Month: December 2016

Personally, I have wrapped up some many memories with many of the songs in this countdown that I can actually relive many of those memories while writing these entries. So, let’s see what’s in my next 10 songs, the first of my Top 40.

40. The Beach Boys – “Little Saint Nick” (1964). My admiration for Brian Wilson grows by leaps and bounds as I get older. Who know that the quintessential surf band could make perfect Christmas music? This Wilson original proves its natural.

39. Whitney Houston – “Do You Hear What I Hear” (1987). When I bought the first A Very Special Christmas album, I was excited to hear what Whitney Houston would do with this anti-war/anti-nukes Christmas protest song. Of course, she pushed that song into another dimension. I know my jaw must have hit the floor by the end of the song when I first heard it.

38. Clarence Carter – “Back Door Santa” (1969). Easily the “dirtiest” Christmas song in my countdown, but it’s adult humor is what makes it so good. Plus, it is sampled in the great hip hop Christmas song of all-time. But, let’s take a moment to praise the original! One collector fact: On the original vinyl and CD versions of A Very Special Christmas included a version of this song recorded live by Bon Jovi. Lately, Jon Bon Jovi has replaced this song on newer versions of the album with another song, which is way more lame. And, I don’t know why this has happened. If you know, please explain the reasoning in the comments. I’d love it if JBJ himself would comment.

37. Prince & the Revolution – “Another Lonely Christmas” (1984). No one was hotter at the end of 1984 than his Purple Highness. And this B-Side was his entry into the holiday sweepstakes. Who knew that hot tubs worked so well at Christmas time.

36. Vince Vance & the Valiants – “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (1989). Do not confuse this song with Mariah Carey’s. This song is in the vein of Billy Vera & the Beaters’ “At This Moment”, and just like that song, I can never get it out of my head when I hear it.

35. Stevie Wonder – “Someday at Christmas” (1967). This song touched my soul at an early age. I love the prayer-like quality of the lyrics coupled with the impeccable music. This song has been an big influence on my life.

34. Cee Lo Green Featuring The Muppets – “All I Need Is Love” (2012). Why isn’t this song being played to death on Christmas radio? It is a modern classic, based upon a sample of The Muppets’ “Manuh Manuh”. This is holiday fun at its finest.

33. Queen – “Thank God It’s Christmas” (1984). 1984 was a stellar year for Christmas songs over in the UK. And, when the granddaddy of all Seventies bands makes their entry in the holiday sweepstakes, I was ready to hear it. Of course it’s magnificent!

32. Alex Chilton – “The Christmas Song” (1986). The former singer of The Box Tops (“The Letter”) and my beloved Big Star released this song on The dB’s and Friends’ Christmas compilation. This stripped down version of this over-done classic is just beautiful yet stark and soulful.

31. Madonna – “Santa Baby” (1987). Yes, I choose Madonna’s version of this song over Eartha Kitt’s sexy original or Kylie Minogue’s recent take or Everclear’s grunge-lite version, because I like Madonna’s music. There! I said it! Next!

Oh wait! “Next!” is for tomorrow, lest I get ahead of myself! Later!

Today has been a joyous day for me. Nearly two months ago, my mom was walking into a small cafe in a small town in eastern Indiana when she trip over something while entering the establishment, falling on left hip and breaking it. It happened just days before her 81st birthday. She had complete hip replacement surgery, was kept in the hospital for three or four days, then sent to a rehabilitation center. There, she worked on strengthening exercises, while winning MANY games of bingo down in the Activity Center. Now, with her inpatient rehab complete, she was released to go home with my step-dad, who has been working his butt off to get their home ready for Mom and her walker. The man has been amazing through this act of love. So, no matter what, it will be a great Christmas back here in Indiana.

Once again, this holiday will be chock-full of activity, with my brother and sister-in-law making another short stay here so he can see Mom again. I am not sure what’s going on with my older son and his beautiful bride, but I think they are staying out East to celebrate Christmas with her family. And, my younger son and long-time girlfriend will likely come over when their work schedule allows. And, who knows when we are getting together with the rest of my family and my wife’s family, but it will always work out.

