Holiday Bops and Flops: What Will Make it onto Your Winter Playlist?

Holiday Bops and Flops: What Will Make it onto Your Winter Playlist?

Mikayla Kudron, A&E Editor

Even the most wonderful time of the year has its ups and downs and so do the songs that surround it. These are holiday bops and flops. What will make it on to your winter playlist? These mellow, classic, and unoffending holiday favorites have been enjoyed for years and definitely have not lost their charm.

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (covered by First Aid Kit)- Very mellow, this song gives the singer a lot of room to vocalize and really make it their own. While the original is a Christmas classic, this rendition is a great modern take. 

“All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carrey- this well known, possibly overplayed Christmas song has some mixed opinions, as everyone either loves or hates it. For those who listen to the song every year, good for you. However, if you are bored of Mariah Carrie, try the cover by Tiffany Alvord

“Christmas Time is Here” covered by Daniela Andrade- Christmas time is here is a simple, feel good Christmas song that relaxes the listener (“from now on our troubles will be out of sight). In addition to the cozy, wintery feel of the lyrics, Daniela Andrade’s voice is haunting and adds a chilling element to the song.

“Snow Miser and Heat Miser” sung by George S. Irving and Dick Shawn- A classic childhood song, the Snow Miser and Heat Miser are two brothers who control the world’s climate, arguing over whether heat or cold is better during Christmas time. Perhaps this song is a holiday favorite because the almost every listener knows a pair who would fight over something as silly as the ideal weather.

“Last Christmas” by WHAM- Last Christmas is a bittersweet song, about heartbreak during the holiday season, specifically last Christmas. Many people relate to this song, which may be part of why it’s so popular. While the song is in a way sad, it also has a hopeful message of finding true love this Christmas.

From dark implications to obnoxious tunes, these songs have definitely made it on to the naughty list this Christmas.

“Baby it’s Cold Outside” by Dean Martin- if you listen closely to the lyrics of the song, you will hear some controversial lyrics, the most prominent being “say, what’s in this drink?” and “the answer is no”. These lyrics insinuate that the song may be about something far darker than a loving couple during the holiday season. For anyone enjoying the tune but not the message, check out Baby it’s Cold Outside by Lydia Liza, who changes the lyrics to promote respect.

“Dominic the Donkey” by Lou Monte- Besides the fact that Dominic the Donkey is an inferior replacement for Rudolph, the song also is comprised of the same lyrics repeated over and over. While untraditional music can be good at times, no one would mind missing out on the tale of the Italian Christmas Donkey this holiday season.

“I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by Jimmy Boyd- There are two kind of people who celebrate Christmas: those who believe in Santa, and those who don’t. For either one, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus is not a Christmas favorite. Is Mommy in love with Santa Claus now? Is Santa Claus really Daddy in disguise? Is infidelity okay during the holiday season? Either way, this song could put a real damper on childhood dreams.

“Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt- Eartha Kitt may go a little over the top on this one. Her Betty Boop style vocalizing is excessive to say the least, and while it may not be the worst, Santa Baby does not make it on many holiday playlists.

“All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth” by Spike Jones and his City Slickers- While the song may feature a happy, wishful little girl, too many people have felt the embarrassment of missing your two front teeth. The temporary lisp, being called names, and waiting for what felt like forever for it all to go away. Even happy songs can bring up unhappy memories, and ones you don’t want to be reminded of during the most wonderful time of the year.