BoardsFM

Loughc

Wow @Caranica fantastic list! Great stuff, well done!

Mystery Egg

I loved that! Thank you

TRS30

Brilliant @Caranica, really enjoyed those and the personal story with each.

Rikand

Great thread. A couple of my favourites didnt show up yet, but I think there are still some people to go ? So might show up yet :)

Loughc

You’re welcome to give it a go yourself if you like! The more the merrier! :)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120019360#Comment_120019360

Rikand

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120019611#Comment_120019611

I've only got about 7 favourite Christmas songs and some of them aren't technically Christmas songs.... :D

Caranica

As it's Christmas Eve here's a bonus, hidden gem, song from me - somehow I'd totally forgotten it. I know it's Dolly's song but this is my preferred version... Don't think I've ever heard any of the radio stations play this but here for Boards FM is ... Hard Candy Christmas

https://youtu.be/Zr2YvCZTKEk

Mystery Egg

Sorry that I dropped the ball on this one. I've been sick for weeks.

Would it be okay to do it in the next few weeks or are we shutting up shop on this subject until next Christmas? :)

Posy

We never shut up shop. 😁😁

Edit: I hope you are on the mend, @Mystery Egg.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120091986#Comment_120091986

You’re free to rock whenever suits you. And to echo what posy said I hope you’re on the mend now.

TRS30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120091986#Comment_120091986

Hope you are feeling better @Mystery Egg

This is still on my to-do list as well. As the guys said, we are here 24/7/365 :)

DvB

I will 100% be doing this when I get the time.

DvB

Had totally forgotten about this until I found my notes last night at home when searching through my desk drawers, am WFH tomorrow so will try & close out & get posted if I can as it looks like I have no meetings scheduled in the afternoon for a change.

DvB

Introduction

Prokofiev – Troika (from Lieutenant Kije)

For me this piece is synonymous with the Christmas build up, I still remember when Tom Dunne had his radios show on Newstalk from 9am of a morning and during the month of December he’d start the show with this piece of music. For me it’s a timeless classical Christmas masterpiece and always instantly makes me think of Christmas.

As I’ve mentioned on the forum more than once I’m a big fan of classical music & love listening to Christmas FM classical throughout the year so feel it’s fitting I get this started with my favourite piece of classical Christmas music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P81-_E1C_ck

No.10

Wham – Last Christmas

Despite being considered a Classic since its release in 1984 this one was a slow burner for me, I wasn’t a huge fan at the time and it took many years for it to grow on me to the point it has lasted the test of time and is now a solid song worthy of any of our Christmas parties, and let’s not forget the fantastic video either, the snowy backdrop & scenery is as Christmas as it gets, even if the lyrics and the video are a tad of a stretch in the believable stakes (c’mon like, Andrew and the ex on the same holiday?!?, pfft) but hey, let’s not let that get in the way of this Christmas classic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI

No.9

Greg Lake – I believe in Father Christmas

I always loved the musicality & the lyrics in this one, using a sample from my intro track was a stroke of musical genius that just brings the whole thing back full circle. The lyrics are wonderful and sum up many a journey through life & the realisation that reality rarely matches the dream od Christmas unfortunately. Beautifully structured & melodic, its another song that just reminds me of Christmas’s as a boy. This was also one of my Dad’s favourite Christmas songs so I should thank him for its continued association with Christmas as without him it would have been years later before it would have had any influence on me and my love of Christmas as it was, is, & will be in the future, for all its faults & imperfections.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfY4b1NszpY

No.8

Silent Night (Oíche Chiúin)- Sephira

Christmas FM classical & carols introduced me to this beautiful version of silent night. I love the whispered addition of ‘We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year’ that’s been added to it and the hushed tones and melody are beautiful. It’s easily my personal favourite version of this Christmas classic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRBULVuTl8c

DvB

No.7

Taylor Swift – Christmas Tree Farm

Normally not a fan of this kind of thing but I liked this from the very first time I heard it on Christmas FM one morning on the dark & dreary drive into work one morning, I instantly enjoyed its upbeat tempo & energy. My daughter who’s a fan of Taylor Swift sings along to it with gusto it comes on the radio when in the car & I love the fact it brightens up her day too. Many newer Christmas songs you can take or leave but this has stuck with me the last 2 or 3 years and suspect it’ll stay as a firm family favourite for a good while yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN3rDTAdM2o