The only thing is that I will have to adjust when I will play my Top 100 songs, while wearing my Santa cap, as my family unwrapped gifts and traded barbs. While I will miss that tradition, I look forward to when grandchildren will fill my need to act like an idiot teenager again!

I truly do hope you all have a seemingly magical Christmas season, unless of course you celebrate one of the other winter holidays, then I wish you the best during your holiday season. But, since this is my blog, let’s get Santa rockin’ a bit with numbers 41-50 on my countdown.

50. Katy Perry – “Everyday Is a Holiday” (2015). This was not Miss Perry’s first Christmas song, but it is her best. It was just released last year, making it one of the newer songs on my countdown. It is simply a great Katy Perry song.

49. Slade – “Merry Xmas Everybody” (1973). This is one of the biggest-selling Christmas songs in UK history. I read that the song was so popular that it held onto the number one position well into January. It ended up being Slade’s last chart topper in the UK. It sounds fresh today.

48. Bob & Doug McKenzie – “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (1981). Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas were riding high back in the winter of 1981 by portraying a pair of stereotypical Canadian brothers on the late-great SCTV sketch comedy show of the early Eighties. The McKenzie brothers were so popular that the pair got their own album, on which they reportedly improvised all of their bits. And, this song was “the Christmas portion of their album”. I remember my boys constantly requesting to hear this throughout their childhoods and laughing at “a beer…in a Christmas tree”.

47. Wizzard – “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” (1973). This song finished second in the “Great UK Christmas Song Battle of 1973” to Slade. But, this song has legs, meaning that it remains fresh-sounding here in the 21st century. Wizzard was the band that former-Move-and-ELO founder Roy Wood put together after leaving ELO.

46. The Royal Guardsmen – “Snoopy’s Christmas” (1967). I got this 7″ single from the jukebox that used to be at an old school where my dad broke into his school administration career. I might have been the only person to relentlessly played this song while shooting hoops in the gym. It was my jam for so long, that I would play during the summer on my porch while all the neighborhood kids tried to re-enact American Bandstand in my driveway. Of course, I played the role of Dick Clark.

45. Darlene Love & the E Street Band – “All Alone on Christmas” (1992). What happens when Phil Specter’s greatest singer is paired with Bruce Springsteen’s Specter-loving backing band? You get a rocking Christmas song that became the theme of the first two Home Alone movies.

44. Kurtis Blow – “Christmas Rappin'” (1980). Rap’s first King released rap’s first Christmas song. And it remains a classic to this very day.

43. The Ronettes – “Sleigh Ride” (1962). From the sounds of horses trotting and jingle bells ringing, Phil Specter’s Wall of Sound production perfectly concocted the sound of a sleigh ride during the winter, all the while his future wife, Ronettes lead singer, Ronnie Specter, and her two harmony singers set the stage not only for a great Christmas song, but laid the groundwork for another female trio to take over the pop world, the Supremes.

42. Fitz & the Tantrums – “Santa Stole My Lady” (2011). When Fitz & the Tantrums first arrived on the scene, they were doing that old Hall & Oates/Blue-Eyed Soul-thing. While still in that mode, the group recorded the definitive version of this soul holiday classic.

41. Liz Phair – “Ho Ho Ho” (2014). In the early-Nineties, Phair burst onto the scene as an angry young woman, writing songs that explicitly talked about her sex life, be it satisfactory or not, and other things that women at the time were not supposed to talk about so openly. Then, like all of us, Phair mellowed a bit after having children. But, she still could turn out a slightly provocative Christmas song.

Okay, that’s 60 songs down and only my Top 40 left. Hang on tight, things are going to get more recognizable. In the words of William Shatner’s character on the otherwise disappointing Airplane 2, “Irony can be so ironic.”

