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Friday, December 29, 2017

2017 IN REVIEW: The Music


Yesterday, we started our look back at 2017 with a piece on some of the various fads and trends of the year.  And today the retrospective of 2017 continues with Part 2.



Today we're going to have a look through the Billboard charts, album covers, and compact disc liner notes to listen to the best and worst of music from the year gone by.

I'll have to admit that from my own perspective, the 2010s overall have been very much hit and miss.  I really liked the stuff from 2010 and 2011, was soured on 2012-2014, really enjoyed 2015, and was somewhat impressed by 2016 as well.  Unfortunately, 2017 is considered to be a miss year for me.  I wasn't overly wowed by the stuff on the charts this year, and to me most of it sounded exactly the same.  But there were some standouts of the year, and certainly some sad moments as so many music legends passed away this year. 

So, let's get this party started with the top hits of 2017.  A total of twelve songs topped the charts in 2017 (one of which actually tied a record!)

Those twelve songs are...

Starboy - THE WEEKND f. DAFT PUNK
Black Beatles - RAE SREMMURD f. GUCCI MANE
Bad and Boujee - MIGOS f. LIL UZI VERT
Shape of You - ED SHEERAN
Humble - KENDRICK LAMAR
That's What I Like - BRUNO MARS
I'm The One - DJ KHALED f. JUSTIN BIEBER, QUAVO, CHANCE THE RAPPER, and LIL WAYNE
Despacito - LUIS FONSI f. DADDY YANKEE & JUSTIN BIEBER
Look What You Made Me Do - TAYLOR SWIFT
Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) - CARDI B
Rockstar - POST MALONE f. 21 SAVAGE
Perfect - ED SHEERAN & BEYONCE



Now, clearly 2017 was the year of Ed Sheeran, and honestly with his talent, he certainly deserves it.  Though his 2017 ended on a bad note, musically speaking his album "Divide" was certainly a bright spot.  The single "Shape of You" lasted an impressive twelve weeks at the top of the chart in 2017 - and under normal circumstances it would have been a major achievement.



However, nobody expected the Luis Fonsi/Daddy Yankee/Justin Bieber collaboration "Despacito" to do so well.  Not only was it the song for the summer of 2017, but it tied the record set by Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey back in 1996 when it stayed on top of the charts for sixteen consecutive weeks!  How is that for impressive?  I only wish I could speak Spanish so I could actually understand what the song meant!

2017 also saw Bruno Mars performing a smidgen of 24K Magic on the charts with "That's What I Like".  And Kendrick Lamar was still on his Grammy high when he released the single "Humble", which also topped the charts for one week in 2017.



But perhaps the one single that seemed to be the most anticipated was that of Taylor Swift's first single from "Reputation".  The song "Look What You Made Me Do" seemed to be a song that told a story - don't mess with T-Swift.  All sixteen of them apparently.  Just watch the end of the video and you'll know what I mean.  I can't say that the album is going to be as huge of a smash as her 2014 album "1989", but her fans will definitely appreciate it.

Now, 2017 was also a pretty lackluster year for the Grammy Awards as well.  It wasn't exactly that exciting to watch (though Bruno Mars' tribute to Prince was absolutely outstanding to watch), and let's face it - the winners were absolutely predictable.

Still, let's have a look at the big winners of the 59th Grammy Awards.

RECORD OF THE YEAR:  Hello - Adele
ALBUM OF THE YEAR:  25 - Adele
SONG OF THE YEAR:  Hello - Adele
BEST NEW ARTIST:  Chance the Rapper
BEST POP ALBUM:  25 - Adele
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM:  Skin - Flume
BEST ROCK SONG:  Blackstar - David Bowie
BEST ROCK ALBUM:  Tell Me I'm Pretty - Cage the Elephant
BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM:  Lemonade - Beyonce
BEST R & B ALBUM:  Lalah Hathaway Live - Lalah Hathaway
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM:  A Sailor's Guide to Earth - Sturgill Simpson



So, yeah, can we just say that 2017 was Adele's year?  It's kind of sad knowing that she won't be touring at all this year...or next year...or the year after that.  But needless to say that her first album in four years certainly made a huge impact.



