#24 - Top 25 Christmas Songs (According To Me!)

Welcome to Day #2 of the POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR!  Also, this is the first time in what seems like months that I've done two blog entries in a row!  I'm telling you, 2017 has been a challenging year to say the least.

Now, in case you're just joining us, I'm counting down my Top 25 Christmas tunes of all time - well, at least in my opinion anyway.  As of right now, I've only got one listed so far.

25.  Here We Come A-Wassailing Medley

By the time Christmas comes though, we will be adding twenty-four other songs ranging from the classic to contemporary.  In the case of some songs, I will be selecting what is my favourite version.  Believe me, in some cases, the choice was incredibly tough as there are so many wonderful interpretations of the same song.  But in other cases, it's pretty obvious that I will choose one version over the others.

Such as this song that is at #24 on my list.

Ah, Brenda Lee.  She started in the music industry so young.  Would you believe that when she recorded "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", she was just thirteen years old?

Of course, the screenshot that I took to make the image above clearly shows her to be older...unless thirteen year olds really dressed dowdy in 1958.  But it's no wonder that her nickname in the music industry was "Little Miss Dynamite".  Imagine having such a husky controlled voice as a teenager.  No matter whether you liked her style of music or not, she truly was gifted.

And I have to admit that "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" will always be a favourite of mine.  I can remember the first time I heard the song playing in my life.

I want to say that I was five years old at the time, and I was in the car going to see Santa Claus at the mall.  It was a simpler time where cars were as enormous as spaceships, cassette tapes were the format of choice for music consumers, and the top holiday toy was the Teddy Ruxpin doll.  And yes, I am totally dating myself.

But I do distinctly remember that the song was playing just before we pulled up to the mall, and it was a song that I really liked.  I mean, I liked it so much that I actually refused to go inside the mall until the song was over.  And let me tell you, as a four year old who was just getting into music at the time, this was a huge deal.

I also remember being sad that it only played once a year every December.  But then the song was used in a scene in the film "Home Alone", and I realized that I could listen to that song whenever I wanted every time I popped the movie in the VCR (well, okay, now it would be the Blu-Ray Player).  And yes, I just dated myself again.

Since the first time I heard the song, I admit that it has become a holiday necessity for me.  I have to hear the song played at least once.  And only by Brenda Lee.  That being said, I don't think that it would be appropriate to post a video of myself singing along to that tune while decorating my own tree.  Your ears do not deserve that punishment.

But they do deserve to hear Brenda's version below!  Enjoy!

Do pop in for #23 tomorrow.  There may be no place like home for this singer, but only she can sing a song with a mixture of happiness and heartbreak.