Well, today’s list has a song from a forgotten Christmas classic album, an actual Eighties new wave Christmas song, a couple of Nineties yuletide songs, an early rap Christmas entry, one by my favorite Contemporary Christian artist, a couple more soul classics, and a song by one of my favorite artists with a song that they really didn’t intend to become associated with this holiday. So, with that brilliant…<<COUGH>>, <<COUGH>>…er…opening, let’s just get on with the countdown. That way HERC can have fun improving this blog. Thanks HERC!!!

60. Emmylou Harris – “Light of the Stable” (1979). Harris has one of the greatest voices of all-time. She got her start with Gram Parsons. With the help of stalwarts Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young, Harris created an nativity classic that seems to have been forgotten over the years.

59. The Temptations – “Silent Night” (1970). I originally discovered this beautiful, gospel version on the Motown Christmas compilation from the Seventies, Motown Christmas. The song was beautiful in its original version, but The Temptations took it to a whole other level.

58. Smashing Pumpkins – “Christmastime” (1995). Who knew Billy Corgan could create such a beautiful Christmas song? We ALL did, especially after hearing Siamese Dreams and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

57. Tevin Campbell – “O Holy Night” (1992). Anybody remember this former Prince-protege? Campbell was a teenager with an otherworldly voice. I thought he would go on to become the Michael Jackson of Gen X. At least, he left us with this masterpiece version of this hymn.

56. Treacherous Three – “Santa’s Rap” (1984). Another forgotten early hip hop entry into the Yuletide celebration. While I am re-writing rock history, remember to include this song on your Christmas party playlist. You gotta dance sometime.

55. David Crowder*Band – “Carol of the Bells/Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)” (2011). Crowder is a brilliant artist who is making excellent music in the Contemporary Christian Music market. This song displays the power of his original band while tackling these songs. I have always likened his live performances to those of Springsteen or Petty.

54. Squeeze – “Christmas Day” (1979). I first heard this song as an import single from the UK. In the Nineties, I found this single on a great New Wave Xmas Hits CD. It was written just as Squeeze was reaching its creative peak.

53. Cat Power – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (2013). I am a “Johnny-come-lately” to the greatness of Cat Power. This is the first version of my wife’s favorite Christmas song, the other, our favorite, is coming up later. This one is so beautiful that I had to break my no two versions of the same song rule.

52. Big Star – “Jesus Christ” (1978). This song is found on the third Big Star release, known as Third/Sister Lovers. The album had wrapped in 1975 and wasn’t released until 1978. This song is about the Man Himself, but I don’t think it was ever intended to be a Christmas song. That is, until it was included on a power pop compilation classic called Christmas Time that is credited to “The dB’s and Friends”. After that, you can find cover versions of the song on other alternative music Christmas compilations.

51. Darlene Love – “Marshmallow World” (1963). Yet another beautiful and fun song from that terrific Phil Specter Christmas album. Once again, you can hear the brilliance of both Love’s voice and Specter’s production. And, this isn’t the last song from that album either!

We are half-way through the countdown, but there’s seven more days of Christmas left in the song. Don’t fret! This will work! Have a great weekend!!!

In this ten of my Top 100 Christmas songs, you will find a couple American Idol also-rans, a jam band, an American Idol champ, a few legends, and a hair band. It may be one of the more eclectic group of songs in my Top 100. I would like to thank my blogging friend, the mighty HERC, for adding the music in the comment section, since I have not taken the time to use the full powers of this blog. So, let’s get this countdown going!

70. Al Green – “The First Noël” (1990). The Reverend Al Green has few peers vocally, and proves it on this song. This was the standout song on a Contemporary Christian Music Christmas compilation from the early Nineties. Rev. Al never forgot his soulful roots.

69. Boyz II Men – “Let It Snow” (1993). Remember when the band was one of the biggest singles artists in the world? They recorded a decent Christmas album at the peak of their career, and this is my favorite song on that disc.

68. Haley Reinhart & Casey Abrams – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (2011). These two singers had been contestants on American Idol back in 2011, but I don’t really remember where they finished. I just remember that they had some chemistry during a performance the two had on the show. So, I downloaded this version that drips with sexual tension. Who knows where they are today?

67. moe. – “Together at Christmas” (2002). Who knew this jam band from the Nineties and the Aughts had a brilliant Christmas song in them. As a matter of fact, this might be their best song, period.

66. Carpenters – “Merry Christmas, Darling” (1978). I’ve stated it before, Karen Carpenter had one of the most sorrowful voices, and this song touches upon that isolation she naturally felt.

65. Burl Ives – “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (1964). Ol’ Burl was a mainstay on my mom’s turntable, but my generation probably remembers this version from the great Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special.

64. Carrie Underwood – “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (2009). Every knows that Underwood has the pipes since her win on American Idol. And, she proves it once again on this hymn.

63. Extreme – “Christmas Time Again” (1992). Unfortunately, this talented hair metal band hit during the waning days of the genre. Still, they had enough in the gas tank to record this brilliant Christmas original.

62. The O’Jays – “Christmas Ain’t Christmas” (1987). These soul gods released another soulful slow dance song for the yuletide. Christmas IS the time for romance.

61. Charles Brown – “Merry Christmas Baby” (1946). The blues legend recorded this blues Christmas song, and it remains the best version to this day.

Well, that’s 40 songs down, 60 more to go. See you tomorrow!

Back in 1987, A Very Special Christmas was released in the US, reigniting modern takes on Christmas standards a commercial reality. Now, there is a glut of modern Christmas music that can be purchased. Still, that album did kick off a second golden era of Christmas music. The Fifties and Sixties proved to be the first golden age, while the Eighties and Nineties combined to be the second golden age. Now, in the 21st Century, you can find many country and pop artists releasing holiday albums, most of which are just tired remakes of those songs from the Eighties. Seriously, who else needs to record Wham!’s classic “Last Christmas”?

Instead, I dig deeper for my current Christmas music. But, as I do that, I have been discovering fewer and fewer worthy candidates for my personalized mixes that I hand out each year to my friends. I have found that the power pop genre contains some of the best holiday music, with hip hop right behind. But, pop, classic rock and country artists are releasing uninspired holiday hits. Still, I have found some recent winners that may one day make this list.

Anyway, let’s get on with the countdown.

80. James Brown – “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto” (1968). The Godfather of Soul released not one but two classic Christmas funk albums in the Sixties.

79. Bob Dylan – “Must Be Santa” (2009). I am NOT kidding! Bob Dylan really did release an album of Christmas music in 2009. And, it is exactly what you’d think it would be. And, this is the most fun Dylan probably ever had in the studio recording a song.

78. Josè Feliciano – “Feliz Navidad” (1970). Does anyone else really remember that the Sixties and Seventies really did embrace cultural differences? I’m not kidding! I really don’t think Santana would ever have become successful in these political winds, never mind this Spanish Christmas song.

77. Isaac Hayes – “The Mistletoe and Me” (1969). And did you really think some of our favorite artists would NOT take Christmas into the bedroom? You bet those classic soul artists of the Sixties and Seventies did! And, surprise, surprise, the R&B artists of the Forties and Fifties started that.

76. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – “Ain’t No Chimneys in the Projects” (2011). We just lost Miss Jones to cancer a month ago. She was a classic soul singer, and we were just getting to enjoy her talents. Her last album is a compilation of all of her Christmas songs, including this brilliant sociological critique.

75. Elvis Presley – “Blue Christmas” (1957). Yes, the King extended his domain into Christmas songs, carols and hymns. The man could do it all. And, this is the song he is known for.

74. The Jackson 5 – “Frosty the Snowman” (1970). When Michael and his brothers first arrived on the scene, they finished off the year with their own Christmas Album, which was a classic album in its own right. And, this song was one of the more fun songs of them all.

73. The Salsoul Orchestra – “Merry Christmas All” (1976). Yes, even disco incorporated Christmas music. Most of it was forgettable, except for the Salsoul Orchestra’s foray into the holiday on the dance floor.

