Favorite Songs #9: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

To celebrate the Christmas season, I am introducing a three-fold song poll. After all, three is a significant number for this holiday (three wise men, the Trinity, etc.), so it only makes sense! What I’m asking for is your three favorite Christmas songs—but here’s the catch: you should only vote for one song in three distinct categories. These categories are as follows:

1. Religious Classics
Vote for your favorite, religiously-themed Christmas song. For example, “Silent Night,” “The First Noel,” or “Away in a Manger.” You are not, however, voting for a particular rendition of the song. It doesn’t matter if Bob Seger’s “The Little Drummer Boy” is your all-time favorite, or if anything by Mannheim Steamroller gets your sleigh bells jingling. Your vote should not be specific to a particular version, though you may note which version is your favorite. This is merely to distinguish from those cases when we’ve been blown away by the performance of a song we don’t normally care for. On the other hand, this in no way obligates you to liking every version known to humankind of your favorite song.

2. Secular Classics
Vote for your favorite secular Christmas song, such as “Jingle Bells” or “Deck the Halls.” Included in this category are what I will dub neotraditional Christmas songs. These are those songs that, while fairly contemporary (i.e., from the 20th century), have become traditional standards. For example, “The Christmas Song” (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…) or “Silver Bells.” However, once again, you are not voting for a particular version, though you may make note of such.

3. Pop Christmas Songs
Here, you are voting for your favorite Christmas song that is typically considered a pop/rock song. Naturally, these will all likely stem from the last 50 years or so, whether it’s Bobby Helm’s 1957 hit, “Jingle Bell Rock,” or (heaven forbid) Britney Spears’ “My Only Wish (This Year).” Due to the nature of this category, many songs could be unique to a particular artist, but this needn’t be the case. Despite their youth, most of these songs have also been covered numerous times.

So there you have it. Now, ‘tis the season to be voting!