Mariah Carey’s iconic holiday track “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has been officially dethroned, Paste reports. The classic, something many people likely hear hundreds of times a year at any given American mall, has now been outpaced by a Beatle. Sort of. The Shins’ 2012 cover of Paul McCartney’s “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time” is now the most-played holiday song in retail stores, with the 1979 original landing in 17th place.
PlayNetwork, a company that works with 400 different brands to compile their store playlists, put together the definitive list showing the songs that quickly grow tiring at or very near your local Smoothie King. Though it isn’t quite ubiquitous enough to push its way into the top ten, Sam Smith’s take on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is already doing decent numbers with the 15th most retail spins.
Peep the top ten, via Paste, below:
1) The Shins “Wonderful Christmastime”
2) Mariah Carey “All I Want For Christmas Is You”
3) Christina Aguilera “Christmas Time”
4) Waitresses “Christmas Wrapping”
5) Jack Johnson “Someday At Christmas”
6) Kelly Clarkson “Underneath The Tree”
7) Michael Buble “A Holly Jolly Christmas”
8) Bing Crosby “White Christmas”
9) Train “What Christmas Means To Me”
10) Ella Fitzgerald “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
That’s probably a fire playlist if you’re into that sort of thing.
Trace William Cowen | Complex
https://www.yahoo.com/music/mariah-careys-want-christmas-no-214325625.html
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MEMORABLE SINATRA MOMENTS
Frank Sinatra was was born on Dec. 12, 1915. A hundred years on, the Voice resonates still.
Iggy Pop: Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, “Love Me Tender/Witchcraft” (1960)
“I’m thinking of the encounter between Frank and Elvis, when El guested on Frank’s TV show, and they did a medley duet. What I noticed at first viewing was how much larger, prettier and vocally more powerful Elvis was than Frank. Sort of a solid gold Cadillac in human form, purring through the material with God-like ease. I think Frank showed incredible pluck and guts
in holding his own gracefully. Kind of a sympathetic Everyman. Worthy of respect, even from Apollo.”
Caetano Veloso: “It’s Easy to Remember (and So Hard to Forget)” (1957)
“I was 18. In my tiny Bahia house, I would spend hours listening to the album ‘Close to You.’ ‘It’s Easy to Remember,’ ‘Everything Happens to Me,’ ‘With Every Breath I Take,’ ‘P.S. I Love You’ … Sinatra at his soberest, most dignified manliness. His natural musicianship in perfect calm. Nelson Riddle. That album formed my taste. I loved Ray Charles, Monk and Miles. And listened to João Gilberto more than anything. But Sinatra’s ‘Close to You’ played a special role in my musical life.”
Kurt Elling: “It Was a Very Good Year” (1965)
“Sinatra is the embodiment of a dominant, swinging singer. His technique is flawless. (Did Sinatra ever sing out of tune?) His delivery is emotionally transparent and rich. His diction is at once relaxed and crystal clear. He is a profound storyteller — as you can gather from this clip. Really, there is so much about popular singing of good taste that Sinatra simply defined that it’s tough not to throw one’s hands up at the idea of even attempting to match him. It is one more spur to those who come after him to chart new territory. Otherwise, he just owns the field. I’ve always wished there was one more verse to this remarkable song — it’s just over too soon.”
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FIVE WAYS TO CELEBRATE SINATRA’S CENTENNIAL
● LISTEN to two 100-track retrospectives, each released this year: “Ultimate Sinatra,” which includes all your favorite hits from “Night and Day” to “Fly Me to the Moon,” and “A Voice on Air,” which unearths radio recordings that span two decades.
● TUNE IN to the SiriusXM channel Siriusly Sinatra for round-the-clock programming, including shows hosted by Sinatra’s children, Nancy, Frank Jr. and Tina.
● WATCH “All or Nothing at All,” an HBO documentary on Sinatra by Alex Gibney, re-airing at 12 p.m. “It reminds us of the type of stardom Sinatra enjoyed, one that some people might think was invented by Elvis Presley or the Beatles,” Neil Genzlinger wrote in his review for The New York Times.
