Tag Archives: 25 Days Of Christmas Music

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2025: Day 7

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

A sweet vintage Christmas card image found online.  (Original source unknown.)

In three months Christopher Anton Rea-professionally known as Chris Rea-will turn 75 years old. The English musician, singer & songwriter was born March 4, 1951 in the UK. He is best known for his lovely eloquent 1978 hit that peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 that September and it hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart the same month. That makes him, by definition, a one hit wonder.

But 43 years later-in January 2021-a holiday song Rea originally released in 1988 peaked at #27 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. Three years later, that same holiday song reached #15 in January 2024 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart. While the industry standard for actual hits is any song that reaches the Top 40 on the Hot 100 chart, in my book Rea’s holiday track hitting two different charts twice in a three year period should count as a second hit. However you qualify them in your mind, we have two memorable songs to enjoy by this talented artist.

Chris Rea circa 1988. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Today’s song first appeared on Chris Rea’s 1988 album. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Chris Rea: “Driving Home For Christmas” (1988, written by Chris Rea).

Chris Rea: “Fool (If You Think It’s Over)” (1978, written by Chris Rea).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2025: Day 6

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

A sweet vintage Christmas card image found online.  (Original source unknown.)

We have another his & her take for today’s classic song. They were recorded 30 years apart with the first one from Arkansas native Glen Campbell who had a nearly 50 year career as a singer, musician and actor. He made about a dozen movies, had his own TV show and placed 37 songs on the Billboard charts including five Top 10 hits and two #1 records (“Rhinestone Cowboy” was in the top spot in the U.S. 50 years ago for two weeks in September 1975 & “Southern Nights” which was the #1 song for one week in April 1977). His first album of holiday music-That Christmas Feeling– was released in October 1968, just one month before the debut of his single, “Wichita Lineman”.

Three decades later, Celine Dion released These Are Special Times in October 1998. After the one-two punch of winning the Grammy for Album Of The Year for Falling Into You in February 1997 and the ginormous success of “My Heart Will Go On” later that year from the movie “Titanic”-which became the #1 song in the U.S. in February 1998 for two consecutive weeks-helped her close out that year with her first English language Christmas.

Glen Campbell’s 1968 Christmas album. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Celine Dion’s 1998 Christmas album. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Glen Campbell: “Blue Christmas” (1968, written by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson).

Céline Dion: “Blue Christmas” (1998, written by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2025: Day 5

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

A sweet vintage Christmas card image from Pinterest. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Today is a his & her take on my favorite carol touching on the reverence of the season. He was an R&B sensation who left us way too soon and she is a country singer by way of “American Idol” with a powerful voice and gospel roots. Both offer such beautiful renditions of this song which was first published in 1751 yet remains a timeless part of the holiday season.

Luther Vandross’ 1995 Christmas album. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Carrie Underwood’s 2020 Christmas album. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Luther Vandross: “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (1995, written by Frederick Oakeley and John Francis Wade).

Carrie Underwood: “O Come All Ye Faithful” (2020, written by Frederick Oakeley and John Francis Wade).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2025: Day 4

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

A sweet vintage Christmas card image from Pinterest. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

This is the third year in a row that this song has been a feature here. That means it has been part of the countdown since it was released in 2023. It is hard to find new spins on old songs, especially for traditional Christmas carols that have been around forever. But the Lumineers made this their own and despite how much I love the fast pace of this tune in its original form (especially when Bill Murray sings it as Frank Cross in 1988’s “Scrooged”), this stunning cover is now my favorite version of this song.

The Lumineers: Jeremiah Fraites (L) and Wesley Schultz (R). (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The Lumineers: “Deck The Halls” (2023, Traditional).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2025: Day 3

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

A sweet vintage Christmas card image found online.  (Original source unknown.)

A holiday movie I watch year round is one you probably never heard of: “Home By Christmas”. It was released by Lifetime TV in 2006. It is done on the Hallmark theme of how the magic of the Christmas season always shines through, but that is where the similarities end. This movie may share a highly improbable plot and concludes with the proverbial happy ending, but you walk through a story with much more edge to get there. It stars Linda Hamilton (yes, THE Sarah Connor from “The Terminator” franchise) and Rob Stewart.

