• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Favorite (forgotten?) Christmas songs

firepoint525

firepoint525

Sort of the counterpunch to the "annoying Christmas songs" thread. What are your forgotten favorites that maybe don't get played as much anymore? Post youtube links if you have them! Since nearly every major recording artist has covered nearly every major Christmas song, I'm sure that there are some good ones hiding out there as album tracks, and they MIGHT get played on the longform Christmas programming on Christmas eve/day, but that is about it.

One of my favorites of this category would have to be "One Little Christmas Tree" by Stevie Wonder. Always reminded me of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KS11sl3CLw
 
The Impressions' "Amen." WRKO Boston -- and I assume all the other Drake-consulted Top 40s of the day -- had it in their Christmas rotations for years in the late '60s/early '70s. I can't remember the last time I heard it on radio, at any time of the years.
 
Same here. That song (We Need a Little Christmas) gets airplay where I live. Don't know what kind of station would forego not airing that classic.

My forgotten favorites? Well, many of them get aired on stations outside the major markets of course.

'Christmas Here With You' Four Tops - with a featured appearance by Aretha Franklin! The late great Levi Stubbs is on lead of course and his singing is great.

'Silent Night' The Temptations - The most beautiful version of Silent Night, with the narration by Dennis Edwards, and yet you can't find it on any major-market station (well, perhaps sprinkled on KJLH...maybe). I'd replace HALF of the All I Want for Xmas is You airings with this one.

'You Make it Feel Like Christmas' Neil Diamond - a classic IMO that doesn't get a lot of airplay anymore, yet the Gwen & Blake song of the same name (different lyrics) gets more airplay.

'This Christmas' Jeffrey Osborne - This was one of the first versions of this song I remember listening to. I almost never hear it anymore. Gets you into the holiday spirit! Was not released on his Christmas album - actually came from the Winter Solstice on Ice album that was released in tandem with the 1999 A&E special.

'Skating' Vince Guaraldi - While O Tannenbaum and the Linus & Lucy song are often heard from A Charlie Brown Xmas, this one isn't.

Just about everything from Luther Vandross's holiday album, including 'A Kiss for Christmas' and 'Every Year, Every Christmas.' Amazing stuff. I miss him.

'My Name is Christmas Carol' Skip Ewing - A country song, but very touching. Lyrics describe a man playing Santa Claus who meets a girl who lives at the children's home...and he adopts her on Xmas day!

'Merry Christmas Baby' Charles Brown & Bonnie Raitt - Heard in some markets, not in others. No words for this masterpiece from the Very Special Christmas 2 album.
 
vchimpanzee said:
I'm pretty sure I do. According to iHeart's web site, I hear a lot of Percy Faith.

Now if I could only hear him the rest of the year.
Click to expand...

Now if radio would just add:

Theme From "A Summer Place"
Theme From "Moulin Rouge"
Delicado
 
oldies76 said:
Now if radio would just add:

Theme From "A Summer Place"
Theme From "Moulin Rouge"
Delicado
Click to expand...

These songs are on MY playlist.....! Oldies Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM.......
Of course, you gotta be in range of my part 15 FM station to hear them....
1 milliwatt doesn't travel too far......!:(
 
crainbebo said:
'You Make it Feel Like Christmas' Neil Diamond - a classic IMO that doesn't get a lot of airplay anymore, yet the Gwen & Blake song of the same name (different lyrics) gets more airplay.
Click to expand...
On America's Best Music right now. Unfortunately. I like him at other times of year but he doesn't have the right voice for Christmas music in my opinion.
 
There's one Christmas song that I haven't heard in United States and it's very popular in United Kingdom, Ireland, rest of Europe, Australia, and Canada is

DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS by CHRIS RHEA

https://youtu.be/czhZbqpyBm8

I'm not sure if any radio stations in the United States play this song. I heard this song when I was vacationing in Vancouver BC and they played on CHQM QM/FM 103.5 and CHLG 104.3 THE BREEZE.
 
e-dawg said:
There's one Christmas song that I haven't heard in United States and it's very popular in United Kingdom, Ireland, rest of Europe, Australia, and Canada is

DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS by CHRIS RHEA

https://youtu.be/czhZbqpyBm8

I'm not sure if any radio stations in the United States play this song. I heard this song when I was vacationing in Vancouver BC and they played on CHQM QM/FM 103.5 and CHLG 104.3 THE BREEZE.
Click to expand...

I've heard it on the Holiday Pop mix from Muzak that the Lowe's store I work at is using.

Several Motown Christmas songs were mentioned and that made me remember the album A Motown Christmas from 1973, although a lot of the songs were from the 60's: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mn9saxouy8bWtRLhc0X6xPUYNOuQsJazs This was the first Christmas album that I bought where it was my choice, not something my parents had bought, and I've always liked it. I still listen to it on You Tube or downloads.
 
Last edited:
gr8oldies said:
The last time I ever heard Theme from Moulin Rouge on the radio was on a Beautiful Music station in the late 70s.
Click to expand...
For me it was WAVO several years ago. In 2018 the fund-raisers weren't keeping the station's standards format on the air so it went back to Christian talk.
 
e-dawg said:
There's one Christmas song that I haven't heard in United States and it's very popular in United Kingdom, Ireland, rest of Europe, Australia, and Canada is

DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS by CHRIS RHEA

https://youtu.be/czhZbqpyBm8

I'm not sure if any radio stations in the United States play this song. I heard this song when I was vacationing in Vancouver BC and they played on CHQM QM/FM 103.5 and CHLG 104.3 THE BREEZE.
Click to expand...
I've heard it but I don't think I did this year.
 
vchimpanzee said:
I've heard it but I don't think I did this year.
Click to expand...

someone mentioned annoying christmas songs. Barking dogs Jingle Bells used to get airplay a lot in the 70's and 80's and now you seldom here it. The same with Christmas Shoes and Grandma got run over by a Reindeer. I'm sorta glad those are dying out. They wore out their welcome years ago. Another rare one that you never hear anymore is Cajun Night Before Christmas and Laughing Jingle Bells. What about I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas and Snoopy and the Red Baron by Royal Guardians.
 
Pat3 said:
someone mentioned annoying christmas songs. Barking dogs Jingle Bells used to get airplay a lot in the 70's and 80's and now you seldom here it. The same with Christmas Shoes and Grandma got run over by a Reindeer. I'm sorta glad those are dying out. They wore out their welcome years ago. Another rare one that you never hear anymore is Cajun Night Before Christmas and Laughing Jingle Bells. What about I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas and Snoopy and the Red Baron by Royal Guardians.
Click to expand...

Snoopy's Christmas (not Snoopy and the Red Baron) by the Royal Guardsmen (not Royal Guardians) is still a mainstay of Christmas playlists up this way. Grandma also has not been forgotten yet, not has Christmas Shoes. Singing (not Barking) Dogs' Jingle Bells pretty much disappeared more than a decade ago. But this thread is about fondly remembered forgotten songs.
 
On NPR's "Weekend Edition" I heard "Once in Royal David's City" performed by a soloist who seemed to be a member of a boy's choir. Normally they end that show with what they call music, but today it really was music. They introduced the report with a big church organ. Some NPR stations will be broadcasting a church service this week from Cambridge.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom