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Most Annoying Christmas Songs

vchimpanzee said:
Pretty much everything that wasn't recorded before 1960 by someone. And most versions of the good songs when today's artists attempt them. In fact, even versions recorded as far back as the 60s.

I'll single out Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime".
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I found a version that was even worse. Auto-tune and other garbage that sounds like AC stations of this decade. It's shameful that I should be subjected to that in stores when this time of year they can take a break from that style of music.
 
I learned something new here. I thought the dreadful, "This Christmas," was written by Taylor Swift. She's more talented than I thought for only recording it!
 
vchimpanzee said:
I found a version that was even worse. Auto-tune and other garbage that sounds like AC stations of this decade. It's shameful that I should be subjected to that in stores when this time of year they can take a break from that style of music.
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Auto-Tune takes a lot of heat around here, but I'm wondering if it's often used deliberately for effect rather than to cover up vocal deficiencies, especially when the processing is so noticeable as to make the voice sound artificial. Also, do "respected" veteran performers also use it in studio to ensure a perfect take or is it just the favorite targets of the get-off-my-lawn generation (Bieber, Swift, Beyonce, Gaga, etc.) who are the offenders?
 
wadio said:
I learned something new here. I thought the dreadful, "This Christmas," was written by Taylor Swift. She's more talented than I thought for only recording it!
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I think Donny Hathaway did an early version, but yes, that song is beyond annoying, especially by recent artists. That whine has zero connection to me and to any memories Christmas has provided. Thankfully, our local AC 106.3 ignores that one.
 
CTListener said:
Auto-Tune takes a lot of heat around here, but I'm wondering if it's often used deliberately for effect rather than to cover up vocal deficiencies, especially when the processing is so noticeable as to make the voice sound artificial. Also, do "respected" veteran performers also use it in studio to ensure a perfect take or is it just the favorite targets of the get-off-my-lawn generation (Bieber, Swift, Beyonce, Gaga, etc.) who are the offenders?
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Music was great without it for countless decades. Why today?? Just because it's "tech", does not mean it's good. In fact, it sucks. I'd gladly hear a genuine song from eons ago, over one that is doctored today. And I am not even close to the "lawn" generation, in fact nearly a quarter century away from it.
 
oldies76 said:
Music was great without it for countless decades. Why today?? Just because it's "tech", does not mean it's good. In fact, it sucks. I'd gladly hear a genuine song from eons ago, over one that is doctored today. And I am not even close to the "lawn" generation, in fact nearly a quarter century away from it.
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Bob Dylan and Neil Young don't use autotune. If two of the world's worst singers (but greatest songwriters) don't need it, nobody else needs it either. ;)
 
A few days back I heard what I think is the worst version of My Favorite Things, that I found out was by Barbra Streisand. She manages to drag the song out slower than usual. I'll admit I'm niot a fan of her music but to me this is the worst version I've heard.
 
CTListener said:
Auto-Tune takes a lot of heat around here, but I'm wondering if it's often used deliberately for effect rather than to cover up vocal deficiencies, especially when the processing is so noticeable as to make the voice sound artificial. Also, do "respected" veteran performers also use it in studio to ensure a perfect take or is it just the favorite targets of the get-off-my-lawn generation (Bieber, Swift, Beyonce, Gaga, etc.) who are the offenders?
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My objection to auto-tune is the way it makes the voice sound metallic. This is not necessarily a bad thing if the effect is beneficial in some way, but in this case, to me it wasn't.

I find it hard to believe Gaga does it because having heard her do my kind of music, I know she's talented and doesn't need anything.
 
anotherguy said:
A few days back I heard what I think is the worst version of My Favorite Things, that I found out was by Barbra Streisand. She manages to drag the song out slower than usual. I'll admit I'm niot a fan of her music but to me this is the worst version I've heard.
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I'm a big fan or her but that doesn't sound pleasant. I'd have to hear the song but I'm not sure I have.
 
wadio said:
I learned something new here. I thought the dreadful, "This Christmas," was written by Taylor Swift. She's more talented than I thought for only recording it!
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Gloria Estefan's version is pretty bad. She's talented, of course, but I have no desire to listen to the instrumentals that accompany her.
 
wadio said:
Just to clarify, the song title is, "LAST Christmas." My error.
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Yes Taylor was one of many people who covered it. She was 15 years old when she recorded it.

It is one of the most popular recent Christmas compositions, with about 20 different covers.
 
oldies76 said:
I believe there's only ONE Christmas song from the entire 40's decade that gets played regularly today and that's of course, "White Christmas"

My point is (trying to explain to Big A) is that the ratio of classics being played (Christmas classics vs. regular classic hits) is beyond lopsided. You have thousands of potential classic hits / oldies a station can choose and play versus a relatively small handful of Christmas songs from the 50s thru the 80's.

A library can consist of thousands of oldies & classic hits, but only a couple hundred Christmas songs, from which I play only 120. I mean how many versions of "Sleigh Ride" do you really need? I might have six, including the instrumental by LeRoy Anderson. And of course you have the great non-carols, like "Driving Home For Christmas" by Chris Rea.
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Can you think of any other really big Christmas hits from the 1940's, because I can't and interesting enough that white Christmas won Irving Berlin his only Oscar, from when Bing Crosby sang it in Holiday Inn, and he sang the song again in White Christmas, and that song has gone on to be covered by many different artists.
 
CTListener said:
Auto-Tune takes a lot of heat around here, but I'm wondering if it's often used deliberately for effect rather than to cover up vocal deficiencies, especially when the processing is so noticeable as to make the voice sound artificial. Also, do "respected" veteran performers also use it in studio to ensure a perfect take or is it just the favorite targets of the get-off-my-lawn generation (Bieber, Swift, Beyonce, Gaga, etc.) who are the offenders?
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Auto-Tune is used because the technology is available. There have always been enhancements made to singers' voices to make them sound better. I'll never forget watching one of my favorite groups sing live on tv in the summer of 1965 when I was eight years old. The group sounded terrible. The beautiful harmonies on their 45 sounded like screaming into the microphone. I remember asking my dad, "How come they sound so great on the record but so awful singing live?" My dad told me "They have so many tricks they use in the recording studio to make these singers sound so much better than they really are." And that was 54 years ago.
 
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