The Community 2023 Xmas Music Playlist

[Dave-O2]

Hey folks 

Kicking off this years festive fun is the Community 2023 Xmas Music Playlist 🎶

This is a thread for ALL members to get involved, to share your favourite tunes to listen to and get merry with over the Christmas period 🎄

I'll start the Playlist with my FIVE go to jingles when rocking around the Christmas tree ↘️

5 -  Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow - Dean Martin 

Number five on my list this song was originally recorded by Vaughn Monroe in 1945 after being written in California, during a heat wave as the composer imagined cooler conditions. American singer Dean Martin released a version of the song in 1959, only entering the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in 2018. If you have an Apple Music subscription as an O2 Extra listen here 

4 - Driving Home for Christmas - Chris Rea

Coming in at number four is "Driving Home for Christmas" this was written and composed by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea and peaked at number 53 on the UK Singles Chart. This song has also made a reappearance on the UK Singles Chart every year since 2007!! Check this out here

3 - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree was released in 1958 and has sold over 15 million copies around the world! In 2019, Lee's song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In November 2023, Lee released a music video for the song, and in December 2023 the song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Lee the oldest artist ever to top the Hot 100 at age 78. The song also set the record for the longest period of time between an original release and its topping the Hot 100 (65 years), as well as the longest time between number-one singles by an artist: 63 years, one month and two weeks. Listen here now 🎧

2 - Last Christmas - Wham

In second place is Last Christmas" a song by British pop duo Wham, written and produced by George Michael. Released in 1984 the song spent five consecutive weeks at number two in the UK Singles Chart—it was held off the top spot at Christmas by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" The song has also been covered by several artists including Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. Listen here

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

My number 1 Christmas song was released in 1963 and peaked at 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 2007 and entered into the Top 10 consistently in the 2000s, peaking at #5 in 2020 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the USA. The song is associated with the Christmas season, focusing primarily on get-togethers between friends and families. Grab your headphones and listen here now!!

That's my contribution to the Playlist, now it's over to you, to share your treasured songs to play at this time of year 

Tagging our regulars, apologies if i missed anyone 😁

@MI5, @TallTrees, @Cleoriff, @Mi-Amigo, @madasaf1sh, @RunrigForever, @Oxonian, @Enlli, @Pipstop78,   @Bambino, @pgn, @gmarkj, @BobM , @ColinO2 

[J9el]

My 5 Christmas Crackers

1. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl

2. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes

3. Last Christmas - Wham

4. Frosty The Snowman - The Ronettes

5. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love 

[Mi-Amigo]

Slightly off-topic....

60 years ago, in Dec 1963, The Beatles released the first of their Christmas Message singles. Each year from then to 1969, The Beatles issued a Christmas Message record, but you couldn`t buy it in the shops and was only available to members of the Official Beatles Fan Club who received the flexi-disc 45rpm single for free.

I have every one of them. The early ones featured messages from each of the band, with later ones including sketches, songs and messages.

Fortunately the records are available to listen to on the inter-web...

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x55pif7

I hope everyone enjoys them.

Happy Xmas, everyone. 

[Cleoriff]

Wow, thanks for that @Mi-Amigo 

I've bookmarked your post and will listen later 😍

[pgn]

Wonderful - what some people do when there's a microphone or 4 about (and a recording studio too!).

Thanks, @Mi-Amigo - many very funny bits on that!

[Oxonian]

Wham! beat Sam Ryder to top Christmas charts for the first time - BBC News

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-67788148

[Cleoriff]

I think it's a shame it wasn't Fairytale Of New York by the Pogues.

Particularly after the death of Shane McGovern.

It only made it to 5th.

Good to see Brenda Lee in the top 10. Brenda was 13 when she recorded Rocking Around The Christmas Tree, 65 years ago.

I suppose we should be grateful LadBaby didn't enter the race this year 😂

[pgn]

And as the sherry begins to kick in this long Holiday Weekend:

Ècoute bien, as my French mistress used to say... 😂

[TallTrees]

Ooo la la @pgn 

 

[pgn]

Not forgetting this most strenuous version of The 12 Days of Christmas, @TallTrees 

[TallTrees]

Mesmerising @pgn 

😆😀