Sadly, 2017 marked the year in which we lost so much talent.  I'll be going over the full list of stars that we lost when I do the News of 2017 retrospective in a couple of days.  For now, I just want to thank Tom Petty, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Gord Downie, David Cassidy, Della Reese, Malcolm Young, Chris Cornell, and Chester Bennington (among many others) for the wonderful musical gifts they left behind.  Believe me when I say that they will be sorely missed.

Now for a few extra odds and ends about the year.


New Zealand teen singer Lorde took the world by storm a couple of years ago with the release of "Pure Heroine", and this year she came back with a new style and sound with the album "Melodrama".  Though it wasn't as well received as her previous efforts, I do appreciate her as an artist, and I happen to think that her single "Green Light" was one of the better tunes of 2017.



Katy Perry also had a bit of success in 2017 (though nothing really surpassing the huge success that her "Teenage Dream" album achieved).  Her single "Chained to the Rhythm" was a catchy tune that got a bit of airplay early in the year, but it seems as though while Taylor Swift seemed to target Katy in the lyrics for "Look What You Made Me Do", Katy got the ball rolling first as she seemingly targeted Taylor in her single "Swish Swish".  Settle down, ladies!



Miley Cyrus has also had a rather eventful 2017.  Her latest album "Younger Now" has been critically well received and I have to admit that I love the single "Malibu".  I don't know what it is about 2017, but I found that female singers have released some really great stuff this year.  Add to the fact that Miley has served as a judge on "The Voice" this year, and it's safe to say that she's bounced back quite well from the foam finger scandal of a few years ago. 



Who knew that 2017 would be the year that the songs and artists of 1987 would become huge again?  It all started off with Rick Astley, who appeared to be "Rickrolling" us with a new album, "50".  But what ended up happening was that we were the ones Rickrolled, as the songs were his most mature sounding tunes to date.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I really liked it.



And who would have thought that Bananarama would have gotten back together to tour the UK for the first time in twenty-nine years?  To be fair, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin had always stuck together, but the last time Siobhan Fahey was with the group, "I Heard a Rumour" was charting in the United States!  The unexpected reunion of the group in the fall of 2017 was a surprise smash, with every date of their tour being sold out!




I'll be discussing this more in detail when we get to the News of 2017, but I am sure that the world mourned the deaths of the twenty-two people killed when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb inside of Manchester Arena following the conclusion of an Ariana Grande concert.  Though not only did Manchester bounce back, but Ariana returned with a few other bands to put on the One Love Manchester concert event.  Again, I'll talk more about that in the news portion of the retrospective, but as far as I'm concerned, that event actually made me respect her more as an artist and as a person.  Well done, Ariana!



And also, continued thoughts go out to the families of the fifty-eight who were killed in the October 1 shootings at the conclusion of the Route 91 country music festival in Las Vegas - and I will also talk more about that in the News section.



Finally, I'll just mention that I talked about Gord Downie's passing earlier in this blog, but much like David Bowie did last year, Downie had one final gift for his fans upon his October 17 death.  His solo album "Introduce Yerself" was released ten days after he died, and essentially it's a brilliant collection of his thoughts leading up to his passing, and was certainly the album in which he was at his most honest.  Not long after that, Gord's band, "The Tragically Hip" was honoured with the Order of Canada.  Well done, guys.

Well, that's a wrap of some of the most important stories from the world of music in 2017.  If you have any more to add, please let me know here or through the social media accounts that I maintain.

Coming up tomorrow, you'd better pop yourself some popcorn and put on those 3D glasses because we'll be looking at the best and worst of 2017 in the box office.

(Actually, you don't need 3D glasses.  Your regular eyes will suffice.)

