...to think that certain songs just shouldn't be heard at Christmas.

[vienna1981]

For example, the Mariah Carey thing which is just terrible. Then there's that East 17 dirge which isn't even a Christmas song in the first place. No amount of church bells in the final two minutes can make it so. "All Around My Hat" by Steeleye Span is
another oddity. I like the record, even though it sounds like the Wombles on account of the Mike Batt production, but it's not Christmassy by any means (their other hit, "Gaudete ", is).

You can hear non Christmas songs at Christmas!

True, but the latter two I have mentioned probably get more airplay because folk generally and programme planners THINK they are at least associated with Christmas. Granted they were in the charts in December of 94 and 75 respectively, but so were lots of others.

The Mariah Carey thing to be fair is unquestionably a Christmas song. But it is corny and contemptible and shouldn't be heard. Just my opinion !

Yeah I agree with you - but then Christmas songs should be saved for Christmas and not be played for weeks beforehand.

All Around My Hat was just on because it was in the charts this week in 1975 (or whatever) so was on Pick of the Pops. I hadn't realised it was a real song as I'd only heard the Fast Show's All Around My A* version.

I think sometimes "Christmas Number Ones" end up being seen as Christmas songs or just because they have bells in them.

I thought the Steeleye Span Christmas one was Gaudete (not All Around My Hat). Am I very confused?

There are quite a few Christmas songs I would prefer not to be played! They should be banned from shops until at least 10th Dec- preferably even later.

They keep playing Rolf Harris on my local radio....

I don't think Do They Know it's Christmas is terribly festive. Very worthy obviously but I don't like it being played at Christmas parties. Dancing to a song about poor, starving and sick people seems weird.

Aunti Stella. "Gaudete "was Steeleye Span's Christmas song. It's all in Latin so I haven't a clue what they're singing about. All Around My Hat was top ten in December 1975 so close to Christmas, but no cigar.

I love All around my hat - on my ipod.

I don't think Do They Know it's Christmas is terribly festive. Very worthy obviously but I don't like it being played at Christmas parties. Dancing to a song about poor, starving and sick people seems weird.

I have always thought that! I remember it coming on a club once

Pop songs have no place for me at Christmas especially in shops. Let's bring back Christmas carols about baby Jesus: God Rest You Merry Gentlemen, In the Bleak Midwinter, Away in a Manger.....

I sometimes go into shops to look at what they have and the music is so loud that I just walk out. I tried one clothes shop the other day and spoke to an assistant in a normal voice. He couldn't hear what I was saying and kept saying, "What?" I was not going to shout in public.

East 17 one I agree with completely, that just isn't a Christmas song at all. But Mariah Carey , that's a classic! I can't think of another christmas song I don't like, I love them all . Be lonely this Christmas is pretty depressing but then as DH quite rightly pointed out, many Christmas songs are... Weirdly.

The original band aid is excellent to sing along and have a bit of a boogy to but agreed it's not really appropriate wiggling your butt and simultaneously singing about starving people.

Fairy Tale of New York. Has anyone who plays it actually listened to the lyrics?

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is the most depressing song I know.

I have difficulty now with Little Drummer Boy, ever since I learned it was playing whilst Brady and Hindley murdered Lesley-Anne Downey (there were other Christmas songs on the tape, but that's the one that stuck in my mind).

Meditrina- when I was a child my mother would never play Little Drummer Boy for that reason and I do not either x

I hate the Mariah Carey song. Such a bag of shite.

Fairy Tale of New York. Has anyone who plays it actually listened to the lyrics?

Yeah - it's irony innit.

Mariah carey song is the best xmas song!!!

Oh I absolutely adore Fairy Tale of New York. The lyrics are grim but the music divine. (I'm half Irish!)

We were in Norwich today and the Salvation Army band were playing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. My dh hasn't a clue what half these songs are about but sings along like a good 'un. (...'ad a vairry shinee noz...") The Rotary Club had a little choir in the Castle Mall, singing lovely carols. He was off again, mostly "lalalalalalala..." He isn't even a Christian, but he just loves it all. And so do I.

The best one is Step Into Christmas by Elton John.

The trouble with the Mariah Carey effort is that it tries too hard. Uptempo, naff lyrics, obligatory sleigh bells and a cold snowy video. We get it Mariah but you're about twenty years too late. Christmas songs really peaked in the 70s so it might have 'worked' in 1975.

Apart from Bing Crosby and Phil Spector productions, what Christmas records did folk listen to before 1973, when Slade and Wizzard had their biggies ? Likewise after 1987 - nothing that I can remember.

BTW that Elton John song is also contemptible.

I have a radio that only seems to get Smooth FM.
I'm still humming Hero....
And then a hero comes aloooooooong...and we seems to all get ooooooeoonnnnn!!!!!!!!

It should be made illegal.

I want to go back in time and shoot whoever does that little drummer boy with the ..uh..ruppa pum.
ueah..pum..rupp...a..yeah.pum.. is it donny osmond?

in fact any Christmas song where they fuck around with the timing to make it sound more 'jazz' or 'their own' .. giving idiots.

My local radio station have decided to play nothing but 'Christmas music' until Christmas. This has resulted in a scraping of the bottom of the Christmas music barrel already. We had the weirdest song about wanting a hippopotamus for Christmas earlier