12 Songs of Christmas - #10 All I Want for Christmas Is You
To read the "12 Songs of Christmas Intro," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #12 - "God Bless Us Everyone," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #11 - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," please CLICK HERE
Why it's on the List...
I’m sure some people are rolling their eyes at seeing this polarizing song on my list. I know some people that love it and some people that HATE it. And I have to admit - it’s been a weird journey with this song over the years.
The track was released for the first time ever on Mariah Carey’s 1994 “Merry Christmas” album and it hooked me from Day 1.
As I’ve mentioned before, I love big and grand and sweeping songs and this one has all of that in spades. Bells and a choir and Mariah’s soaring vocals?
I’m here for all of it.
The song was a big hit in ‘94 and then kind of disappeared for a while. Meanwhile, I still enjoyed it and listened to it but no one else knew what I was talking about when I would bring it up.
That was fine with me. I always enjoy my hidden gems and get nervous when something I like gets too popular or mainstream.
Then it happened...
The song was used as a focal point in the 2003 movie “Love Actually.” I was stunned. Some mainstream movie actually used my little lowkey favorite Christmas song??
I was thrilled for a moment.
But then I heard the song again and again and again and then - OHMYGODITWON’TGOAWAY!
It has truly been an odd experience of enjoying something that no one knew and then everyone knew and then got overplayed and has teetered on getting annoying.
It legit bothered me for a few years but I think it was last year that I finally made peace with it all.
I loved this song and I still do.
How other people feel about it won’t change my enjoyment of something I found first.
While We’re Here…
Mentioned Mariah's "Merry Christmas" above and it still holds up today as a fantastic album from start to finish. With that in mind, here are my Top 5 All-Time Favorite Christmas albums:
5. The Carpenters Christmas Collection
Something about the Carpenter's approach to their Christmas songs just feels like going home / being home for the Holidays. It's coziness by the fire personified
4. Bing Crosby "White Christmas"
Probably one of the first GREAT mainstream Christmas compilations and still a gold standard.
3. Mariah Carey "Merry Christmas"
I mentioned in the Intro that I personally believe there are two types of Christmas music : 1. Songs about Santa and the holiday season (this list) and 2. Christian songs that celebrate the birth of Jesus. Mariah has a BUNCH from this album that are going to make that 2nd list someday.
It's weird for me that none of Bublé's tracks from THIS album made my list but it's one of those times where the sum is greater than all of the parts.
1. The Killers "Don't Waste Your Wishes"
Don't you worry, we'll get to this album later...
Listen to "All I Want for Christmas Is You" here:
What this song means to me:
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, I always wondered what made a “Christmas Song” in the sense of what was played on the radio at Christmas.
(Same basic concept as classic rock)
So for ME: this song represents a song that was 1st introduced when I was a teen, and now is a ubiquitous “Christmas Song”. And this isn’t about getting old. I actually like it. Something from my generation was added to the ledger.
P.S. Love actually is an all time fav
P.P.S. My wife is a huge Maria Carey fan so this song is THE song of “it’s Christmas music season”