Thursday, December 28, 2017

2017 In Review: Fads

Depending on what experiences you may have had, 2017 could have been a very good year, or a very bad year.  For myself, it was probably one of the bad ones.  Here's hoping that 2018 is a LOT better.

But before we stick a fork in 2017, we have to do our annual look back at the year gone by in this retrospective.  If anything, it will allow me to have a little fun before I say hasta la vista to 2017.

So, I've divided this retrospective up into six different parts.  And as it so happens, part one will be dedicated to the fads that made 2017 stand out from any other year. 



Keep in mind that when I say fads, I am including toys, games, fashion trends, and food trends in there.  It's sort of a fancy way of saying that this is my hodge podge category.

2017 was definitely a year in which the trends definitely stood out.  But what ones did you partake in? 

We shall begin the list with the one thing that I know I took part in.



1 - FIDGET SPINNERS

These things were everywhere in 2017 - well, at least the first half of the year anyway.  A simple toy that let you spin it around in a circle, it was better than a top and certainly was a wonderful stress reliever!  Believe me, I still use mine when I have a stressful day.

Of course, the fidget spinners didn't come without some controversy - mainly from parents who reported that their children broke their spinners apart and ate the metal circles within them!



2 - ROMPERS FOR MEN

Ugh...this was a trend I happily let bypass me.  The last time I remember wearing a romper I was probably three years old and riding my little rocking horse across the living room floor of my home.  For me to try that look at 36 years of age now would get me laughed out of town.  Yet this trend seemed to be the hottest fashion trend for guys this past summer.  Here's hoping it stays there and that nobody EVER RESURRECTS THEM!



3 - FINGERLINGS

These cute little critters were one of the hottest toys on the market this year, and honestly I can see why.  Designed to hang off of your finger, these little guys proved to be the perfect fashion accessory/toy for girls of all ages. 



4 - "FEISTY PETS"

Okay, so technically they made their debut at the 2016 Toy Fair in New York...but in 2017, these stuffed animals were the perfect gift to give out - on Halloween.  They might look nice and sweet and huggable at first.  But if you squeeze them the wrong way, they turn on you with the most evil scowl you have ever seen. 

And yes.  I want one.



5 - CRAYOLA THE BLUE-TIFUL

The bad news about 2017 was saying goodbye to the dandelion crayon.  After all, it was one of eight new colours that was introduced in 1990 and served its purpose for twenty-seven years.  But replacing dandelion was a new shade of blue inspired by the discovery of the new blue colour known as YInMn.  Of course, most people wouldn't know how to pronounce that word, so Crayola held a contest to name the new colour.  And as a result, Blue-tiful made its debut in 2017.



6 - NINTENDO SWITCH

Nintendo has kind of kept a low profile in the gaming industry the last few years, but 2017 looks like the year that may bring the company back up on top.  The success of the NES and SNES Classic Minis certainly paved the way to what would become the company's crowning achievement of 2017 - the Nintendo Switch.  Early reports show nothing but positive reviews for the console, and with "Super Mario Odyssey" becoming a huge hit, it's interesting to see what surprises are in store for 2018.



7 - CRASH BANDICOOT N.SANE TRILOGY

Back in 1996, the PlayStation released the game "Crash Bandicoot", and over the next few years, Crash would become the official mascot for the console.  Over twenty years later, the entire trilogy was re-released and re-mastered for the PlayStation 4.  Needless to say, it was a huge success.  There are also talks of re-mastering "Final Fantasy 7" as well, making 2017 the year in which everything old in gaming seemed to be new again. 



8 - BRIGHT MULTI-COLOURED HAIR

You know what I mean...the hairstyles that make it look like you dipped your hair in four different colours of paint?  This was one colourful trend that seemed to dominate in 2017, and likely it will remain the same in 2018 as well.  Makes you wonder if they'll start making coffee drinks with the same colour palette.



9 - STARBUCKS UNICORN FRAPPUCCINO

Oh...they did.  I can't say that I've ever tried one of these as I don't like coffee and can't afford Starbucks.  Anyone want to tell me if these are good?