Despite its flaws, the seasonal movie provides a little escape that I have enjoyed for years and that includes a tune that is playing during a scene featuring-what else?-a holiday party. The track has a big band/swing kind of feel to it and gives a very vintage party vibe. But I thought it was one of those made-for-a-TV-movie-soundtrack songs that I would never be able to find so I did not even look. Then I stumbled upon several videos for it as I researched some new music for this year’s countdown.

I do not know if this is true but in the comments of one of the videos, a few people mentioned that the song is also featured in another Lifetime movie, 2008’s “A Christmas Proposal” as well as in Hallmark’s “A Boyfriend For Christmas” from 2004. I took the videos I found as signs to add this track to my playlist & my seasonal countdown.

The artist behind the song is Lacey Roland. I found it on Spotify and on his 2005 album, Makin’ Memories, on Amazon. His Facebook page lists him as “a singer-songwriter, producer, arranger, musician, published author and artist” originally from Virginia who resided in Kentucky until his death in September 2025.

I hope you enjoy this fun, festive track.

Undated image of Lacey Roland found online at AirPlay Direct. (Original source unknown.)

Lacey Roland in 2009 as per an image found on Facebook. (Original source unknown).

Lacey Roland: “A Christmas Dance With You” (2004, written by Lacey Roland).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2025: Day 2

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

A sweet vintage Christmas card image from Pinterest. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

My mother introduced me to Elvis, but her mother introduced us both to the man Elvis wanted to be: Dino Paul Crocetti. That is Dean Martin, to those of you who did not grow up in a house where he was considered a saint (yes, I am Italian). A member of The Rat Pack who earned the nickname “The King Of Cool” thanks to his suave demeanor, handsome good looks and inimitable charm, Martin did it all-he was a singer, an actor, a stage entertainer, a TV host and the emcee for his legendary celebrity roasts.

Yet, his Christmas album remains my favorite of all his contributions because his voice & those songs continue to connect me to my childhood & the gift of family who passed their love for this man on to me like a cherished family heirloom. That is a priceless legacy.

Dean Martin circa 1960. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Dean Martin: “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (1966, written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2025: Day 1

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Happy December, everybody!!! Welcome to 25 Days of Christmas Music!

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

We have officially arrived at the Christmas season so what better way to celebrate this festive time of year than with a daily countdown of great holiday songs to usher in the big day. All are welcome here even if you are not a fan of this genre or you do not observe the holiday. Great music of any kind should be enjoyed by all. I would love to hear about your favorite Christmas songs, so please share them with me in the comments.

Today is birthday #80 for The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler. Born December 1, 1945 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the future Emmy, Golden Globe, Grammy and Tony Award winner moved to NYC 60 years ago in 1965 and landed an off Broadway role the same year. By 1970, she started singing at the Continental Baths inside the Ansonia Hotel & met Barry Manilow, who became her piano accompanist. He also produced her first album, The Divine Miss M, released in November 1972. It gave her three hits & introduced her talent to the masses, leading to a 50+ year career as an entertainer in music and acting.

Her first movie role was in 1979’s The Rose, which earned her an Oscar nomination. That movie and 1988’s Beaches crossed over into chart success as well (the latter gave her a #1 record for one week in 1989 with “Wind Beneath My Wings”). She has acted in countless other movies, on Broadway and on several TV shows, including a self-titled sit-com of her own in 2000. Midler also closed out a huge chapter in television history with her poignant rendition of “One For My Baby” as Johnny Carson’s last guest on his final show in May 1992. Her performance at Yankee Stadium during the “Prayer For America” following 9/11 is still considered one of the most touching moments of the event.

She has released 14 studio albums (and a spoken word album, Mud Will Be Flung Tonight, in 1985), four soundtracks and two live albums. She has worked with artists like Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Mick Jagger, Darlene Love, Linda Ronstadt and others. Midler also paid homage in song to two of her favorite performers with two albums-Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook in 2003 and Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook in 2005.

Bette Midler circa 1978. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Midler and her family circa 2022 (L-R): Husband Martin Von Haselberg, their daughter, Sophie von Haselberg Guinness and Midler. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Midler will also celebrate her 41st wedding anniversary this month with husband Martin von Haselberg. The couple wed on December 16, 1984 and their daughter, Sophie, was born in November 1986. She has followed in her mother’s footsteps and started acting in 2015.

