Holiday Hits

As I've been embroidering for Christmas, my mind has wondered to creating the perfect Christmas music playlist for my singing pleasure. I've often been told that I have the voice of an angel...oh wait, that's not something I've been told but just something I made up. Regardless, I love to belt out a Christmas hit in the company of my own empty home. So here are my playlists so far, broken into genres and ranked...because everybody loves a countdown! And I dare say Jarred and I even fell in love over countdown lists!

Top 7 True Meaning of Christmas Carols (I tried to do a top 5, but let's be honest, there are too many great ones): 
7. Joy To the World 
6. Angels We Have Heard on High (This is Jarred's personal fave. The group Third Day has a nice version of this and a few others on their Christmas album)
5. The First Noel (one of the few songs I can play really well on the piano)
4. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
3. What Child is This 
2. O Come All Ye Faithful (Celine has a pretty solid version that kicks in with a choir, and that's always a great thing)
1. O Holy Night versions by Martina McBride (whose entire Christmas album you should own) and N*Sync (don't hate, it's a'cappella and those harmonies are hot)

Top 5 Nostalgic Old School Songs for a fire and Christmas tree (aka the most boring of the 3 lists):
5. Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer (This gets the 5 spot solely in honor of my dad, it's always been one of his favorites)
4. White Christmas (doesn't it give you the warm fuzzies)
3. I'll be Home for Christmas (new meaning now that I'm far away!)
2. The Christmas Song aka Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (again, you just can't beat Martina, buy her album)

And my personal favorite list to sing while embroidering, or showering, or driving, or cooking, or at any given moment of any given day, YEAR round:

Top 5 Diva Style Holiday Hits:
5. Do You Hear What I Hear by Martina (have you googled the album yet? Seriously, don't you have any respect for my musical tastes?)
4. Love Has Come by Amy Grant (one of my favorite songs to belt out from my childhood... her song "Emmanuel" is also good times)
3. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by N*Sync (If you are in denial about the legitness of this song, you need to check yourself!)
2. Oh Santa! by the one and only MARIAH! (this is a newbie song this year, but I'm not going to lie, it is darn catchy and you will not be able to get it out of your head.) 
1. All I Want for Christmas Is You clearly by Mariah, the queen of Christmas. I'm going to pull a Kanye and say "This is the greatest secular Christmas song of ALL TIME!!"

Almost cracking the lists this year was the surprisingly good version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel by Jessica Simpson. Her music is normally WAY too breathy for my taste, but this song makes a comeback. Good for you Jessica! Good for you!

Hokay...go start downloading and enjoy singing your way to the 25th! I know I will! Merry Christmas...and HAPPPY HOLIDAYYYYYYYSSSSS!! (N*Sync fans, I know you just sang that!)