72. Lady Gaga featuring Space Cowboy – “Christmas Tree” (2008). This was released near the height of Gaga-mania. On the surface, it’s a nice entry into 21st century holiday music. But, upon closer listen, the song is nothing but a double entendre. And, why should we be surprised by that?

71. Willie Nelson – “Pretty Paper” (1979). I had a difficult time trying to decide between Willie’s version or Roy Orbison’s as my favorite. Personally, I love how laid back Nelson sounds on this song. I also love Willie’s instrumental cut from his Christmas album called “Christmas Blues”, not to be confused with Canned Heat’s song of the same name.

Now, we are 30% of the way through my list of my 100 favorite Christmas songs of all time. Once again, a big thanks to HERC for supplementing my blog with samples of the songs on my lists. The man is a god among rock bloggers.

After my parents got a divorce, my Christmases became something like Hanukkah; eight crazy nights of Christmas gatherings with various relatives. It was okay, but a little much, especially since this was the mid-point of high school basketball season. I pretty much enjoyed my down time during basketball. But, on those long drives home with Dad after a Christmas gathering with his side of the family, we would be listening to the better local AM station play a mixture of the days’ latest hits and Christmas music. It was hilarious hearing Ram Jam’s “Black Betty” being followed by “Santa Claus & His Old Lady” by Cheech & Chong, then a little Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing”, then Elton John’s “Step Into Christmas”. Those days were very eclectic. But, no radio station, whether it be streaming, part of XM/Sirrus or of land radio. Boy, I really do miss those days.

Before I cover my next 10 favorite songs, I would love to thank my new blog friend, HERC, who runs one of the finest rock music lover’s sites on the internet. I his comments, HERC has added links to the first ten song so you can enjoy. But, if you want to see how a blog should be run, check out HERC’s Hideaway at https://hercshideaway.blogspot.com/. Now, as the prophet Casey Kasem would say, on with the countdown.

90. The Little Stinkers – “I Farted on Santa’s Lap (Now, Christmas Is Gonna Stink)” (1999). This proves that their is no diminishing returns when it comes to fart humor to me. Sorry, I’m just a teenager trapped in an old man’s body. Plus, who said we can’t laugh on Jesus’ birthday.

89. Neon Trees – “Wish List” (2010). Modern pop music is perfect for Christmas time, and this is the only song I know from Neon Trees. But, they did hit a holiday home run.

88. Joni Mitchell – “River” (1971). Mitchell probably never meant for this song to become a Christmas standard, but that is what has happened since the Nineties. This is a great song about the loneliness of winter.

87. Mavis Staples – “Christmas Vacation” (1990). So, you grab one of the greatest non-Aretha female voices in history and give her a cute little pop ditty for her to immortalize. Mission accomplished, indeed.

86. The Brian Setzer Orchestra – “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus” (2008). This former Stray Cat guitar slinger jump-started the whole jumpin’ jive big band sound of the Nineties, then transcended it by creating three classic Christmas albums in the style, with this song being one of the best examples.

85. Disco Four – “He’s Santa Claus” (1987). Old School Rap embraced the Christmas season immediately, and here is one of the finest examples of the genre. This cut comes from the classic Christmas Rap compilation album. If you can find it, you will love it!

84. Boney M – “Mary’s Boy Child/Oh Lord” (1979). Boney M was an European disco phenomenon in the late Seventies. Boney M brought Christmas to the dance floors of 1979 with this hit.

83. Ying Yang Twins – “Deck da Club” (2008). Okay, these twins walk the line of what is inappropriate and what is not. And, this is definitely NOT your parents’ Christmas music.

82. Stevie Wonder – “What Christmas Means to Me” (1967). Stevie Wonder hit two Christmas home runs in the Sixties, and this is the first one on my list. This one is a bit nostalgic, as well as cutting right to the meaning of Christmas. All wrapped up in Stevie’s positive music.

