By Rosie Lu
As the days get shorter, and the air, chillier, wintery music starts to take over the radio. No matter what station I switch to, I can’t avoid the holiday cheer–so why not embrace it? Here are some winter season classics beloved by many around the world, ranked in my order of favorite to least favorite.
- “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole: The first line, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” accompanied by warm piano chords, takes me to Grandma’s living room in a children’s storybook, with a fireplace crackling and fuzzy blankets for everyone. Everything about this song is absolutely perfect, from the twinkling instrumentals to the beautifully written lyrics.
- “The First Snow” by EXO: This song is SO cute, the literal personification of a fluffy teddy bear and a warm hug. I don’t really understand the lyrics, and it’s more of a winter song than a Christmas song, but it’s always stuck in my head during this time of year!
- “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey: Just iconic. The inhumanly high-pitched riffs and runs are somehow remembered by everyone who listens. I love this song for karaoke night during the holidays.
- “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande: Ariana’s vocals never miss and complement the sweet melody perfectly. The choreography I’ve seen everywhere on TikTok makes the song even better.
- “Let it Snow” by Dean Martin: This song always seems to play during road trips to Tahoe, and seeing the snow outside is so perfect. It makes me feel a little warmer, ironically, on freezing winter nights.
- “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson: I love the chorus of this song so much, complemented perfectly by Clarkson’s powerful voice.
- “Frosty the Snowman” by Perry Como: This jolly little tune is one of the first Christmas songs we learn as kids, so it holds such a special place in my heart.
- “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Gene Autry: Similarly to #7, this song takes me back to kindergarten, singing in class, and the teacher gifting us our own red noses.
- “Jingle Bells” by James Pierpoint: If Christmas had an album, this song would be on it. Everyone knows it, and there are so many parodies.
- “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms: This song is #10 only for its instrumental intro, from which I guess the song upon the first note.
- “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee: I’m kind of indifferent about this song, but it had to be mentioned for its artist. Brenda Lee was thirteen years old when she sang this, despite her mature voice!
- “Deck the Halls” by various artists: This carol truly puts you in the Christmas mood, but the continuous repetition of “falalala, la la la la” annoys me to no end. To make things worse, In-N-Out ads parodying this song played quite literally every thirty minutes on the radio during last year’s winter.
- “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt: I truly dislike this song, with its materialistic lyrics and repetitive chorus. The woman in this song also appears to be flirting with Santa, which many listeners see as disrespectful to Christmas tradition.
I’m all for some classic Christmas music, but I tend to prefer more modern compositions for their layered sound and dynamic, distinctive vocal performances. You will catch me tackling Mariah Carey’s impossible runs to no avail during these chilly months. Happy Holidays to all who celebrate!