10 - L.O.L. SURPRISE DOLLS

A few years back, it was Bratz dolls and Monster High dolls that dominated the marketplace.  In 2017, it was L.O.L. Surprise Dolls.  I think the L.O.L. was from the manufacturers who were surprised by how much money parents were willing to pay for these dolls.  Apparently the dolls come in a container that you unwrap, and each layer (there's six or seven in total) has a surprise inside. 


That's all the fads I have to talk about in today's blog.  Are there any more that I missed that you would like to add?  Definitely use the comments section to let me know.

Tune in to this blog on Friday, December 29 where we look at the hit singles and massive flops of the music industry in 2017.  See you then!

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

My 750 Favourite Songs EVER!

I am looking forward to bringing you the very best and the absolute worst of 2017 in my annual retrospective of the year gone by, and the fun starts tomorrow.  But before I do that, I want to explain why I took a bit of a breather from the blog this year.

Well, aside from the incident that happened in October, anyway.  I'm sure I briefly touched upon that a bit earlier in this space, but yeah, helping an injured family member recover from a fall definitely took up a lot of my time.

But another reason that ended up being a lot more fun was the project that I took on with seven of my friends as we compiled our lists of favourite songs.

Our Top 750 Songs of ALL TIME!



(Yeah, sorry about the watermark on the collage.  I didn't want to pay the fee to have it removed).  But the thirty photos on this logo represent thirty of the 750 songs on my list!

And now that it's all done and over with, I want to share my list with you all!

Now, perhaps you will agree with my list.  Perhaps not.  Perhaps this will encourage you to start your own list...though I'd probably start off small with a hundred songs at first.  Ordering 750 songs took a very long time - but it was well worth it, and I certainly added new songs to my collection as other people shared songs that I had forgotten about.

Now, how I'll do this is that I'll post my list in 50 songs increments from 750-11 at first, and then I'll go into further discussion with my Top 10.  How does that sound?

Okay, here we go...



And now for my Top 10.



No sense denying it, I LOVED this tune when it first came out. I think I must have played this one about a couple of hundred times when I first heard it. I recorded it from the stereo using that old thing known as a cassette, and played it until my stereo finally ate the tape for lunch!

There's a certain vulnerability in Mick Hucknall's voice that makes this song even more wonderful. And yes, the music video does show him with a ruby in one of his front teeth. He had one implanted in his tooth years ago and kept it in...well, until he swapped it out for a less noticeable diamond a few years after "Stars" came out!



Yoko Ono was for many years known as a sort of scarlet woman that many blamed for the break-up of the Beatles, and her singing voice is...well...unique. But one thing you can't argue is how much love and devotion her husband gave her. John Lennon legally changed his name to John Ono Lennon, for heaven's sake!

"Woman" is essentially a love letter to his wife, and it is easily my favourite solo Lennon song. It was not intended to be released as a single at first, but upon his death in December 1980, this single was released weeks later in January 1981 and became a massive hit.



I always liked to say that I would love to have a wedding dance to this song - but I'd have to find a wife who loves Lennon, of course.
The Spinners (or The Detroit Spinners as they were known in the UK as there was already a group by that name there) were one of the top selling R&B/soul groups of the 1970s. Part of the reason why was because of songs like the one I have at #8. "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" is a brilliant production from the slow beat to the crescendo of brass instruments midway through. It's definitely my favourite Spinners song.



When Prince died in April 2016, it was a huge shock and a crushing blow to the music industry. How does one pay tribute to him? Well, in 2017, Bruno Mars performed a near flawless rendition of "Let's Go Crazy" - which was awesome because it is my favourite Prince tune - but the fact that he played the guitar solo with absolute perfection? Genius! This song always gets me in a great mood, and I find it hard not to tap my toes along to the beat!

And yes, the placing of this song at 7 was deliberate. The song "7" was a hit for him in the 90s, and almost made my list.