81. Cheech & Chong – “Santa & His Old Lady” (1971). These improv comedians were the first to embody the zeitgeist of rock music. Yes, their humor is of the Seventies, but much of it cuts to the essence of life. Couple their drug humor with Santa Claus, and it was ripe for laughs. So, how did the reindeer fly? Magic dust, of course! A little for the reindeer, a little for Santa, a little more for Santa, a little more Santa. And, this bit still cracks me up! And get this…my mother LOVED Cheech & Chong! She uses “fanny perpendicular” to refer to her rear end to this day after hearing the duo use it in “Earache My Eye”.

So, ten more down, and eighty to go! Let’s keep the Christmas Spirit alive!

I am a member of that subset of music collectors who LOVE Christmas music. I am not sure why, but I have always found Christmas music to be fun. From the moment I heard my babysitter playing The Ventures’ classic album The Ventures’ Christmas Album. On that album, I heard Beatles’ music being mashed together with a Christmas song played like a guitar rock song. That album was a revelation. And, the babysitter had another Christmas album that stuck with me through the years: A Christmas Gift to You from Phil Specter. That album is now considered a modern classic, where the great producer matched various Christmas carols or new Christmas pop songs he had written with one of the great vocal groups in his stable to record “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”, “Sleigh Ride”, “Christmas (Please Don’t Go)” and “Marshmallow World”. Those albums warped me for a lifetime.

Then, I began to hear the singles of the Sixties, such as The Royal Guardsmen doing “Snoopy’s Christmas” or Stevie Wonder’s “Someday at Christmas”. Then, in the Seventies, the Christmas music disappeared. Oh, sure, I’d see the American Bandstand dancers dancing on the Christmas show to Elton John’s “Step into Christmas” or “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by Bruce Springsteen. During that time, I would read in Billboard magazine about Christmas music recorded by modern artists being released in the UK, while here in the States, we could only buy the Eagles’ “Please Come Home for Christmas”. Something was amiss.

Then, I discovered a treasure trove of modern Christmas music AFTER the release of the Special Olympics-fundraising album from 1987, A Very Special Christmas. That album had Christmas music by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Pretenders, U2, Bob Seger, Bon Jovi and others. But, the album became known for the first popular Christmas rap song, “Christmas in Hollis” by Run-DMC.

Now, hip hop was warm to Christmas music. Kurtis Blow recorded the classic “Christmas Rappin'”, and The Disco Four had “Santa Rap”. And MTV played new wave Christmas music by the likes of The Waitresses (“Christmas Wrapping”) and Squeeze (“Christmas Day”). All of a sudden, Christmas music was profitable again.

Which lead to the biggest modern Christmas song ever, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. Finally, someone hit that Phil Specter goldmine of pop music and set it to Christmas themes. And people bought the single. And the album. And we have been buying them for the past 25 years. And artists continue to release Christmas music. And, I scour the internet searching for new tunes to add to my collection of Christmas music. I have stuff by artists like Insane Clown Posse to punk bands like Ramones, The YOBS and The Dickies. I have Twisted Sister, Bootsy Collins, Dr. Demento, Snoop Dogg, and many, many others doing Christmas songs. And, I don’t think I will ever quit.

So, today, I am beginning my Twelve Days of Christmas Music as I present to you my Top 100 favorite Modern Christmas Songs. Today, we cover numbers 91 through 100. I hope you enjoy this! And let me know about your picks too!

100. Nat “King” Cole – “The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot” (1956). Okay, I started my countdown with a little melodramatic schlock, but who cares? Christmas is about facing ALL of our emotions.

99. The Free Design – “Close Your Mouth (It’s Christmas)” (1968). Here’s the perfect hippie Christmas song with the message of listening to others rather than talking during the holidays. Great message that maybe we ought to take heed to.

98. Johnny Mathis – “It’s Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas” (1986). What can I say? Whether this song is sung by Mathis, Andy Williams or Frank Sinatra, it always takes me back to those Christmas days at my grandparents. Can’t beat those memories.

