Christmas song classics: from Bing Crosby to Dolly Parton

The Tatangelo family at home in Bradenton enjoying our vinyl copy of Bing Crosby's "Merry Christmas." Photo by Wade Tatangelo

I'm back in the office today after a glorious vacation that included getting married to my amazing wife, Mrs. Tatangelo.

More words will be written about our wonderful wedding and all that super stuff but for now I'll stick to celebrating the rapidly approaching holiday.

Earlier this month, I compiled a list of 16 "Christmas songs that rock," which includes artists like Bob Dylan and Lady Gaga.

For today, here's my list of our household's most beloved Christmas song classics.

You know, the crooner classics that make you warm up recalling spending quality time with your siblings, parents, grandparents and all those other special relatives and friends.

Merry Christmas!

"The Christmas Song," Nat King Cole 
"Please Come Home For Christmas," Charles Brown
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," Judy Garland
"Linus And Lucy," Vince Guaraldi Trio
"Christmas Island," The Andrew Sisters & Guy Lombardo 
"There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays," Perry Como 
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," Brenda Lee 
"O Come All Ye Faithful," Art Garfunkel 
"Angels We Have Heard On High," Ella Fitzgerald 
"A Holly Jolly Christmas," Burl Ives 
"The Christmas Waltz," Frank Sinatra 
"Hard Candy Christmas," Dolly Parton 
"A Marshmallow World," Dean Martin 
"Blue Christmas," Elvis Presley 
"Silent Night," Mahalia Jackson 
"White Christmas," Bing Crosby 

Listen to my playlist on Spotify. 

Christmas songs that rock: from Bob Dylan to James Brown to Lady Gaga

The holiday season has resulted in vats of songs that reek like rotten eggnog.

On occasion, though, someone like Bob Dylan, James Brown or Lady Gaga gets it right.

Here's a look at 16 Christmas songs that rock.

"Run Rudolph Run," Chuck Berry: Contemporaries like Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Beach Boys all recorded great Christmas songs. But only Chuck Berry's holiday hit about the most famous reindeer of all really rocks.

"Jingle Bells," X: Published in the mid-19th century by James Lord Pierpont, this song didn't truly come alive until seminal Los Angeles punk band X got hold of the song a few years back for its two-track EP "Merry Xmas From X."

"Christmas in Hollis," Run D.M.C.: Rhyming over the riff from soul singer Clarence Carter's naughty holiday hit "Back Door Santa," the members of hip-hop kings Run D.M.C. brilliantly recall Christmas in their Queens neighborhood on this song that first introduced suburban moms to rap in 1987.


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