Best Christmas Vocal Performances (2,984 views)

[Alex61]

Most of us have probably seen the Best Performances by Vocalists - well, here's the Christmas version!

In essence, submit what you believe to be the top five, ten or twenty greatest Christmas vocal performances of all time and in a few weeks time we'll hopefully come to some sort of finalised list on the greatest vocal performances on Christmas songs. The deadline for this is the 24th of December, so get thinking, posting and arguing!

Here's my list to start things off:
1. "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)" - Justin Hawkins
2. "December Will Be Magic Again" - Kate Bush
3. "All I Want for Christmas Is You" - Mariah Carey
4. "Merry Xmas Everybody" - Noddy Holder
5. "Last Christmas" - George Michael
6. "One More Sleep" - Leona Lewis
7. "River" - Joni Mitchell (debatably a Christmas song)
8. "The Power of Love" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
9. "Happy New Year" - Agnetha Fältskog
10. "Merry Christmas Darling" - Karen Carpenter

Yes, I am incredibly biased, sue me - I tried to go for at least some songs that aren't on every single Christmas list. I'd recommend that you try and include only one instance of a song/artist, and remember - this is about vocal performances.

Unlike the other thread, this one isn't aiming to take itself particularly seriously, so don't think too much about it - just relax and enjoy some good Christmas jams! :P

[Dark Star]

1. Last Christmas - George Michael
2. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland
4. Merry Christmas Darling - Karen Carpenter
5. Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) - Darlene Love
6. What Christmas Means to Me - Stevie Wonder
7. Winter Wonderland - Tony Bennett
8. Thank God It's Christmas - Freddie Mercury
9. Happy Xmas (War is Over) - John Lennon
10. All I Want for Christmas is You - Lisa Layne (not the same song as number 2)

[clem]

Not sure about the order exactly, but here are some Christmas songs that I dig.

Slade - "Merry Xmas Everybody" (Noddy's scream of "IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!" might capture the fun of the holiday season the best of any performance)

The Weather Girls - "Dear Santa (Bring Me a Man)" (those ladies had some pipes, and it's a shame they didn't get more recognition in their prime)

The Pogues feat Kirsty MacColl - "The Fairytale of New York" (no Christmas in Ireland is complete without morbidly recalling the way Kirsty left the mortal plane)

Bing Crosby - "White Christmas"

Andy Williams - "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

Bad News - "Cashing in on Christmas" (someone had to satirize the Christmas single)

[Rodney Blazershorts]

['S]

1. Oíche Chiúin (Chorale) - Enya
2. The First Noel - Annie Lennox
3. The First Snowfall/Let It Snow - Carpenters
4. Soilse na Nollag - Altan
5. Joy to the World - Dolly Parton
6. Codail a Linbh - Órla Fallon
7. Oh Holy Night - Captain & Tennille with The Pointer Sisters
8. The Night Before Christmas - Carly Simon
9. Les Cloches du Hameau - Céline Dion
10. Merry Christmas - Judy Garland

[clem]

Almost forgot, Sting singing "Gabriel's Message" is lovely too

[mikale]

[darby]

don't have at least five yet but i'm gonna take a gamble and say Mariah's rendition of O Holy Night is up there

[Baronessa]

1. Tarja Turunen - "Walking in the Air"
2. Leona Lewis - "Ave Maria"
3. Mariah Carey - "O Holy Night"
4. Whitney Houston - "Joy to the World"
5. Sting - "The Hounds of Winter"
6. Marco Hietala - "Varpunen jouluaamuna"
7. Elisa Tiilikainen - "Joulun kanssas jaan"
8. Michael Bolton - "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"
9. Kirstin Maldonado - "Sleigh Ride"
10. Mahalia Jackson - "No Room at the Inn"

[rebaru]

I Wish I Had A River by Joni Mitchell

Game's over i win byebye