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Christmas music vs. winter music

"Winter World of Love" by Engelbert Humperdinck was played on WAVO, but it's not all Christmas yet. I have to believe that they were just playing that as part of the regular playlist and not one of the Christmas/winter songs.
 
"Candyman" wasn't played as a Christmas song but it could be. America's Best Music is still just doing one Christmas song after each news break or commercial break.
 
I always enjoy hearing Hanukkah music when they show a menorah and other decorations on TV when they do station identification. I wonder why we don't hear more of that?

No, I don't mean that Adam Sandler song. I mean real, serious but fun music.
 
vchimpanzee said:
I need to respond to some of the comments on this page.

I don't like hearing CCM artists do Christmas music. I don't want to hear CCM artists at all. Amy Grant has done one or two songs that didn't sound too bad, but Aaron Shust's "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" showed up on America's Best Music. That one will make me change the station. America's Best Music also has played a song by Point of Grace that gets on my nerves.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an abomination. Their "Canon" with the kids is nice, though.

From what I understand. Mannheim Steamroller are talented classically trained musician who not only play in the rock style but also play Rennasainse and other ancient instruments and styles. Transiberian Orchestra is nothing more that a rock band that tries to play classical music in a rock style. Using a guitar pick instead of fingers, rock style chord changes and putting in a choir to make them look credible. Some of their stuff is very good, but most of it is choppy, loud and sloppy. Not even up to "Nickelback" standards. Oh, and the lead singer sounds like a frog with a frog stuck in his throat.
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The theme song to Peanuts, in my opinion, is not a Christmas song. Heck it's not even a winter song! It's just a cartoon theme song and nothing else to me. I know that there is a Charlie Brown Christmas special but why do stations feel the need to play the Peanuts theme mostly during Christmas? If that's the case, then why not play the Alvin and the Chipmunks theme while we're ahead?
 
As I see it, there are three types of "Christmas Song":

1. "Winter songs." Songs whose lyrics paint a picture of winter, but are not specifically about Christmas. Eg. "Jingle Bells," "Sleigh Ride,"

2. "Secular Christmas Songs," which mention Santa, elves, reindeer, Christmas trees and decorations, etc. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer," "Deck the Halls," etc.

3. "Religious Christmas Songs," which, of course, mention the Nativity: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, angels, etc. "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy," "Do You Hear What I Hear," etc.

During a little downtime yesterday (12/25) I analyzed the daily playlist of KKGO 105.1 in LA (playing all Christmas music). For the first 12 hours of 12/15/2017, 21% of the songs played were winter songs, 63% were secular Christmas songs, and 16% were religious Christmas songs.


A few notes:

* I didn't hear "My Favorite Things" this year on KKGO, as I did last year. (That song just barely qualifies as a Winter song)

* Neither did I hear "Same Old Lang Syne" (didn't hear it last year on KKGO, either)

* Did the song "Let It Go" (from the movie Frozen) ever get any Christmas-time airplay after 2013? It seems to me to qualify as a "Winter song." On the other hand, who knows, maybe everyone's just burnt out on Frozen.

* I haven't analyzed the playlist for KOST, the other LA station playing Christmas music. Maybe I will and compare the two stations.
 
radiocph said:
As I see it, there are three types of "Christmas Song":

1. "Winter songs." Songs whose lyrics paint a picture of winter, but are not specifically about Christmas. Eg. "Jingle Bells," "Sleigh Ride,"

2. "Secular Christmas Songs," which mention Santa, elves, reindeer, Christmas trees and decorations, etc. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer," "Deck the Halls," etc.

3. "Religious Christmas Songs," which, of course, mention the Nativity: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, angels, etc. "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy," "Do You Hear What I Hear," etc.
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A "2 1/2" category -- between Secular and Religious -- would include such songs as "The Christmas Song," "White Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." These songs acknowledge that Christmas is going on, but treat it as a time to get together with family and friends -- a snowy extension of Thanksgiving. No mention of trees or tinsel or scampering snowmen, flying reindeer or fat men slipping down chimneys, but no religious references either.
 
With Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas it depends on how it's sung. Most versions will use the line "If the fates allow," but some versions, especially with Christian singers, will use "If the Lord allows" instead, so there can be at least a slight religious reference in it.
 
freqlost said:
Stop the Cavalry.
Not a Christmas song.
It is a anti-war/anti nuke song.
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I've not heard this song on the radio....but a quick check of the lyrics brings up "but it's very cold out here in the snow" and "Wish I was home for Christmas" so I imagine it could fit in, especially on a station that normally plays an "edgier" format.

At any event, John Lennon's "War Is Over" gets played to death at Christmas time, why should this song not be played?
 
radiocph said:
2. "Secular Christmas Songs," which mention Santa, elves, reindeer, Christmas trees and decorations, etc. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer," "Deck the Halls," etc.

3. "Religious Christmas Songs," which, of course, mention the Nativity: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, angels, etc. "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy," "Do You Hear What I Hear," etc.
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There are some that could be either.

This isn't really the Christmas message but "Here Comes Santa Claus" has references to prayer and giving thanks to the Lord.

"Carol of the Bells" isn't religious but I have heard it done with Christian lyrics. I discovered that when it is, it is called "Ring Christmas Bells". Ray Conniff has the most played recording, as far as I know.
 
E-Cam said:
The theme song to Peanuts, in my opinion, is not a Christmas song. Heck it's not even a winter song! It's just a cartoon theme song and nothing else to me. I know that there is a Charlie Brown Christmas special but why do stations feel the need to play the Peanuts theme mostly during Christmas? If that's the case, then why not play the Alvin and the Chipmunks theme while we're ahead?
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I agree about "Linus and Lucy" but it's a great song and we hardly ever get to hear it otherwise.
 
radiocph said:
At any event, John Lennon's "War Is Over" gets played to death at Christmas time
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I wondered why I had never heard this one. The web site where I listen to WMAG shows the title and artist. I was hearing the words "So this is Christmas". Now I get it.

Uh-oh. I turned off the sound when Kelly Clarkson was doing something terrible. I just looked up and saw "Christmas/Sarajevo" where it is supposed to say what web site I am on. That's like being told click here to be startled by Freddy Krueger.
 
vchimpanzee said:
There are some that could be either.

This isn't really the Christmas message but "Here Comes Santa Claus" has references to prayer and giving thanks to the Lord.
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To me, a "religious" Christmas song is about the Nativity (Jesus' birth). The religious references in "Here Comes Santa Claus" are more like something you'd tell a child, "Say your prayers before going to bed." But the song is primarily about Santa, putting it in the secular camp.


"Carol of the Bells" isn't religious but I have heard it done with Christian lyrics. I discovered that when it is, it is called "Ring Christmas Bells". Ray Conniff has the most played recording, as far as I know.
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It was based on a traditional Ukrainian folk song heralding the coming of Spring. The lyrics it has now were written in the 1930s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_of_the_Bells
It's "originally not a religious song" like "The Star-Spangled Banner" is "originally not a patriotic song," I suppose....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Anacreon_in_Heaven
If I had to put it in one box or another, I'd lean toward sticking it into the "Religious" box, at least in the US, due to how it was introduced to the American public.
 
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radiocph said:
It was based on a traditional Ukrainian folk song heralding the coming of Spring. The lyrics it has now were written in the 1930s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_of_the_Bells
It's "originally not a religious song" like "The Star-Spangled Banner" is "originally not a patriotic song," I suppose....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Anacreon_in_Heaven
If I had to put it in one box or another, I'd lean toward sticking it into the "Religious" box, at least in the US, due to how it was introduced to the American public.
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There are different lyrics in the Ray Conniff version. Those are definitely religious and about the nativity.
 
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