Five Favorite Christmas Songs

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the holiday music.  I love it and will sing along at the top of my lungs.  My husband puts up with me and my obsession.

To give him a bit of a break, I thought I’d share my five favorite songs with you.

River by Robert Downey Jr.

Who knew Iron Man could sing!  Until I saw Robert Downey Jr. perform this on Ally McBeal, I didn’t but love this rendition of the Joni Mitchell song.

2. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon

I’m not a fan of Yoko Ono’s voice but despite her, this is a great song and gives us another look at the holiday season. It is a little sad how the world still has so many of the problems depicted in the video.

White Christmas by Bing Crosby, et al

White Christmas was one of my favorite holiday movies as a kid (that and Miracle on 34th Street). This song has been covered by many great singers but the Bing Crosby version has sold the most singles of all time (over 50 million).

Merry Christmas, Darling by the Carpenters

Here’s another artist we lost in the prime of her life. Karen Carpenter’s voice is perfect for this song written by her brother and another 19-year-old.

Holly, Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives

Rudolph, the Rednosed Reindeer premiered when I was five years old. It was my introduction to Burl Ives and this happy song.  The song’s composer, Johnny Marks, wrote many holiday standards Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, and “Run Rudolph Run” even though he was Jewish.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of music. What is your favorite holiday song?