October marked the 30th anniversary of The New York Restoration Project, the non-profit Midler started in 1995 on the belief that “nature is a fundamental human right”. The group has been cleaning up parks and community gardens in the five boroughs ever since. According to the group’s website, the NYRP has “built and refurbished more than 350 community green spaces”.

In 2017 at age 72, Midler starred in her first leading role on Broadway in “Hello, Dolly” which earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She has more than earned her status as a NYC patron, an American treasure and a legendary performer.

Happy birthday, Bette Midler.

Barry Manilow (L) and Midler (R) circa 1972. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Midler (L) and Manilow (R) circa 1998. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Midler’s 2006 holiday album. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Bette Midler: “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” (2006, written by Irving Berlin).

Bette Midler: “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” (1972, written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince

Bette Midler: “All I Need to Know” (1983, written by Barry Mann, Tom Snow and Cynthia Weil).

Bette Midler: “Hey There” (2003, written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2024: Day 25

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

Joy To The World

A sweet vintage Christmas card image from Pinterest. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating. I hope your holiday is a joyful one however you are spending it. Enjoy!

Many thanks for being here for this festive music series. And now for our final song.

As a singer based in Christian country, I expected Amy Grant’s version of today’s tune to be a big production complete with a choir backing her up. That is not really a sound I enjoy but since the song is on an her 2016 album called Tennessee Christmas, I was curious to see-rather, hear-if her version had a different spin. And it does. It is a stripped down, slowed down arrangement to a slow soft vocal that proves how less can be so much more. It is absolutely lovely.

Version 1.0.0

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Amy Grant: “Joy To The World” (2016, written by Isaac Watts).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2024: Day 24

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

Holy Family

A sweet vintage Christmas card image from Pinterest. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The Reverend Al Green blessed us all with a new release last month. His cover of REM’s “Everybody Hurts” is another remarkable take done in Green’s signature R&B laden style, much like his early career covers of “How Do You Mend A Broken Heart”, “For The Good Times” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, to name a few. He has a mesmerizing way of giving an already fabulous song a new life. His take on today’s Christmas song is no different and it is perfect for the holiest night of the year.

For a female led version of this holiday classic, I offer Tracy Chapman’s evocative and poignant rendition. It was released in 1997 on the third volume of the charity compilation series, A Very Special Christmas. This woman has had a well deserved resurgence of late thanks to country artist Luke Combs & his 2023 #1 cover of her 1988 masterpiece, “Fast Car”. It was not only a wonderful tribute to her & her incredibly stunning song, but it also made Chapman the first black woman to have a top selling record in that genre. Her surprise performance with Combs at the 66th Grammy Awards in February showed Chapman first hand how beloved she & her song still are 36 years after its initial release, literally defining the word timeless.

Al
tracy

Top: Al Green on stage at The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Concert in Cleveland in 1995. Bottom: Tracy Chapman and her radiant smile on stage at The Grammy Awards in February 2024. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Al Green: “O Holy Night” (1983, written by Adolphe Charles Adam and John Sullivan Dwight).

Tracy Chapman: “O Holy Night” (1997, written by Adolphe Charles Adam and John Sullivan Dwight).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2024: Day 23

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

Day LL

A sweet vintage Christmas card image from Pinterest. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Two musical giants took today’s song and turned it into such unique distinctive versions you can listen to them back to back and not even care-or possibly realize-that they are the same song.

Elvis Presley’s is a country-pop take that ends in a classic boogie woogie style which is too cool for words. Ray Charles put a fun jazzy spin to his unmistakable vocals. Each was recorded more than a decade apart yet both are absolutely timeless like the extraordinary men behind them. And both of these versions fit the definition of classic Christmas music for me.

Elvis
ray

Top: The King Elvis Aaron Presley circa 1957. Bottom: The Genius Ray Charles in 2004. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Elvis Presley: “Winter Wonderland” (1971, written by Felix Bernard and Richard Bernhard Smith).

Ray Charles: “Winter Wonderland” (1985, written by Felix Bernard and Richard Bernhard Smith).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!