovely Hoffman’s “A Kwanzaa Song” and “Celebrate Kwanzaa” by Divinity Roxx and Aaron Nigel Smith.   

Finally, I will end with my personal favorite of all: “Silent Night.” Since 1818 in north-western Austria, the song has transcended all political forms or cultural boundaries to become the most effective ballad ever penned. I highly suggest Simon and Garfunkel’s take, “7 O’Clock News/Silent Night.”  

If you have any special holiday songs to add to this list, please tell me! Encapsulating all music into a narrow list is impossible, so I invite all collaborations. Much like the comfort of the holidays, the best part of music is its universality.