Top 10 Pop Songs for Christmas

Some of the old Christmas songs are listenable in my opinion. However, White Christmas, Jingle Bells and most of the same old, same old favorites of many have become so trite as to become cliche.

I've never quite gotten the fascination with snow at Christmas. The people who ignore the sloppy mess that accompanies snowfall are mainly kids, who are out of school for Christmas season, anyway. Jingle bells, nah. Rudolf The Red-nosed Reindeer? Please! The only song of that type I like much is Silver Bells.

Here is a list of pop songs for Christmas made up of songs, some versions of which will be familiar, some not, that while promoting Christmas spirit won't make you gag like the syrupy fare that plays on most pop radio stations at Christmastime.

Christmas Pop Song #10.
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)/ The Chipmunks
Silly as it may be, the Christmas season is not complete without this one. This is the only song of this type to hit #1 on the pop charts. It was given the lowest rating on the old American Bandstand series with Dick Clark when it was introduced. I guess it didn't have a good beat and was not easy to dance to...

We can hardly stand the wait, please Christmas don't be late.

Christmas Pop Song #9.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree/Brenda Lee.
That hiccup you hear from Brenda Lee could be from overindulgence in the old eggnog...
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear, voices singin' let's be jolly, deck the halls with boughs of holly.

Christmas Pop Song #8.
Holly Jolly Christmas/Burl Ives
There's just something about the smooth, modulated, Grandfatherly voice of Burl Ives that makes one think of Christmases past..
Oh ho the mistletoe, hung where you can see, somebody waits for you, kiss her once for me, have a holly, jolly Christmas

Christmas Pop Song #7.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/ Barenaked Ladies & Sarah MacLachlan
One doesn't have to be American to enjoy a good Christmas song, eh? Listen as these Canadians do a fine version of this Christmas favorite.

Christmas Pop Song #6.
Do They Know It's Christmastime?/ Band Aid
Some might think it's a downer to think of starving Africans or others less fortunate at Christmas, but to me, that's a big part of what Christmas is all about.

While our materialistic society obsseses over the latest gadget to acquire, there are millions of people in the world who would be happy with a good meal at Christmas. This 1984 song urges us to feed the world, let them know it's Christmastime...

Christmas Pop Song #5.
Just to show that it's okay to have a little fun at Christmas, try giving the Mercer Family Christmas by Roy D. Mercer a listen. Mercer is the creation of a couple of DJs in Tulsa, OK who prank call people, usually threatening to "open up a can of whupass".

To the tune of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, this ditty tells the story of Santa, that "fuzzy-faced free-loader", paying a visit to the Mercer's trailer on Christmas Eve. It seems Santa ordered inappropriate material on Roy's pay-per-view, "ate the goobers out of my Chex party mix" and drank the last Bud.

After throwing Santa out of his easy chair, Santa Claus had this to say: "you're gonna regret this, Roy, you shouldn't treat me so rough, after all, I'm leavin' you some pretty neat stuff", the last thing he heard as he flew past my glass was "you'd better be, Buster, or I'm whippin' yer ass".

Christmas Pop Song #4
The First Noel/Crash Test Dummies
It might seem strange to think of whiskey-voiced Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies singing a Christmas carol, but it works. You're surely familiar with the lyrics by now...

Christmas Pop Song #3
Feliz Navidad/Jose Feliciano
This song was played at Christmastime long before the influx of thousands of Latinos into Arkansas in the 1990s. Whether you hablo espanol or not, this is still a great song. Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad, prospero ano y felicidad. The second verse is in English for you sticklers.

Christmas Pop Song #2
Someday At Christmas/Stevie Wonder
Someday at Christmas men won't be boys, playing with bombs like kids play with toys, one warm December our hearts will see, a world where men are free.

As the song says, it may not be in time for you and me, but it's still worth striving for, right?

Christmas Pop Song #1
Christmastime/Bryan Adams
I know it's not too late, the world would be a better place, if we could keep the spirit more than one day in the year, send a message loud and clear, something about Christmastime, something about Christmastime, makes you wish it was Christmas every day, to see the joy in the childrens' eyes, the way that the old folks smile, says that Christmas will never go away...