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…
Song of the Day 12/16: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Christmas All Over Again”
"A Very Special Christmas," the 1987 charity LP conceived by producer Jimmy Iovine as a memorial to his father, succeeded beyond all expectations. Inspired in part by Phil Spector's legendary…
Song of the Day 12/15: Herb Alpert, “The Bell That Couldn’t Jingle”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona The other day I heard a Christmas song I’d never heard before, by a composer whose songs I’ve been listening to most of my life.…
Song of the Day 12/14: Dean Martin, “A Marshmallow World”
Despite a crying need for Christmas music that hasn't been played to death, some holiday songs that used to be popular have fallen out of favor. But there's always hope…
Song of the Day 12/13: The Killers, “Mr. Brightside”
WXPN concluded its countdown of the best songs of the century so far last evening, and I can't quibble with the top song. Jack White's "Seven Nation Army" is familiar…
Song of the Day 12/12: Joni Mitchell, “River”
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I'm not violating my Only 12 Days of Christmas music rule, because this is not a Christmas song. It's a breakup song of sadness and regret that mentions the approach…
Song of the Day 12/11: We Five, “You Were on My Mind”
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They don't get much credit for it, but the San Francisco group We Five recorded one of the first folk-rock songs to reach the top of the American charts. In…
Song of the Day 12/10: Mary Hopkin, “Goodbye”
Paul Krugman, the Princeton economist hired by the New York Times in 2000, published his last column for the newspaper today. He will be sorely missed, or would be if…