Ultimate Christmas Playlist

Two weeks until Christmas!!!

Can you believe that there are less than TWO WEEKS until CHRISTMAS?!  I know I can't!!

I'm sure you are all so busy buying and wrapping presents, planning out Christmas dinner, and baking cookies for the Christmas party you were invited to.  And if you are hosting your own party, the last thing you are going to want to do is put together the music.

I gave you guys a pool party playlist, and added a Halloween playlist to the side of my site, but now it's time for the ultimate Christmas playlist... you can find it embedded in in the sidebar (although it only posts the first 100 songs, so some have been cut out)!  I am going to talk a little bit about how I put it together, as well as my favorites!

If you scroll through the list, you'll notice that I included several versions of the same songs. While some people don't like this, I think it not only adds variety where you least expect it, but it gives the playlist a bigger chance to appeal to more people at your gathering.

I'm going to give you my top TEN favorite songs on this playlist (so my favorite Christmas songs)!

10.// Nuttin' For Christmas - Art Mooney and Barry Gordon

This song, more than anything, just reminds me of my childhood.  In elementary school, out music teacher every year would put together a Christmas concert assembly, and each grade sang certain songs, and the fifth graders always got to sing "Nuttin' For Christmas."  When my grade reached fourth, we were so excited that the following year we were finally going to get to sing this song.  Unfortunately, our music teacher retired that year, and since we had a new teacher, my grade never got to sing this.  Despite having this somewhat disappointing memory, this song just still brings so much joy and nostalgia to me, and helps me think of a simpler time.

9.// Carol of the Birds - John Jacob Niles

I remember this song being in my repertoire for my vocal lessons the Spring semester (even though it's a Christmas song) of my freshman year of college.  To help learn the 1946 tune, I listened to the Kathleen Battle version, which is the one I have included in the playlist.  As stressful as my vocal lessons sometimes became, all of the music I had to learn still means so much to me and reminds me of the fun I had with my vocal coach... her and I were real pals!

8.// Fairytale of New York - The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl

I'm not going to lie:  the first time I heard this song was in the Bill Murray Christmas special!  A bunch of the stars from the special all gathered around the piano singing this song, and it was a really nice moment in the show.  Even though it doesn't have any special meaning to me, this song has since become one of my favorites!

7.// Christmas Eve/Sarajevo - Trans Siberian Orchestra

Okay, play any Trans Siberian Orchestra song and I will be attached to the music.  Every song of theirs brings goosebumps to every part of my body!  This one in particular has so much body and volume that you kind of forget it's a Christmas song.  "Wizards in Winter" is also a good pick for when you want to listen to a powerful and unique Christmas track.

6.// A Marshmallow World - Dean Martin

I think this song is known by everyone!  I've heard this one my entire life--it's always on my dad's Christmas playlist (even the ones that contain just 15 songs)!  Dean Martin is one of my favorite singers from the '60s, and he definitely has the perfect Christmas voice because it's so clear and smooth.  This song is also just so cheery and twinkly, which are two ways to perfectly describe Christmas!

5.// Please Come Home for Christmas - Eagles

Written by Charles Brown, and covered by Southside Johnny Lyon for the movie Home Alone, Eagles recorded this song in 1978 and released it as a holiday single.  You may not necessarily know it by title, but if you listen to it I guarantee you will be singing it word for word!  This is another one that brings back lots of memories from my childhood!

4.// Father Christmas - The Kinks

I love this song for its humor and cleverness.  For those of you not familiar with it, Ray Davies tells of how he was beaten up by a gang of poor kids, and while it is happening they are telling Father Christmas that they want money instead of toys--give the toys to the "little rich boys."  The whole song contains the children asking for something either odd or interesting, and makes for a very unique Christmas song.

3.// Do You Hear What I Hear - Martina McBride

Does anyone else find Martina McBride's voice absolutely mesmerizing?!  And her voice paired with the Christmas classic?!  I could seriously listen to this song all day, 365 days a year.  Her version of "O Holy Night" is also a showstopper.  She sings with such fullness and passion, making her one of the best singers of our time.  Yes, Martina, I do hear what you hear!

2.// O Holy Night - Celine Dion

Of course I was going to include Celine Dion in this list.  This is my favorite out of the renditions of classic Christmas songs.  The echoes of her voice and the chorus in the background both add so much to the song.  All I ever think of when listening to it is how I wish I could sing like her... I'll get on line with everyone else.

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Now, before I get to number one, I am just going to quickly throw in some honorable mentions (in no particular order):

1. Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney

2. Mele Kalikimaka (A National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation classic!) - Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

3. In the Bleak Midwinter - Various artists, but I do love the Julie Andrews version

4. I'll Be Home for Christmas - Michael Buble

5. The House (from Home Alone) - John Williams

6. Holiday Flight (from Home Alone) - John Williams

7.  Op. 60:  IV. Troika (from Lieutenant Kije) - Sergei Prokofiev

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Finally, it is time for my all-time favorite Christmas song!  Number one is:  "I Believe in Father Christmas" by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer.  Written by the band's Greg Lake, this song has great instrumentation and great lyrics.  Lake included instrumental riffs from Prokofiev's "Troika" (from my honorable mentions above).  I think this song is number one because it not only brings back years of memories of hearing it at home the weeks leading up to Christmas, but I love the whole arrangement of the piece.

