The Playlist: Christmas Songs

There’s nothing I like more than a good Christmas song to get me in the spirit of the season. And to help you do the same, beginning here and continuing into Christmas, I will be featuring some of my personal favorite ‘modern classics’ each week in the Playlist.

Some you may have heard, some you might not have. But they’re all worthy of inclusion if you’re planning any parties this holiday season.

U2: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Album: A Very Special Christmas (1987)



Written by Phil Spector, the song is performed each year on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ by the singer who initially made it famous in 1963 – Darlene Love (look for her and a more recent Christmas song of hers in the coming weeks here in the Playlist). U2’s version was included on the compilation ‘A Very Special Christmas,’ alongside such acts as Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and Whitney Houston, where proceeds from the sales went to the Special Olympics.

Amy Grant: (My) Grown Up Christmas List
Album: Home for Christmas (1992)



On the heels of her breakthrough 1991 album ‘Heart in Motion,’ Grant's Christmas album surprisingly performed even stronger, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 charts and No. 1 on the Christian album chart. The song – originally written and performed by David Foster – has since been covered by Barbara Streisand, Michael Buble and Kelly Clarkson.

Band Aid 20: Do They Know It’s Christmas? (2004)



The children of the 80s might remember the song for featuring just about every major British pop or rock act of the early to mid 80s, with money raised from the sales going to help fight starvation in Africa. Fast forward 20 years later to 2004 and England tried it out again, this time with funds going to famine relief in Sudan. They took Boy George, Duran Duran and Bananarama out and replaced them with Dido, Joss Stone and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. But Bono is still there. This time, without the mullet.

Faith Hill: Where Are You, Christmas?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2000)



I remember hearing this last Christmas and thinking to myself, ‘Wow, that’s a great song!’ It completely slipped my mind I had heard it before while seeing ‘The Grinch’ (of course, I don’t remember anything else from that waste of 2 hours, so …). Interesting note: the song was co-written by James Horner, Will Jennings and Mariah Carey but due to a legal dispute between Carey and ex-husband and former head of Sony Music, Tommy Mottola, Carey wasn’t allowed to release her own version of the song.

Goo Goo Dolls: Better Days
Album: Let Love In (2005)



Reportedly, lead singer John Rzeznik wrote the song about a materialistic girl he was dating at the time. Released in the fall of 2005, the song quickly became tied to Hurricane Katrina as both ABC and CNN used it in their coverage of the disaster relief. It peaked at No. 3 on the US Adult Top 40 charts and has quickly become one of my favorite holiday tracks, though there is no Christmas-specific tone to the song.

That’s it for this week. Check back next Thursday for five more songs to try this holiday season. And feel free to send in your own suggestions at grahamcawthon@shelbystar.com