"Penny Lane" is my highest ranked Beatles tune on this chart, and it is easily my favourite of their vast works. It was also the band's thirteenth number one hit on the Billboard charts for a week before it was dethroned by the Turtles' "Happy Together". In the UK, it was a different story, as it was one of the few singles of theirs that did NOT top the charts. Though, given that its peak position was #2, I don't think it mattered THAT much. 



My number five song is Billy Joel's "Leave a Tender Moment Alone", and my highest ranked song by him. It seems an unusual choice given that it was the last single released from "An Innocent Man" and it was also one of the worst performing singles from the album. But I have loved this song since I was a little boy. The harmonica solo by guest musician Toots Thielemans just makes this slow tune pop even more. Sadly, Toots passed away last year, so I paused the video at this fitting screenshot in tribute.



Nobody could ever accuse Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops as being monotone or having a lack of passion when he sang. I mean, the way he belted out the lyrics to this song was nothing short of powerful. I mean, at some points in the song, I was worried that he would pop a vocal chord! But that was just the reason why the Four Tops made such an incredible impact in the world of music, and why this upbeat and positive song is my fourth favourite of all time.



Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell were two individual singers that made beautiful music together. And of all the songs they did together, my favourite has to be "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". How can one not be in a good mood after hearing this piece of pop goodness? I actually almost had this at #1 when I was first doing this...in fact choosing my Top 3 was the hardest part of all!

Sadly, both singers met an untimely end. Tammi Terrell died of cancer not long after this song was released, and Marvin was shot by his own father during an argument in 1984. 



My second favourite song of all time is my highest ranked song from the 1980s, and it features Michael Jackson singing what could be considered one of his signature tunes. But who knew that it would lead to one of his signature dance moves? At the 25th anniversary celebration of Motown, he did the dance step called the "Moonwalk" during his performance of this song and the crowd went wild. Throughout the remainder of the 1980s, people tried to copy it. Of course, we all know who did it best. The dance craze even inspired the video game "Michael Jackson's Moonwalker" in the late 1980's



My favourite era of music is 1960s Motown, so that was one indicator that my #1 would be from that time. And the Temptations were a great group and one of the best from that era.

But the reason why this song is #1 is because it is the earliest song that I can remember hearing and liking. I don't remember where I was, but I do remember when I heard it, I fell in love with everything that had to do with music. And when the song was used in the 1991 film "My Girl", it cemented my love of the song even more.

Mind you, that movie had a really sad plot twist when Macaulay Culkin's character was stung to death by a swarm of angry bees. But the reason why he was stung was so he could retrieve a mood ring that Vada dropped. At the end of the movie, the mood ring was returned and it changed colour to a happy blue. I always liked that scene because it showed that even in the darkest times, you could still find happiness. And as this song played in the final scene, I remember thinking that whenever I heard that song through tough times (and believe me, I played the song a LOT), I knew that happiness could be found soon after.




And that's why "My Girl" is my top song of all time.

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

2017 IN REVIEW - THE SCHEDULE


With Christmas out of the way, there is just a few days left of 2017...so you know what that means?


That's right!  It's time for the annual look back at 2017 with my best and worst retrospective of the year gone by.

I won't be starting this off right away though.  I have something special planned for tomorrow's blog, but in the meantime, I have the schedule mapped out.  It will be a six day look at the year in several categories beginning on December 28, 2017.

So to tide you over, here's the list of topics we'll be discussing for the year end retrospective.

Dec. 28, 2017 - 2017 in Fads
Dec. 29, 2017 - 2017 in Music
Dec. 30, 2017 - 2017 in Film
Dec. 31, 2017 - 2017 in Television
Jan. 1, 2018 - 2017 in News
Jan. 2, 2018 - Personal Reflections of 2017

Stay tuned...it'll be a lot of fun! 

Monday, December 25, 2017

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

Merry Christmas to one and all!  I certainly hope that it has been a good one to you!  Things are great here - well, minus the three feet of snow we received the last couple of days.  But, hey.  You know me.  I love a white Christmas!  Seriously, it was #6 on my list of Top 25 Christmas songs of all time!