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Well, there you have it!!  I hope I have shared at least one new song that you have never heard.  Until next time!  CLINK xoxo

Ultimate Pool Party: How to Make a Playlist

We're nearing the end of Summer, but that's not stopping people from having pool parties!  The celebrations call for sunbathing, cannonballs, tropical cocktails, burgers and dogs, and an amazing playlist.  Over the next few days, I am going to give you all of the tips you need to make your next party a huge success.  Today, I am going to help you make a playlist that will alone make your party one of highlights of the entire Summer.

Making a playlist for your pool party is probably at the bottom of your list, unless you are someone like my dad.  For my entire life, every Saturday my dad would curate a playlist (usually with some sort of theme) to listen to while cooking dinner and relaxing.  For a while, these playlists were around 4 hours, but now they've gone to about only an hour.  That hasn't changed his talents, though!  I have to admit, I always look forward to hearing the 6-hour long music session he puts together for our parties.  I learned my tricks from him, so I want to pass them to all of you!

A big key to making everyone love your music is to play a little bit for everyone.  My dad throws in some Frank Sinatra for my grandparents, country and show tunes for my aunt, and a wide variety of music across the past few decades.  From the '50s to modern day, your playlist should incorporate some of the biggest hits, along with even some unknown tracks by KNOWN artists.  This is important because you may hear someone say, "Oh, this sounds like Electric Light Orchestra," and when you respond with a "Yes," they will have been introduced to a song they would have never heard otherwise.  You want to keep people involved in the playlist you make, so playing only artists you like will bore your guests, no matter the age range.

You're probably thinking that those tips did NOTHING!  Don't fret, I am going to walk you through it step-by-step with an example.  You're having a family party.  It's you, your spouse, your children (ages 2-12), your siblings and their kids (5-17), your parents (50s-70s), and your in-laws.  While you think it is difficult to put together a playlist to satisfy all of these, it's actually quite simple.  Let's conquer by each age group, and then later we can work on putting it all in one place. *NOTE* Make sure your playlist is as long as your party is going to be. Nothing is worse than hearing the same songs on a loop during your time at someone’s house.

The Kids:
So the children range from ages 2 to 17.  The younger ones love Disney, and while the older ones do, too, they love popular music.  One of the best things to do is to throw in Disney songs from recent movies like Frozen, as well as classics that the adults (and older kids) would know too, like The Jungle Book or even The Lion King (because who doesn't know "Circle of Life"???).  This tactic is great for when you're ready for your guests to feel a little nostalgic, which let's be honest, is very easy to do when everyone is four glasses of wine deep.
As for the older kids, figure out what they like, even if you aren't too familiar with it!  If your nephew loves Green Day, play something that's even their most popular songs, like "Wake Me Up When September Ends."  Since that song had lots of radio time, the adults may know it, and even the younger kids may have heard it being played before.  This method applies for any artists, whether it be Ariana Grande, Dan+Shay, Selena Gomez--playing a hit will always resonate well.  Just make sure you are aware of any explicits, that way you aren't playing anything inappropriate around the little ones!

The 30-Somethings:
My older brother is the oldest "kid" in the family and is in his late-30s (don't worry, I won't admit your age to the entire web!), and my sister-in-law is in her mid-30s.  For this age group, playing anything '90s will always go over very well.  The Backstreet Boys, No Doubt, Britney Spears, Third-Eye Blind--grunge, pop, pretty much anything that screams the '90s vibe.  And since these guys were born in the '80s, even some MTV classics will work.  The great thing about '80s music in the present day is that the 20- and 30-somethings have parents who are in their 50s or 60s, so they were in their teens and 20s during this decade.  Play some Van Halen or Huey Lewis and the News and they'll be dreaming of tanning in baby oil and driving their Mustang convertibles.

The Parents:
To me, this is the easiest group to please because I am an old soul.  I can tell you anything you would need to know about any band or musician from the 1950s to the 1970s.  Music meant so much during these decades.  With only vinyl, cassettes, and radio, people relied on these to give them the music they wanted.  My mom has told me that she would sit outside with her car radio playing waiting to hear the new Don Henley song, so would end up listening to everything on the charts before that one was played.  Everyone knew every songs out at the time.  Playing The Beatles, Electric Light Orchestra, Simon and Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Fleetwood Mac are all very safe bets because everyone knows at least ONE of their songs (all of them).  And if you're throwing in '50s and '60s music, go for the Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly, Elvis, The Kinks, and Chuck Berry.

With all of this information in mind, I know your brain is probably spinning.  That's okay, because I have taken the liberty of creating a sample playlist that you can feel free to use at your next bash.  I have a few other playlists on my page that can be used as references to specific decades and genres.
 The playlist can be found in the sidebar.