No.6

Lola Young – Together in Electric Dreams

This is an interesting one for me, this song (the original by Phil Oakley & Giorgio Moroder) has been a big part of my life and is easily one of my favourite songs of all time. It was the last song played at our wedding and that alone lends it huge sentimental value. Up until last year I would never ever have associated it with Christmas, but thanks to John Lewis & their Christmas advert this reinvention of it was for me lightning in a bottle. I always loved the lyrics & felt they were powerful in their own right, and the slower tempo of this version reinforces that, the song was never about energy & always about special connections, so a coming together  of one of my favourite songs & my favourite time of year was always going to be an easy sell for me. Even saying that, this is just beautiful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Xle0kgq1k

Hidden Gem

The Twang – On the 24th

The Twang are a band I’ve championed for a long time now, have been to see them a few times and every year they do a series of hometown Christmas gigs in Birmingham, thankfully I’ve managed to make it over to a couple of these and they’ve been absolutely brilliant. On the last one they introduced this track for the first time as their contribution to Christmas, not everyone’s cup of tea being a glimpse to Christmas for many unlike ourselves who feel they have little in this world to celebrate so have lost any feelings of the season. Its largely downbeat but I love its rawness and everytime I hear it, it brings me right back to that gig in Birmingham Christmas week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zphEq5BQOdI

No.5

Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song

For many, this is the ultimate Christmas song, and is also my son’s favourite. The iconic opening line must be one of the best known openings to a song ever and its impossible not to be drawn into a warm fuzzy feeling of all things Christmas when Nat King Cole starts to describe all the things we associate with our favourite time of year. Whilst not my personal No.1 this has to be the most quintessential Christmas song of all time, and I never tire of it, just a beautiful song, sung magnificently by one of the greatest singers of all time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwacxSnc4tI

DvB

No.4

Bing Crosby - Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

For years I could take or leave this song and I’m not gonna lie and say I was fond of it growing up or suchlike as I genuinely have little recollection of hearing it much growing up, but its adoption as the more often than not launch song on Christmas FM has catapulted it into my imagination and is now solidly associated with the last 10-12 Christmas’s that i’ve been lucky enough to share with the kids. I think this song made its first inroads to my Christmas collections around the time they were born and I simply can’t imagine ever skipping what is yet another timeless classic.

It’s been covered many, many, times, but for me this version is the top of the pile and will remain a part of Christmas for me for many a year to come hopefully.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUPGxVCIvrI

No.3

Band Aid – Do they know it’s Christmas

From the very first time I heard this song as an impressionable 12yo I loved it. The simple melody, the intro & the rousing sing along chorus. Despite the serious nature of the song itself and the reason for its creation I can’t help but tap along or sing along to it when it comes on the radio. A highlight over the years was Gavin & Smithy singing it in the original Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special. This is always on my Christmas playlist as one of the opening 3 to kick start the Christmas vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3fSknbR7Y4

No.2

The Pogues & Kirsty McColl - Fairytale of New York

I wrote this in another thread back in 2020 and it sums it up perfectly still.

What's left to be said about this behemoth of a song, for me Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without this in the background, and I do my best to avoid hearing it until Christmas FM launches to ensure it isn’t overplayed & potentially have my enjoyment of it diluted in any way. I have great memories of belting this out in my younger years on Christmas Eve in the local with my mates, and will always associate it with those fantastic nights. I never tire of this classic and can’t imagine any Christmas without it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8

No.1

Andy Williams – Its the most wonderful time of the year

It was always going to take something special to beat FONY to the No.1 spot in my personal Christmas chart, but just like in 1987, the pogues have been topped by a surprise entry, this time it’s not the Pet Shop Boys but by Mr Christmas himself, Andy Williams. The funny thing is, despite song being considerably older than i am (& that's saying something) for years it was out of popularity & didn’t really appear on the radio or Christmas compilation albums for quite some time. It first came back to my attention around 2007 when visiting my now in-laws who had a 5ft tall dancing santa that played music, and the first song was always this one, when the kids came along they associated this song with visits to nanny & Grandad at Christmas and insisted on me playing it all the time, to the point where it has become our family Christmas anthem of sorts. There’s been many many cover versions, but for me the original will never be topped & I never tire of hearing this song, it’s simple melody, charming lyrics and the smooth velvety tones of Andy Williams voice makes this an easy choice for my Christmas No.1

I got a huge buzz with it being chosen as the Christmas FM broadcast kick off tune again in 2022 too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFGC_YgeQ5w

DvB

Farewell song

Munchener Freiheit - Keeping the dream alive

Not considered by most as a Christmas song, but has appeared on a few compilations over the years and as its my playlist I’ll suit myself & dedicate it to the regulars on this forum who very much keep the Christmas dream alive all year round!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56scx2Cdpyw

Caranica

Such a lovely seasonal hug today, thank you @DvB ❄️

Loughc

Some great choices there DVB. Great list. Loved reading that.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120326276#Comment_120326276

Just sorry it took so long 🤣