97.The Three Wisemen (AKA XTC) – “Thanks for Christmas” (1983). Here’s our first cynical entry. Leave it to Andy Partridge to make what sounds like an upbeat Christmas song musically speaking into a lyrical diatribe against Christianity. Oh, Andy!

96. Swag – “Everyday Is Christmas” (1998). Yes, this band sounds an awful lot like Cheap Trick, which might be since Trick bassist Tom Petersson plays in this ad hoc band in the studio. This song rocks Christmas like no other.

95. The Staple Singers – “Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas?” (1970). Remember when soul artists made social commentary? And they never stopped when it came to their Christmas music either. The Staple Singers sure sang the heck out of this song that has a message.

94. The Funk Brothers – “Winter Wonderland” (1968). The musicians who played on every one of those Motown hits from the days when Motown was in Detroit. Who knew that the winter was so funky?

93. Bob Rivers – “The Twelve Pains of Christmas” (1992). This old-school DJ, the kind who would record comedy bits and songs, has recorded several albums worth of Christmas music. And, this song perfectly sums up the commercial side of the holiday.

92. Johnny Cash – “O Come All Ye Faithful” (1980). The Man in Black could simply sing the phone book, and it would sound majestic. This hymn sums up Cash’s flesh versus spirit battle that he wage for all of us to see, and to learn from.

91. August Darnell – “Christmas on Riverside Drive” (1981). August Darnell was a type of Prince: a musical genius who could mix rock genres into his own amalgam. He should have been huge, but will forever be known as a footnote in history. This Christmas song sums up his career in his disco group, Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band, and his new wave group, Kid Creole & the Coconuts. This is a fun way to dance at the Christmas party.

So, there’s my first day of Christmas for you all! Eleven more to go!

I’ve always admired Bruno Mars songwriting skills, just like I admired Rob Thomas’ a decade ago. I was always telling my wife after hearing a Thomas-penned song on the radio that that dude sure can write some catchy tunes. Maybe not enough to add Matchbox-20 to my physical music collection, but I enjoyed his stuff enough to add some of his mp3s to my electronic collection. And, over the past couple of years, I’ve been saying the same thing about Bruno Mars.

The first time that Mars songwriting skills truly jumped out at me was his Cee Lo Green hit “Forget You” (or was it “F@$k You”?). That song took a simple yet classic Motown melody and rhythm and updated it with some 21st century hip hop attitude to concoct a classic hit song. Then, last year, his collaboration with über-producer Mark Ronson to create yet another hit song for the ages in the obvious Time-influence “Uptown Funk”. So, I was going to keep my ears open to his new stuff that was recently released, titled XXIV-K Magic.

A month or so ago, Mars was the special guest on the Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Emily Blunt. When Bruno performed the title song from the album, I was blown away. He was no longer mining the Glee-style pop/dance stuff of his first two albums but appeared to be diving into a little more Eighties-styled funk, alá Rick James or my beloved Time. He and his band was scolding hot on the show that I thought Studio 8-H might burn down to a follow-up request of some George Clinton. I thought that Bruno’s work may actually be maturing.

And, sure enough, the former childhood Elvis Presley impersonator has finally found his calling as the purveyor of some 21st century revival of Eighties pop/R&B/funk. No, he has not reached Michael Jackson or Prince or Madonna levels of songwriting, but he is drinking from the same pool of inspiration. Throughout the new album, Mars is giving his fans a little Lionel Richie ballad here, an Atlantic Starr love song there and a burning-down-the-disco Jackson/Madonna/Bee Gees numbers in a couple of places. And he closes the album with a majestic ballad that sounds as if Quincy Jones came in and gave him an old ballad that Michael Jackson and Barry Gibb had co-written.

Now, by no means is this album on the level of Lady Gaga’s, or the recent releases of some of the stalwarts of the past have delivered this year, but Bruno Mars IS growing up and his songwriting is reflecting that growth. Perhaps, one day Mars will transcend his musical heroes and influences and take his place among the immortals of pop music. As my older son would say, “Only time will tell.”