Journalism’s Christmas Playlist

Briley Simpson:

Around Christmas time I love to start listening to holiday music. One of my all time favorite songs is “Last Christmas” by Wham. It’s a really upbeat song, and it just makes me so happy. The chorus is also extremely catchy. Another song I have started to listen to is John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over).” I really like this song because it has a different vibe to it that regular Christmas songs don’t have. Plus, John Lennon is pretty great. Finally, there are two songs that I always listen to every year, which are “When Christmas Comes to Town” from the “Polar Express” soundtrack (no Polar Express slander) and “Christmas Every Day” by David Archuleta. They both put me in the Christmas spirit and make me so excited for the holidays.

Hailee Cicili:

I don’t really listen to Christmas music, but one I really like is “Last Christmas” by Taylor Swift ’cause, once again, you can’t go wrong with Taylor Swift.  A basic song everyone should know “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey. It just get you in the Christmas spirit in a way.  One more Taylor Swift song is “Back to December.”

Gunner Bryson:

This Christmas, I haven’t really been listening to Christmas songs. I’ve been listening to “Across the Universe” by The Beatles, “Space Oddity” by David Bowie,  and “A Day in the Life” by The Beatles.  I like to listen to these songs while I’m chilling or while I’m doing homework. “A Day in the Life” and “Space Oddity” are both very orchestral and big in scale. “Across the Universe” is smaller but very fun to listen to, personally. 

Miles Clark:

I never really listen to Christmas music by choice, but every now and then I’ll have it playing as background noise when doing Christmas activities. If I had to choose my favorite Christmas song, I’d choose the Glee version of “Last Christmas.” I don’t really know why, but my family will only listen to classic Christmas songs if they’re from the Glee Christmas album. Another favorite Christmas song of mine is “Christmas in Harlem” by Kanye West. Besides those two songs, I couldn’t really choose any other Christmas songs that are my favorite.

Connor Richardson:

I don’t ever really listen to actual Christmas music unless it comes on at the store or somewhere. I don’t think I could listen to Christmas songs for fun just because I feel like I’ve heard them so many times. However when I’m with other people I do enjoy listening to Christmas songs, but only sometimes. Some of the songs I’ve been listening to recently are “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston, “505” by the Arctic Monkeys , and my recent favorite, “Notion,” by The Rare Occasions.  I really like “Notion” because it has a super good vibe and I love to listen to it. 

Paige Johnson:  

I’m not really one to listen to Christmas music. I do love Christmas, but I’m not really much of a music person. I feel like even if you hate Christmas, you can never go wrong with “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey. I also always enjoy the Christmas songs they sing at church, songs like “O Come Let Us Adore Him” and “Mary Did You Know?” I should probably get more into Christmas music, but I’m okay for now. 

Cade Stone:

I haven’t really started listening to Christmas music just yet, but I have a go-to Christmas song, “All I Want For Christmas is You” by Charli Bliss. I really like their unique twist on the classic song and just how well it sounds. It’s way better than the original to me. “Happy Xmas” by John Lennon is also an amazing Christmas song and has a really positive message. “Wonderful Christmastime” is also always on my Christmas playlist.

Mr. Peace: 

Yes, I could just put the entirety of Sufjan Stevens’ Christmas album output on this playlist, as that makes up about 50% of my seasonal listening every December. Instead, I’ll just put a few selections that showcase, as much as they can, the breadth of his ten Christmas albums: “Christmas in the Room,” “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” “Sister Winter,” and, of course, the inimitable “Christmas Unicorn.” The other 30% of my Christmas listening is devoted to one of the all-time greats, a classic that truly cannot be beat: Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” soundtrack. As the students I have this semester can tell you, I listen to this album a lot. And why not? It never gets old, and very few Christmas albums are as good at setting a mood as this one. Finally, there’s that remaining 20%, taken up by slowcore legends Low and their EP entitled, aptly, “Christmas.” Low, a husband-and-wife duo, have carved out a unique place in the music world, putting out consistently great music for almost 30 years now (including their most recent masterpiece, “HEY WHAT,” released this year) without much attention paid to what was going on in the music world. “Christmas” is lovely, covering the broad emotional ground of the season in a mere eight songs. I’ve included the song “Long Way Around The Sea,” which is just a much a classic among my friends as any hymn.