Christmas tunes.

Rockstar Research has found that most Christmas songs, at best, suck. Wait a minute, hear me out before you reflexively dub me Scrooge McGrinch or something like that. The other thing I've found is that many so-called Christmas songs don't really have anything to do with the actual meaning of the Christmas holiday but that is rant for another day. If you don't believe me, what does Frosty the Snow Man, Jingle Bells, Sleigh Ride, etc. have to do with the holiday? But I digress....

There are a few gems, though, that are worthy of a listen or two. Dominick the Donkey ain't one of them and I think the limit on listening to the dogs barking Jingle Bells is once per year. The Dr. Demento Christmas album (I'm showing my age now with the "A" word) gets you thinking and chuckling a bit but, and I know this concept may be controversial, there are actual Christmas songs are enjoyable to listen to. So without further ado and open for revision and recommendation, the official and basically unscientific list:

• Kenny Loggins' "Celebrate Me Home."
• Vince Guaraldi's "O Tannenbaum" from A Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack.
• Barenaked Ladies' "Elf's Lament."
• Dan Fogelberg's "Same Old Lang Syne."
• Faith Hill's "Where are you Christmas."
• Brian Setzer's "Dig that Crazy Santa Claus."
• James Taylor's "Deck the Halls."
• Eagles' "Please Come Home For Christmas."
• Sting's "Soul Cake."

I'm sure there are more songs that could make the cut. I'm still searching (especially for a RockStar Research approved version of "What Child is This?" or "The First Noel") but for every potentially good song/version you have to listen to the Grandma getting run over again or "Chipmunk Song" five times. Now if it was the Chipmunk's remix of Funky Town from their movie soundtrack that might be a different story...

'Tis the season. Fa la la la la, parump a pum pum.