But here we are. 
Day #25 and the final day of the POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR.  You know, 2017 has been a rather unusual year where time slipped away from me, but it has been good to be on here every day for the month of December.  I can't guarantee that I will be able to do this every month, but it was a great time!

Now, I'm sure most of you are guessing what my favourite Christmas song of all time is.  Believe me, it's a choice that might seem unusual to most of you.  But it always has been a song that has resonated with me because of the meaning behind it, and it comes from one of my favourite holiday specials.

You know, watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as a child, I always looked forward to seeing Rudolph, Hermie, Yukon Cornelius, Clarice, and all of the other characters featured in the show.  But admittedly, I was not a fan of Donner or Santa in this show.  I mean, yeah, eventually both of them saw the error in their ways and saw Rudolph as being a fine asset to the team.  But both of them were incredibly cruel and insensitive to Rudolph because of the fact that he was born with a shiny red nose.  It was really uncomfortable to watch Rudolph get the shaft all the time because of something he couldn't control.  It also made me not like Santa for a while after watching.

And while we are on the subject, poor Hermie was also rejected because instead of making toys, he wanted to fix cavities.  And the elves made him feel so uncomfortable about himself that he quit his job and ran away!

Rudolph and Hermie eventually meet up with each other, and along the way Yukon Cornelius joins them on their journey to freedom, and somehow they find themselves on a strange island.  And this island is the source of my favourite Christmas tune ever.




But the reason why "The Island of Misfit Toys" is my favourite Christmas song ever is quite complex. 

Now, on first glance, the song is well composed, and the vocalists are very talented.  It's a nice happy tune filled with happiness and hope that the residents of the Island of Misfit Toys will find a home for Christmas Day.  



But look closer at the residents of the Island of Misfit Toys.  They are all toys that have some sort of defect that make them abnormal from their toy counterparts.  Like a train with square wheels, or a water pistol that squirts jelly, or an elephant with polka dots all over him.  Now, other than their physical differences, the toys are as friendly and kind as could be, and they treat Rudolph and his friends with kindness.  It amazes me that because they look different, or that they do unusual things that they are rejected and forced to live on a deserted island.

What is also amazing is that even though the outside world sees the toys as "misfits", they have bonded in such a way that they really are like family to each other.

Ironically, Rudolph and Hermie want to join the Island of Misfit Toys, but the king won't let them because they are not exactly toys - meaning that you can be a misfit from the island of Misfit Toys.  But Rudolph makes the toys a promise that he will find each and every one of them a home for Christmas.  And true to his word, Rudolph keeps his promise.




I guess it comes as no surprise why I love this song.  I honesty feel like I should be a part of the island of Misfit Toys because I've felt like a misfit my whole life.  Definitely a misfit from my classmates.  Most likely a misfit from my work colleagues.  Some days, I feel like a misfit within my whole family, and it's not because I don't love them - it's because I am so incredibly different from them that I feel like I have nothing in common with them.  But you know, Christmas Day is one of those days in which being a misfit doesn't matter.  It's a day in which everyone comes together to share love, food, gifts, and joy...and where nobody is ever left behind. 

And, that's why I love "The Island of Misfit Toys".  Because when Christmas Day is here, it truly is the most wonderful day of the year - even for self-confessed misfits like myself.

That's the list!  To close it off, here's the full list for you.


25.  Here We Come A-Wassailing Medley
24.  Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
23.  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
22.  Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
21.  Merry Christmas Everyone
20.  Step Into Christmas
19.  Same Old Lang Syne
18.  O Christmas Tree
17.  The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
16.  Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
15.  Frosty the Snowman
14.  Merry Christmas Darling
13.  Santa Claus is Coming To Town
12.  Silver and Gold
11.  Sleigh Ride
10.  It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
09.  Christmas Wrapping
08.  Snoopy vs. The Red Baron
07.  Carol of the Bells
06.  White Christmas
05.  O Holy Night
04.  Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
03.  Linus and Lucy
02.  Christmas Star
01.  The Island Of Misfit Toys

I have a few surprises coming up for the last week of December (and 2017), so stay tuned!  In the meantime, have a wonderful Christmas!

