Rather than upload a collection of music files, I decided to be a little lazy and just slap together a YouTube playlist. I’ll bet you’re wondering why I don’t just create a Spotify playlist. Aside from not wanting to join Spotify (or any other similar service) when I’ll use it only once a year, a good number of these pieces are probably NOT going to be found there.

Sometimes you WANT the video, so you can actually see the artists performing the songs.

Again, I wish I could do something about volume levels and extraneous material in the videos. Such is life.

Here’s the playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsjr5KYtrL2TuDPWb10SUlNqbw7QkOgrz

Here’s the annotated track list:

1. “A Christmas Song” – Elizabeth Chan

New York City’s own Queen of Christmas Music, Chan has been releasing holiday tracks for years. Some of them have even made it to Billboard’s Top 20.

2. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” – Sister Rosetta Tharpe

If anyone could turn a traditional carol into a blues number, Sister Rosetta could.

3. “A Christmas Twist” – Si Cranstoun
   

I don’t know what style you’d call this. “Retro”, perhaps?

4. “Santa Send a Fella” – Rose Marie

In character as Sally Rogers on “The Dick van Dyke Show”.

5. “The Christmas Song” – Redd Foxx

Another one that’s not likely to appear on Spotify: Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford, from the “Sanford and Son” TV show.

6. “La Nuit des Merveilles” – ZOË

Austria’s representative in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest sings about “The Night of Wonders”.

7. Christmas Greetings from Pathe News

From 1950, newsreel cameramen and crews around the world wish you a Merry Christmas.

8. “At the Christmas Ball” – Bessie Smith

If Bessie Smith is at the party, a great time will be had by all!

9. “Communist Christmas” – Joel Veitch

Something very silly.

10. “Pancho Claus” – Lalo Guerrero

A parody version from the “Father of Chicano Music”

11. “Papa Noel” – Brenda Lee

I’ll take this over “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” any day.

12. The Huron Carol – Heather Dale

Written in 1643 by Jean de Brébeuf, a Christian missionary among the Hurons in Canada. Dale sings it in Wendat (Huron), French, and English.

13. “Cool Yule” – Tony Rodelle Larson

Patsy Ray and the Beatniks had the original, but this version is just as good.

14. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” – Phineas and Ferb

A fan-made video to accompany the song from the cartoon series

15. Gloucestershire Wassail – Longmont Chorale

Another Very Traditional Carol. It’s my favorite “wassail” song.

16. Miller Lite Christmas Commercial

One of the best Christmas commercials ever.

17. Ralph Kramden’s Christmas speech

From “The Honeymooners” episode “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.

18. “Sawt el Eid” – Fairouz

Lebanon’s greatest singer with a version of “Silent Night”

19. “Space Christmas” – Shonen Knife
20. “Christmas in Hollis” – Run DMC

Why these two don’t get more airplay is beyond me.

21. “Merry Christmas, if That’s OK” – “Mike Nelson and the Bots”

No one on the “Satellite of Love” wants to offend anyone.

22. “Six Tons of Toys” – Dave Dudley

Is Santa a Teamster? Dave Dudley was made an honorary lifetime member for his trucking songs.

23. “Winter Wonderland” – Warren Zevon

Live in Kansas City MO, November, 1990

24. “Hooray for Santa Claus” – Milton De Lugg and the Little Eskimos

The theme song to Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, it might be the best thing about the movie.

25. “Leise Reiselt der Schnee” – Andrea Jürgens

“Silently Falls the Snow” is a traditional German tune.

26. “Riu Chiu” – The Monkees

Published in 1556, the song is in Old Castillian, which is why it sounds like Spanish or Portuguese, but is neither.

27. “Jingle Bells” – The Altai Band

Celebrating the holidays in the steppes of Central Asia with a Mongolian folk band.

28. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” – Ella Fitzgerald

Gotta love Ella’s take on the song.

29. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” – Darlene Love

Her final performance of this classic on “The Late Show with David Letterman”

30. “Christmas Caravan” – The Lost Fingers

The group’s name is a reference and homage to jazz guitarist Jean “Django” Reinhardt.

31. Театральный проект “Рождество” – Otava Yo

A combined project of Russian folk group Otava Yo and theatre company “Mr Pejo`s Wandering Dolls”. I have no idea what’s going on here, but I love it!

32. “You’re All I Want for Christmas” – Brooke Benton

One of the most romantic Christmas songs ever. Fight me.

33. “Away in a Manger” – Elinor Donohue and Andy Griffith

From the “Christmas Story” episode of “The Andy Griffith Show”.

34. Apollo 8 Christmas Message

Live from lunar orbit, it’s Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders. And if I ever did a radio show on Christmas Eve, I’d close with this. Merry Christmas to all of you, all of you on the good Earth…..