Top 10 Overplayed Christmas Songs of All Time

You know it's coming and you dread it. The Holiday season is upon us and you know what that means-your airwaves will be filled with Christmas music. It's not that you mind Christmas music, mind you. It's just that you know, before long, you will hear THOSE SONGS. You know the ones... those songs that make you groan as if you've had too much fruitcake and you think that if you have to hear it one more time, you might very well rip your hair out and check into an institution. Not the classics, which you don't mind, but those songs that aren't necessarily that good or bad (though many aren't that great), yet you hear nearly every time you turn on the radio...and if you try to skip to another station-THERE IT IS AGAIN!

I present now, for your groans and screams of fright, the Top 10 Most overplayed Christmas songs.

10. My Grown Up Christmas List-Kelly Clarkson (2003): This one is only a few years old, and I was sick of it from year one. First of all, there are better versions of this song (as in, Natalie Cole's...Or Michael Buble's...or Clay Aiken's...). Secondly, I get it-she won a singing "competition". I understand. Can you please stop playing the song now (over and over and over)?

9. Christmas Shoes-Newsong (1996): OK, at first, this song was really touching. However, its constant saturation during the Holiday Season has made it unsympathetic and quite annoying. Additionally, let's be completely honest here...This song, intended to remind people of the spirit of Christmas, has actually made people feel the opposite from having heard it so much. No one minds a few sentimental tears at Christmas, but no one wants to be brought down every time they listen to the radio at Christmas, not to mention that hearing it so often just de-sensitizes people to the message anyway and instead invokes a feeling of, what has been described to me by others as "A deep desire to want to hurt someone badly every time I hear this song start."

8. Last Christmas-Wham (1984): Honestly. This song was not so bad at first, especially back in 1984. However, it is NOT so good that it needs to be on heavy rotation. Hearing this song so often makes you actually feel sorry for the "dumper" in the song, rather than the "dumpee". I love Christmas music with a seeming unhealthy passion, but if this was the last Christmas song on earth or else I had to go without, I'd probably just go without.

7. Same Auld Lang Syne-Dan Fogelberg (1981): First of all, why is it that if a song says one word or reference about Christmas, suddenly it is a "Christmas song"? It really isn't. It wasn't even on a Holiday album when first released. Secondly, it's another of those "bring you down" tunes and who needs that at Christmas-especially at the frequency with which this one is played? In essence, the storyline is," I caught up with an ex, we had nothing to talk about so we drank, we realized time changed and that we couldn't go back. It stopped snowing and the moment was over. We went back to our own lives for Christmas. The end." Gosh, I just feel all warm and fuzzy and Christmas-y now.

6. All I Want For Christmas Is You-Mariah Carey (1994): Dear radio programmers, please, PLEASE stop playing this song! Very likeable and catchy at first, one could even find him or her self humming along even after the song had ended. The only problem now is that you can just hum along between rotations (and you won't be humming long at all). Radio has killed the joy from this song by playing it so often. As if to illustrate the point, as this article was being written, the song began to play. The station was switched, only to find on the new station as well. Stop already, for goodness sake!

5. Santa Claus is Coming To Town-Bruce Springsteen (1978): It's almost blasphemy for a Jersey girl to include this song on a list like this, but honesty prevails, and in all honesty, this song is played way too often during the holidays. Mind you, the first few times, it can bring a smile, especially with the introduction of the song mentioning it being "all cold along the boardwalk". However, after hearing it several times, not only are you deaf from listening, but hoarse from singing along and there are better versions out there with people actually singing the lyrics as opposed to shouting them in the key of "The Boss". Hearing this version screamed over the airwaves several times a season will not increase the number of people who like it.

4. Step Into Christmas-Elton John (1973): Like the one before it, it was very hard to include or even imagine including, any Elton John song as being overplayed (except maybe those singles from "The Lion King"...) Unfortunately, this one had to be listed. Not only is it not the greatest song (Sorry, Elton!), but that fact seems to be ignored when being played multiple times a day from Mid-November through Christmas. Again, oversaturation won't make it a better song.

3. Happy Christmas, War Is Over-John Lennon (1971): I know it is a sin to include the late, great John Lennon like this but if you think about it, this song truly does belong here, and in the top 3. For a song proclaiming that "War is over, (if you want it)", it has been played in an increasingly growing amount over the past few years-you know, while war actually is NOT over, no matter how much we DO want it? The frequency of plays of this song smacks of preaching to the choir. Unfortunately, playing this song over and over will not end the war. And, while we're here, if the radio programmers would stop playing OTHER versions of this song, that would be even better. Like "Imagine", it is a signature Lennon song and only his voice should be heard singing it. Just not every 30 minutes...

2. Wonderful Christmas Time-Paul McCartney (1979): 2 Beatles on one list? Well, at least the list is fair and equal. This song has made previous lists of "worst Christmas songs". It's not being taken that far here, but as soon as that first note sounds, you recognize the song, like bad déjà vu. Originally a fun little ditty, this song has been overplayed to the point of dread and annoyance.

1. Do They Know It's Christmas?-Band Aid (1984): Recorded for a worthy cause in 1984, many have come to absolutely loathe this song, so why it is played as often as it is remains a mystery. First of all, NO, they probably DON'T "know it's Christmas" in Africa-and many may not care, considering Islam is one of the prominent religions in Africa, along with tribal traditions and practices. Secondly, NO "there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time", and that's a good thing because having snow will mean that the environment really is completely out of whack. Not that we should forget about those less fortunate than ourselves during the Holidays, but to hear this song every hour on the hour is just too much. Additionally, where is the song with the lyric that asks "Do they know it's Christmas in the streets of (fill in the name of any US city or poor projects of the US)"?

So, there you have it. A Top 10 list of the songs that make you groan like you've eaten too much of grandma's pumpkin pie or wish you had some more eggnog to chug. And coming very dangerously close to making this list are songs including David Foster's "Carol of the Bells" and, sadly, Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas Canon". If the programmers could back off a little on such songs (especially the later since it is a favorite at the moment) it would be greatly appreciated. Maybe instead, they could include some underplayed songs, like Queen's "Thank God It's Christmas" to take up some of the spaces occupied by these tunes.

If these songs don't make you cringe and reach for the stereo remote or the preset buttons in your car, then either you're not listening to Christmas radio or else you should probably seek help immediately. If, however, they make you run for cover, take heart! You're not alone. Happy Holidays!