Song of the Day 12/30: Lou Reed, “Dirty Blvd.”
Bleak times call for bleak songs. Lou Reed made this the centerpiece of his critically acclaimed 1989 LP "New York," and it topped Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart for four…
Song of the Day 12/29: Counting Crows, “A Long December”
It has been a long December, but I don't think anybody believes this coming year will be better than the last. Adam Duritz doesn't sound like he believes it when…
Song of the Day 12/28: Van Halen, “Panama”
Sclerotic bully Donald Trump has been talking tough about Panama, which like, sure, Grandpa. I'm not the only one whose mind went to this 1984 Van Halen classic, which has…
Song of the Day 12/27: The Four Seasons, “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)”
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I always found this song's opening line a bit strange. "Oh, what a night, late December, 1963." Considering that "late December" is already filled with several significant calendar items, like…
Song of the Day 12/25: The Band, “Christmas Must Be Tonight”
H/t El Somnambulo, who suggested this for the Christmas playlist back in March. This Christmas song by Robbie Robertson went overlooked for years. Written and rejected for the Band's 1975's…
Song of the Day 12/24: McCoy Tyner, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
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If you like holiday music played by jazzmen, you've probably heard this on Columbia's 1981 Christmas sampler, "God Rest Ye Merry, Jazzmen," because there aren't all that many jazz Christmas…
Song of the Day 12/23: The Carpenters, “Merry Christmas Darling”
As Nathan Arizona noted the other day, Karen Carpenter could make even a happy holiday song sound a little sad, so a song about missing her beau on Christmas Eve…
Song of the Day 12/22: Andy Williams, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
This song, which debuted in 1963, turns up among Billboard's top 10 holiday songs every year, and I'd argue it owes its popularity to a TV commercial that wasn't about…
Song of the Day 12/21: Kay Starr, “(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With the Bag”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona It shouldn’t be hard to identify “the man with the bag” everybody’s waiting for this time of year. The bag has presents in it. It…
Song of the Day 12/20: Kelly Clarkson, “You for Christmas”
When I heard this on the car radio the other day I honestly thought it was some overlooked song from a '60s soul Christmas album. With better speakers I could…
Song of the Day 12/19: Perry Como, “(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona It took just one day to write a Christmas song that’s been a staple of the season for 70 years. Sometimes you get your work…
Song of the Day 12/18: The Philly Specials & Mt. Joy, “Santa Drives an Astrovan”
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Jason Kelce and his erstwhile offensive linemates on the Philadelphia Eagles released the third and what they say will be their final charity Christmas LP, "A Philly Special Christmas Party,"…
Song of the Day 12/17: GlassDuo, “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”
You'll seldom hear a better match of music and instrument than this performance of Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from "The Nutcracker Suite." It was written in 1892…