"I HATE CHRISTMAS MUSIC!"

Every year I run into people who insist they HATE Christmas music. You know the type...they shut themselves inside during the season and refuse to go to the store in case their sensitive ears hear a strain of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." But is it fair to assume these people are Scrooges or are they just tired of the same old same old?

One reason this site exists is to share a wide variety of music. If you don't like something one day, hopefully there will be something you like another day. I feel that's the way it is with Christmas music as a whole. You hate Christmas music? Then maybe there will be a song that comes along that you might just really like!

Christmas music is one of my favorite forms of music because it unites all genres. Only in Christmas music can you find such a vast variety of music coming together with a unified message. It's remarkable, and makes it hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that somebody just hates Christmas music. I can get with you if you hate the repetitive music on the radio and in the malls. I mean, really...how many times can you listen to the Carpenter's "Merry Christmas Darling" before it gets old. Not to knock any of the standards, but still...

So today I chose not two but FOUR tracks I feel are just exceptional examples of not just good but GREAT Christmas music that I don't hear too often (if at all) on the radio and in the malls.

First up is a track by Elvis. Sure, he's not exactly an obscure artist, but his most common Christmas song is "Blue Christmas." It's a shame when this man has so much else to offer. This first track is not just a great Christmas song, but it's a great song. I'd put this up to next to some of Elvis's best songs in his cataloge. Certainly up there with my personal fav "In the Ghetto."

Elvis-On A Snowy Christmas Night

In fact, any of the songs featured here are songs I'd put up with the artist's normal songs you commonly hear all year long. They are that good, IMHO.

Here are a couple others:

Chris Isaak-Brightest Star
Cyndi Lauper-December Child

And perhaps one of the most beautiful of the lot is a song by Claudine Longet. It can be found on the marvelous Yulesville CD, which is chock full of wonderful songs you won't hear on the radio.

Claudine Longet-Snow

Maybe these songs won't convert the most hardened heart. Heck, there are a couple people I know who won't have anything to do with Christmas music regardless of what I throw at them. But I dare say if those hearts can't be softened by this music, it's certainly their loss. And maybe they are Scrooges after all.