Does anyone else hate that certain radio stations and most retail stores start playing only Christmas music in early November? And if that weren’t bad enough, the playlist is typically a bunch of worn-out songs from Gene Autry, Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and, yes, even Mariah Carey. To put it delicately, I am sick and tired of those songs.
Now this rant probably has you thinking this guy is a total curmudgeon. After all, this should be the most wonderful time of the year. But enough is enough already. And if we can’t get rid of those so-called Christmas classics, can we at least wait until after Thanksgiving?
Now to show that I am not a total Scrooge, I actually do have a Christmas playlist of songs I genuinely enjoy. But for the most part, they are original songs, not covers of the “classics.”
Many years ago, I started looking for original compositions. My first holiday album that mostly featured originals was, believe or not, Alabama. Over time, my collected playlist took on originals from artists as diverse as Jennifer Nettles, Leslie Odom Jr., Dan & Shay, the Goo Goo Dolls, Chris Young, Jon McLaughlin, John Legend and many others. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the new Christmas album by one of my new favorite artists, Girl Named Tom.
So, let’s hear a chorus of Amens for original Christmas compositions. And if the radio stations and retail stores started playing them, I might be a bit less grumpy next Christmas.