Well, the holidays are fastly approaching. I'm usually more "Bah Humbug" than I am excitedly awaiting them, but this year has been personally, and (it seems to me), more than personally such a bummer year, I seem to be wanting the holidays to get here more than I usually do. Even though it's gonna be a slim Christmas at the machineman household, I hope I don't dissappoint my kids too much, but they are great kids, so ....anyway, I digress.

And what gets me in the holiday mood quicker than anything?(generally speaking, that is)
Holiday Music! So my wife wants me to burn her a CD full of the best holiday music, and I thought I would start this thread. I'd really like to hear what you like to hear at this time of the year. Doesn't have to be "Christmas" songs(although that is the holiday I celebrate), just your favorite holiday tunes. If you have a link, that would be great, so I/we can hear it, but if you don't have a link, no sweat! Just list the title and who sings your favorite version of it!

I will start it off with my wife's favorite all-time christmas song(She starts dancing every time it comes on, and I love watching her groove, she just lights up!):

All I want for Christmas is You-Mariah Carey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA8UHeoYHQM

I just added a compilation Christmas CD to my iTunes library that appears to have two different names. On the cover it's called "A Sexy Christmas" but according to iTunes it's called "Merry Christmas Baby: Sexy Songs For The Holidays".

I bought it because my cd that had "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt mysteriously disappeared. This has that and tracks by Dean Martin, Elvis, Christina Aguilera, Luther Vandross, Vanessa Williams, Toni Braxton, Aaron Neville, Gloria Estefan, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall and Kenny G.

All Star Christmas

I couldn't resist a collection that gave us a Christmas song by Jeff Beck.

I should mention it also has songs by Billy Gilman w/ Asleep At The Wheel, two by Gloria Estefan, eline Dion, Donna Summer, Charlotte Church, Donny Osmond, Luther Vandross, Al Green, Keb Mo, Elmo & Patsy, Babyface, Wham, & Ottmar Leibert.

It's not a christmas album but every yuletide lunch I use Irish Heartbeat by Van Morrison and the Chieftains to evoke the holiday spirit.

Someone has just lent me Die Toten Hosen's Waiting For Santa...a Christmas Album, admitedly not for everyone, but I think it is worth a listen.

Alright guys, i will definitely give those a look! 'Bout time all you humbuggers started listening to some seasonal stuff!

Yule b' Swingin' too!

Songs by swing bands such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Al Hirt w/ Ann Margret (She would have been a great Catwoman in the Sixties), Dean Martin, Bing Crosby w/ the Andrews Sisters, Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and a few others.

Christmas Magic - A Holiday Collection

Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Perry Como, Harry Belafonte, Eddy Arnold, Engelbert Humperdinck, Vic Damone, Mario Lanza, etc.

That is a good one, very classic!

Have you checked out Faith Hill's new X-mas album? I have been meaning to, but haven't yet. I wish she would have included "Where Are You Christmas" on it though, it has become one of our Christmas favorites.

I dunno, I'm a country fan, but Faith Hill always triggered the pop country warning in my brain so I've never paid much attention to her.

Well, I could never help but to pay her attention---

Yeah, she is very pop, and while I like alot of her earlier stuff, and the duets with her hubby, most of her newer stuff (from the 3rd album on) I don't enjoy alot.

But I do like "Where are you Christmas" from the Grinch live action movie soundtrack(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTkTHYEY0y0 )and every once in a while, I like one or two songs she puts out.

My favorite mythmas song this year-

Santa's Laughter Mocks The Poor - a Christmas song by the Attery Squash (featuring Rev. Ivan Stang!)

A quick search of you tube will put you right to the music video!

Well if looks were a criteria for my listening pleasure, I'd be all over Shania Twain; as it is though, I couldn't even name one of her songs. I wouldn't say no to a liaison on a deserted island though.

I've still got three more Christmas CDs to download to my iTunes library, which I'll list here as I download them to iTunes.
It occurs to me that I don't have some of the songs that I consider the best Christmas songs, which would be "White Christmas by der Bingle, Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song", "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives and "Linus and Lucy" by Vince Guaraldi. i'll have to do something about that eventually.

Good God, man! It ain't Christmas without those, and I always have to hear "Christmas don't be late" from the Chipmunks on Christmas morning as well, we listened to the original album when I was a kid, and that song brings back the old anticipation and nostalgia feeling of Christmas past for me, as do the 4 other songs you mentioned.

Henry Mancini - Greatest Christmas Songs