Last week on "The Playlist" we saluted Santa Claus musically, but this season has so many other characters that make up this December stretch.  No doubt that Santa is the shining star, but think about all those other players that make up your holiday TV watching special.  Then there are those songs that are truly characters in their own right - bringing you a smile and joy with their wit.  Don't forget those characters that are forever linked to Xmas despite no real holiday tie.  This is where we dare to tread musically this week with "The Playlist".

What makes this time of year so much fun is all the great specials and movies that come back to our consciousness.  You never seem to think of Frosty, Jack Frost, The Grinch, or The Little Drummer Boy during the summer.  Certain movies never seem to get played on TV until this time of year - "It's A Wonderful Life" is the prime example of that.

Did you know some characters even spurred holiday specials?  The song by Elmo and Patsy "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" was the influence for the cartoon creation for the holiday back in 2000. Comedy seems to go well with the holiday, bringing out some of the joy factor.  Bob Rivers has made a decent side living by creating holiday song parodies like "Walking Round In Women's Underwear" and "The Restroom Door Said Gentleman".

Let's not forget what Christmas represents to many - the birth of the child in the manger.  We are saluting all of these characters with a version of "The Playlist" that is festive, spurring all kinds of memories, and goes off on tangents you would have never have thought of until now:

Barenaked Ladies / Sarah McLachlan - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen ("Tidings of comfort and joy" as the savior is born)

Chris Cornell - Ave Maria (The Virgin Mary, and a hauntingly beautiful performance by Soundgarden's brilliant frontman)

Adam Sandler - The Hanukkah Song (for all the good Jewish kids, spurring the cartoon movie "8 Crazy Nights")

Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band - The Little Drummer Boy (ABC Family has the cartoon special running this Sat. @ 7:30)

Kimberly Locke - Frosty The Snowman (was a #1 radio hit in 2007)

Burl Ives - Have A Holly Jolly Christmas (he was the voice of Sam Snowman in "Rudolph", and he sings this closing song in the cartoon)

Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree (soundtrack to "Home Alone" - how can you not love Macaulay Culkin in that film?!?!?)

Whirling Dervishes - You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch (3 words to describe Grinch is "Stink, Stank, Stunk!")

Annie Lennox / Al Green - Put A Little Love In Your Heart (closing song in "Scrooged", and TBS is constantly running this Bill Murray classic)

Wham! - Last Christmas (used in 2006 flick "The Holiday" with Jack Black and Kate Winslet, and sadly my guilty chick flick holiday movie pleasure)

Tag Team - Whoomp! There It Is (picture Will Ferrell as Buddy Elf dancing in the mailroom to this song in "Elf")

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Heatmiser (Yes it is the Snowmiser and Heatmiser from "A Year Without A Santa Claus", and my favorite holiday song right now)

Christina Aguilera - The Christmas Song ("Jack Frost nipping at your nose")

Bob and Doug McKenzie - 12 Days of Christmas (The legendary SCTV Canadians from the 80s who wanted 5 Golden Tukes and 4 Lbs. of Back-Bacon)

Bob Rivers - 12 Pains of Christmas (Feel the pain of the guy rigging up the lights!)

Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time Is Here (you know this from "A Charlie Brown Christmas")

Lou Monte - Dominick The Donkey (an Italian Xmas donkey - I could not make this up!)

Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock (opens "Lethal Weapon"....... it's Xmas time in the flick so Riggs and Murtaugh are characters of the holidays......... yes it's a stretch!)

Darlene Love - Christmas [Baby Please Come Home] (played Murtaugh's wife in "Lethal Weapon", further defending that Christmas movie!)

Bryan Adams - Run Rudolph Run (cannot leave his Red Nose out)

Feel free to add any songs you feel fit here, and suggest any ideas that could created into a future version of "The Playlist".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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