WORST HOLIDAY SONGS (Streisand at #4, just behind the "Jingle Bells" dogs)

NY Post ^ | December 7, 2004 | JOHN MAINELLI

[presidio9]

EVER been driven up the chimney by a Christmas song that you really, really hate? New Jersey researchers have named the six worst Christmas songs of all time, as picked by holiday-music fans who were asked to rate more than 600 yule tunes.

The biggest lump of coal goes to "O Holy Night" as sung by the foul-mouthed Cartman from "South Park," according to Edison Media Research.

Close behind are Seymour Swine & the Squealers' butchered "Blue Christmas," "Jingle Bells" by The Singing Dogs and, separately, Barbra Streisand — and "12 Days of Guido Christmas" by the Ha Ya Doin' Boys.

"We play — very lightly — the Barbra Streisand version of 'Jingle Bells' because she's got a following in New York," says Jim Ryan, programmer of top-rated Lite FM (WLTW/106.7).

"People tend not to like it because it's a really fast, up-tempo version of 'Jingle Bells' — almost like she did it as a goof," Ryan told The Post.

WPLJ (95.5 FM) music director Tony Mascaro says his research turned up a sixth song that listeners can't stand: Elmo & Patsy's "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer."

[Skooz]

I actually like most of the songs you listed--the Beatles tunes, anyway.

I agree about "The Girl is Mine." That song is pure torture. "Ebony and Ivory" is just as awful.

[N. Theknow]

Anything by Mannheim Steamroller tops my list. I tune out Rush from Thanksgiving to New Year's because of his playing them.

[Zack Nguyen]

How could someone like Paul McCartney, who wrote and recorded some of the finest rock music ever, write stuff like that? The "Talkin' 'Bout Freedom" song wasn't so hot either.

[Logic n' Reason]

Any Christmas song at all done by Elvis.

[Steve_Seattle]

I didn't like anything McCartney did after the Beatles broke up, and I always thought "Yesterday" was overrated - the lyrics are mediocre at best. Yes, it has a more complex chord structure than the typical rock song, but it doesn't do anything for me. I thought a song like the Eagles "Desperado" was equally complex musically and ten times better lyrically.

[mewzilla]

I don't care for the canine recording of Jingle Bells, but I love the Jingle Cats' version (^..^)/

[Gabz]

I don't think I've ever heard that one.

[macamadamia]

Among my worst: Johnny Mathis' rendition of Sleigh Ride. Sorry, but he sounds like a creepy weird little elf...or leprechaun....or jockey...or some similar little creature.

Also, Springsteen's Christmas song, whatever the heck its called. Even when he's in the Christmas mood, he sounds like he's in bad need of a laxative. The guy's perpetually blocked up.

[JCEccles]

You know, I've intended to write an essay about Barbra and her Christmas music for some time.

Consider: she's a flaming, ACLU card-carrying liberal and she's Jewish. She has said she was educated at a yeshiva where she was told she must never even speak the word "Christmas." Yet, she has recorded at least two Christmas abums, one of which has sold more copies than any other Christmas album in history. These albums do not comprise merely secular Christmas songs either. Among the songs she has recorded are "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "Ave Maria."

Does this mean she is accepting of Christian cultural traditions? Only in a very narrow sense, for its commercial profit potential.

Like many liberals, she tolerates the lamb because she values its fleece. But the lamb must stay confined and muzzled lest it offend anyone by drawing undue attention to itself.

[Muzzle_em]

I love that one and the barking dogs singing jingle bells.
Classic.

[TXBubba]

Starts with "Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk"

[Zack Nguyen]

The "Feed the World" contains the horrible line by Bono, "And thank God it's them instead of youuuuu..." Just elitist, pretentious and patronizing - as if we're all so selfish we just dismiss the needy with a wave. Generally I love Bono and U2, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he didn't mean it that way.

[BikerNYC]

Oh, it's not that bad. Peps things up a bit.

[Muzzle_em]

GGROBAR is the most awful IMO

[Skooz]

I think that by the late-60s, McCartney was such an established songwriter that no one would dare tell him that a song he wrote stunk.

I agree about the "Talkin' About Freedom" song. Just terrible. But, when he was writing it, he probably played it for somebody and asked their opinion, to which they sheepishly replied, "Oh, yeah. Sounds great, Paul."

[Alouette]

Don't forget "Ob La Di"

All these songs are from the time the Beatles were strung out on drugs and realized they could record the worst kind of crap and stupid people would buy it.

[CougarGA7]

What? You didn't like his classic, "Spies Like Us"?

[stand watie]

ME TOO!

it doesn't seem like DEC without that one!

free dixie,sw

[retrokitten]

Even when he's in the Christmas mood, he sounds like he's in bad need of a laxative.

Oh yes!!! That is awful!! It's a version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

[Nowhere Man]

"Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" and "Nuttin for Christmas" top my list of nauseating Christmas songs.

Ugh..... I hate "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" too. Drives me up the wall. "Feliz Navidad" is on my crap list too. Of course Babs Streisand's "Jingle Bells" is there too, sounds like she's on speed or crack or something, it is like when you press all the keys on the typewriter at once and they all get stuck together. Let's see, songs I like a lot are the ones form the "Charlie Brown Christmas Special." A side note, everytime Linus reads from the Bible about the true meaning of Christmas in the auditorium, I get a tingle in my spine and a warm feeling in my heart. BTW, that reminds me, had to pull a 12 hour day yesterday but taped "Peanuts," I got to watch it. B-)