● READ Gay Talese’s definitive essay for Esquire on Sinatra from 1966. Despite not getting a single interview with Sinatra, Mr. Talese brilliantly captured the ethos of a legend as a weary lion.
● ATTEND one of the many concerts paying tribute to Sinatra across the country — from Michael Feinstein at NJPAC to Frank Sinatra Jr. in Beverly Hills, Calif., to Joe Piscopo in Bethlehem, Pa.
By Andrew Chow
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/12/arts/music/memorable-sinatra-moments.html?_r=0
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POP WRAPPED’S ULTIMATE HOLIDAY PLAYLIST
The holidays are here and, if you’re still feeling a little bit like the Grinch, we’re here to fix that! Pour some egg nog, grab a sugar cookie, throw another log on the fire and stare out at the gently falling snow as you listen to our favorite holiday songs.
We’ve had some of our contributors list the songs they can’t get through December without, and threw a nifty Spotify playlist together at the bottom of the article for all to enjoy! Let us know what you think of our picks, and what songs you would add to this holly, jolly playlist:
● I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Frank Sinatra
“This song is honestly super sad; but that’s okay. Having a cleansing cry is good for the soul. When I listen to it, I just imagine all the people in the world who aren’t able to be with their families during the holidays, and it makes me that much more grateful for the love that surrounds me constantly. Also, anything sung by Frank is always okay in my book.” -Dani Strehle, Editor-In-Chief
“Frank has that classic sound that just goes so perfectly with such a nostalgia-filled holiday. It’s hard to find a man who can croon the way he does.” – Shannon Beaty, Senior Managing Editor
● My Only Wish (This Year) – Britney Spears
“I love this song because it’s just such a bright, poppy Christmas song and Britney sounds so earnest when she sings it. It’s also a guarantee that it’ll be stuck in my head after one listen.” – Mike Nied, Staff Writer
● Carol Of The Bells – Pentatonix
“I love the power of several sounds coming together in unusual ways.” – Christa Tintelnot, Staff Writer
“There are so many soft holiday songs out there, that coming across this one is a breath of fresh air. Pentatonix never fails to bring some stellar vocals, and it makes this classic tune that much better.” – Shannon Beaty, Senior Managing Editor
● Silver Bells – Bing Crosby & Carol Richards
“Bing Crosby strikes again! It’s just not Christmas without his clear crooner voice. This one is lovely because it’s about the actual sensory experience of Christmas — bells ringing, red and green lights flashing, snow crunching, kids playing — and, in that vein, it just FEELS like Christmas.” – Sydney Lanier Burke, Social Media Manager
● This Christmas – Chris Brown
“I love this movie, and his vocals are always a pleasure. He’s had his ups and downs, but no one can deny that he has a natural talent that is almost unreal sometimes. A beautiful cover of another classic.” – Bradleigh-Ann Walker, Senior Managing Editor
● Maybe This Christmas – Ron Sexsmith
“This is my favourite Christmas song. It reminds me of being 16, when life was an adventure waiting to happen. Cheesy but true.” – Ellie McCullough, Staff Writer
Other suggestions:
Jingle Bell Rock – Daryl Hall & John Oates
Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song) – Jessica Simpson
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas – Johnny Mathis
Chrion Beta Prime – Jonathan Coulton
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays – *NSYNC
All I Want For Christmas (Is You) – Mariah Carey
Baby It’s Cold Outside – Bette Midler
Last Christmas – Wham
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Do They Know It’s Christmas – Band Aid
Driving Home For Christmas -Michael Ball
‘Zat You Santa Clause – Louis Armstrong
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon
Step Into Christmas – Elton John
Mistletoe – Justin Bieber
Do You Hear What I Hear – Glee Cast Version
Hard Candy Christmas – Dolly Parton
The Christmas Song – Mel Torme
You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch – Thurl Ravenscroft
Linus And Lucy – Vince Guaraldi Trio (A Charlie Brown Christmas)
Fairytale Of New York – The Pogues & Kirsty Maccoll
The 12 Days Of Christmas – Straight No Chaser
Lots more suggestions! Go to the website for more along with comments.
http://popwrapped.com/news/117617/popwrappeds-ultimate-holiday-playlist/