Sunday, December 24, 2017

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

It's Christmas Eve!  It's also Day #24 of the POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR where this year I've been counting down my favourite Christmas tunes.

I've already counted down twenty-three songs, and just to recap, here is the list so far...

25.  Here We Come A-Wassailing Medley
24.  Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
23.  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
22.  Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
21.  Merry Christmas Everyone
20.  Step Into Christmas
19.  Same Old Lang Syne
18.  O Christmas Tree
17.  The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
16.  Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
15.  Frosty the Snowman
14.  Merry Christmas Darling
13.  Santa Claus is Coming To Town
12.  Silver and Gold
11.  Sleigh Ride
10.  It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
09.  Christmas Wrapping
08.  Snoopy vs. The Red Baron
07.  Carol of the Bells
06.  White Christmas
05.  O Holy Night
04.  Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
03.  Linus and Lucy

And for today's Christmas Eve entry, we have a song that was featured on the soundtrack of the sequel to the 1990 film, "Home Alone".

Now, can we just state that for Kevin McCallister, Christmas Eve is probably one of the most unluckiest days of the whole calendar year?  I mean, on Christmas Eve, he's forced to confront the Wet Bandits (or Sticky Bandits in the sequel) on Christmas Eve after his family somehow ends up leaving him behind. 

I mean, sure, it was fun for us to watch Kevin clobber the bad guys with blowtorches, Christmas ornaments, Micro Machines, and cans of paint.  But I could probably think of a million other things I would rather be doing on Christmas Eve than defend my home against burglars.

At least in the first film, Kevin was in the comfort of his own home and knew exactly where everything was and what to do.  He didn't have that luxury in the second film.  After all, a mix-up at the airport saw Kevin spending the holidays in New York City while the rest of his family went to Florida.  And in the second film, he only had his uncle's dilapidated townhouse as shelter.  That, plus the fact that he was alone in the largest city in the world which could be extremely scary to walk in at night.  Of course, this begs the question...why would Kevin tangle with his enemies this time around in the first place?

The answer lies in my second favourite Christmas song of all time.



I won't lie...I absolutely love the song "Christmas Star".  Funnily enough, you never hear the full version of this beautiful tune in the movie.  It plays exactly twice - once when Kevin is starting to miss his family after seeing a star in the sky, and another when he discovers the source of the star is a children's hospital.

The same children's hospital that a toy store called "Duncan's Toy Chest" plans to donate all of its money to - the same toy store that the Sticky Bandits plan to rob on Christmas Eve. 



This is the moment in which Kevin declares that "you can mess with a lot of things, but you can't mess with kids on Christmas", and leads brilliantly into the booby trapping of the townhouse scene.

But back to "Christmas Star".  The melody is so beautiful, yet sad at the same time.  It's a song that fits the movie theme well - missing someone at Christmas.  And yes, I know that for many of us, Christmas won't be the same because there's going to be people who won't be there to celebrate it with us.  So, I suppose this song brings some comfort in having us believe that our lost loved ones are there with us - even if it is in the form of a star in the sky.

To be honest, I have no idea why this song seems to be overlooked on the playlists of many radio stations.  I mean, yes, the song is only twenty-five years old, but it's still worth playing.  It's a modern Christmas tune that sounds traditional, and that's not something a lot of people can pull off.  But then again, John Williams did the score for this and hundreds of other movies.  If anyone could make a song this wonderful, it's him.  Here, have a listen for yourselves.




Tomorrow is Christmas Day, and the final song on my list.  While it's a most unusual choice for my favourite Christmas song, I couldn't think of a better tune to end this off.  After all, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year where I would hope that EVERYONE feels welcome.