Best Christmas/Hannukah/Rashashan/Kwanzaa songs?

I prefer Fishbone's "It's a Wonderful Life," actually.

Fear's "Fuck Christmas" is still tops, though.

The Singing Dogs - "Jingle Bells"

Sonic Youth's "Santa Claus Doesn't Cop Out on Dope"

Wedding Present, "Stepping into Christmas." I forget who does the original.

Elton John did the original.

James Brown, "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto." So cool it was mentioned in Gale Sayers' autobiography I Am Third. I don't recommend the Mojo Nixon version, though.

Oh yeah, my other favorite Xmas/Hanukkah songs...

Run DMC's "Christmas in Queens"...such a good song, even my mom liked it (and thus was introduced to the world of hip-hop...I can't believe my mom is so neat, she keeps stealing my Wyclef Jean Carnival CD)

Beck's "Little Drum Machine Boy"...so funky, even the goyim can dig it, and who can deny any song containing the lyric "get this shit lit like a minorah"?

"Christmas in Hollins" rules...Run wore a Trailblazers' jacket in the video. PDX Represent!

I asked a co-worker for recommendations of a good recording of Handel's Messiah and she ended up buying me a copy. Very nice and totally unexpected.

forgot this one...

The Roots - "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa" (I think that was the name)

The Roots? More like De La Soul.

The subway stop near my ladyfriend's place has "ZULU NATION" spray-painted inside it.

No - The Roots did it. Unless they both did it..

click here for the tracklisting where it's listed

I have the CD at home too. That's what it says on back.

"Christmas In Hollis", obviously. This'll be getting played in tribute to Jay this Xmas at Chez Passantino. Also, the "Cool Cool Christmas" CD Jeepster put out a few years ago has some beauties, specifically "Walking In An Alan Parsons Wonderland" by Grandaddy, "Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas" by the Eels, and whatever cover it is Belle and Sebastian do. "Little Drummer Boy"?

Check the songwriting credits. You'll see that it was written by De La Soul, and a further check will lead you to their second album, De La Soul Is Dead, released in 1991.

Thank you for playing, have a nice day.

The new Johnny Dowd has got several yule-themed tunes, incl. a rank v. of J.Bells for the country/western apoc.

"Check the songwriting credits. You'll see that it was written by De La Soul, and a further check will lead you to their second album, De La Soul Is Dead, released in 1991."

Thanks for clearing it up - that explains why the song sounded so familiar....

If you don't have De La Soul Is Dead, you should get it. Def. one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. Total classic, even.

Roland Kirk's We Free Kings and Jimmy Smith's Greensleeves are both right up there on the instrumental list. Of course it's hard to beat the sentiments of Dan Grissom's melancholy Wonderful Christmas Night or the Orioles' woefully pitiful (It's Gonna Be A) Lonely Christmas. But my vote simply must go out to the Frogs' indelibly nonchalant Here Comes Santa's Pussy. ¥

I have GOT to hear that Granddaddy song.

i like kurtis blow's xmas rap, in terms of xmas songs
also total search:

dave 'n megan: i wanna kiss you this xmas (dave from smugglers and megan from gaze) on the mint xmas 7" from last year=sooooo good!

the beach boys xmas album, little saint nick is practically a carol by now.

Alan Vega - "No More Christmas Blues"

Mr Garrison's merry fucking xmas

And somehow I forgot all about...

John Lennon "Happy Christmas (War is Over)"

Wow that's a touching song.

I have just seen the picture 'White Christmas' and am trying to make myself believe that I have something new to say about the song, which anyway doubtless deserves mention on this thread.

the sonics: santa claus owns the thread

"Christmas Wrapping" uber alles.

Please feel free to make fun of the Christmas mix I made to give out at work today. During a bout of insomnia, I typed "Christmas" into the search window of iTunes and I eventually arrived at the following:

All The Right Reasons * Dressy Bessy
Every Day Is Christmas With You * Boyracer
Do You Believe In Christmas? * Essential Logic
Don't Believe in Christmas * Junior Varsity
Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) * The Ramones
Candy Cane Children * The White Stripes
I Wanna Be a King of Orient Aaah * Elastica
Christmas Wrapping * The Waitresses
Step into Christmas * The Wedding Present
Just Like Christmas * Low
This Christmas * Dismemberment Plan
Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland * Grandaddy
Christmas Time Is Here * Belle & Sebastian
Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) * The Catskills
Good Migrations * The Smittens
My Favorite Christmas (In a Hundred Words Or Less) * Of Montreal
My Christmas Prayer * Saint Etienne
If You Believe in Christmas Trees * Cardinal
Christmas Song * Joy Zipper
Christmas (California) * Cynthia Dall

A lot of these are really great. I nominate the Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" ("You scumbag, you faggot, you cheap lousy maggot/Merry Christmas, you ass/I pray God it's our last") John Prine's "Christmas in Prison" (of his girl at home: "She reminds me of a chess game with someone I admire") and Prince's "Another Lonely Xmas" (Last Christmas Eve, "I drank banana daquiri's till I went blind")

Are there Hannukah songs that families listen to at home during the holiday season, or are they more restricted to the temple? Either way, are there any great songs that I should know about?

I borrowed from the library: "To Life!: Songs of Hannukah and Other Jewish Holidays" (Rhino), "Oy Chanukah!" from the Klezmer Conservatory Band (Rounder), and "Festival of Light" (comp. w/ includes Don Byron and Masada)(Isand).