He said
In the latest instalment of the He Said/She Said Christmas edition, we're looking at whether hip, new Christmas songs are topping the classic Christmas carols.
This is a resounding yes. Christmas is all about having a good time, and the contemporary world of Christmas music has so much to offer that follows that agenda. Look no further than Run DMC's Christmas in Hollis from 1987.
It's exactly what Christmas should be.
The great thing about contemporary carols is that they can just stand alone as great songs. Christmas in Hollis isn't just Run DMC's Christmas song, it's one of their greatest and most well known works. The song and the music video are both iconic. That's one of the most fun songs to listen to, and Christmas is one of the most fun times of the year.
Chuck Berry's Run Rudolph Run is a classic. Again, this song is one of the most fun ones out there. It's been covered by pretty much everyone who has ever performed music professionally.
Joni Mitchell's River is a classic from her early stuff back in 1971. It's a little lonelier than Run Rudolph Run, but it's still good.
Last Christmas by Wham! is one I wouldn't really get into, but I do have some aunts who really dig that stuff. They probably still have Wham! posters in their closets.
The No. 1 redeeming quality of the traditional carols is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Those guys know how to pump out a really awesome Christmas album.
There is so much to choose from when it comes to contemporary Christmas music. These songs are what really encapsulate the Christmas season.
She said
Which is better: contemporary or traditional Christmas carols?
I bought two Christmas CDs this year: Justin Bieber's Under the Mistletoe and Michael Buble's Christmas. Each artist took a different route with his album. Buble's CD is traditional, featuring carols that most of us have been singing since elementary school Christmas assemblies. Bieber's features a handful of traditional carols, mixed with his own unique compositions. Both CDs are decent, though fans of one aren't guaranteed to enjoy the other.
Having been listening to them both for around a month, I have to say that a good, classic Christmas carol is the best. It's familiar and cozy, and most people will know the words almost immediately.
Contemporary songs, while they offer artists freedom and a chance to put their own personal touch on Christmas, just don't fit. They're too new, too different, to fit in among long-established holiday traditions.
Traditional carols are traditional because they have staying power. They're so awesome that they've survived the A.D.D. of society and turned into classics. People love them.
And like all things people love about Christmas, they're slow to change and most people aren't happy about the change in the first place. You wouldn't replace green and red with orange and pink as the official colours of Christmas, right? Or replace Santa Claus as the hero of the holidays with the star of your favourite TV series? It just feels unnatural.
So while Justin Bieber's Mistletoe is a decent song, it doesn't have the staying power of Silent Night or Jingle Bells, regardless of how adorable Bieber is.
