Thankfulness Challenge – Top 10 Christmas Songs

The other day I talked about Christmas Movies, today I finished up my Christmas Holiday TV calendar which includes specials and beloved movies that people should be on the look out for during the holiday season. When I work on my Christmas calendar I always listen to Christmas Music to get me into the right mood. It’s weird I used to LOVE Christmas music. I was that person listening to it in April. Now I can’t really start listening to it until late Nov. cause all it does is remind me of all the things I haven’t done yet, like shopping, gift wrapping, cards, etc.

However if I’m being honest, I love Christmas music. It’s all so happy and upbeat and even songs with the same title sang over and over by different artist bring something new to the song. Not saying that’s always a good thing but it keeps it interesting. I have talked about Christmas music on this blog before … here ….. but this time I thought I’d do one better…. Here’s the top 10 songs that would make my playlist if someone told me I could only have 10 songs to listen to during this season. Now this list is not about artist, if it were all 10 songs would be by Bryan White …… honestly his Christmas music makes me really happy and you should check them out …. This post however is about the songs that no matter when they come on I always listen, and yes one or two of Bryan’s made the cut. 

1. Oh Holy Night – Martina McBride – you can’t beat this version of this song. Granted any version of this song is fantastic this one beats them all. The woman is amazing. 
2. I Believe – Frank Sinatra – I love everything about this song, the message, the music, the happiness I feel when listening to it. 
3. One Bright Star – Various – this song has been sung by many including Bryan White and Vince Gill. It’s a fantastic song that has a tendency to give me chills when I really pay attention to the lyrics. 
4. Christmas In Dixie –Alabama – Honestly anything by Alabama this time of year is my favorite, from Tonight is Christmas, to A Candle in the Window, to Thistlehair the Christmas Bear, all of it makes me smile and brings up memories of me and my mom putting ornaments on our tree. Any song that is but that Christmas Shoe’s song that one makes me cry like a little girl, every.damn.time 
5. I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Pentatonix  – ok I’ll be honest a variety of people have sung this song a ka-billion times but I had to admit this version is one of my favorite ones. 
6. I Still Believe In Santa Claus –NKOTB – I love this song, I love the message of this song and I love the way these 5 men blend their voices in it. I 100% believe in Santa, in the idea of Santa and the feeling of wonderful and happiness that Santa instills in people. How could anyone not believe in something that’s sole purpose on this planet is to make people happy? 
7. Mary Did You Know –Laura Wright – This song is a different spin on the story of the birth of Christ. It twists it up from Mary’s point of view. I have heard this song by many others but since I have recently discovered the lovely voice that is Laura Wright and my ears are very happy for it. I’ve heard several versions of this song but I really like this one, it doesn’t hurt that Laura has a fantastic voice to back up the song. I’d highly recommend any album or song she has sung on being added to your playlist … STAT! 
8. Finding Christmas – Bryan White – I love this song, it’s a new one not a cover of the same songs over and over and it’s brilliantly done. It’s about a guy who rediscovers his love of Christmas through his children’s eyes and it makes me smile. I love the part where his two boys join him on the chorus the first time I heard it it was so unexpected and now it’s my favorite part of the song. It’s just so pure and innocent. 
9. Mr. Bailey – Eric Bay – this is not a typical Christmas song that’s all over the airwaves but it totally should be. Eric is a master of taking a thing and turning it into a song. He expertly puts It’s a Wonderful Life into a musical journey and I am forever grateful for him doing so.  
10. Til’ Santa’s Gone (Milk and Cookies) – Clint Black – I love the fun playfulness of this song. It never fails to put a smile on my face and a pep in my step.

So there you have it, my Christmas music top 10 list. Honestly, I could have gone to 20, 30 songs but I had to limit it or we’d be here until New Years.

Have a great week!
Marcy

NKOTB on the Goldbergs!!!!!

So I had planned to blog tonight, like seriously pour out my heart and have this epic, deep, post that would make everyone think, maybe even call their mom, but yeah it’s 9pm and it just isn’t happening. I got all caught up in the Goldbergs and their New Kids On The Block flashback episode called DannyDonnieJoeJonJordan which the 12 year old in me LOVED!!!!!! I was Erica Goldberg, I wasn’t a superfan, I was a MEGAfan!!!!!! BTW if you aren't watching The Goldbergs on ABC but grew up in, around, or near the 80s you should be. They have had some pretty epic nostalgia episodes, like the Goonies, the video game knock out, the presidents physical fitness challenge and every toy known to man. Catch it on Wed. on ABC!!! It's well worth it and it will make you laugh.

Anyone that reads this blog knows that I love music, music of all kinds, music in general is my life source. I get up in the morning humming a song, I go to sleep humming a different one. My MP3 player having a dead batter is WORSE to me than my cell phone being dead. True.Story.

This love started early in my life and crested when the NKOTB hit the air. It wasn’t just that there were these 5 guys who at any other moment in life wouldn’t be in the same room but it was also that they sang and danced their way into my heart.

So while watching the Goldbergs tonight I was compelled to rush up to my room, open my closet door, go into the old toy box and retrieve my “WIZ personal Locker” and pull out my NKOTB stash. My stash included baseball cards, wall banners, fiction books, scrapbooks, comic books, buttons, fan clubs newsletters, and of course my FAN CLUB CARD!!!! I was sad to realize that my NKOTB Barbie dolls were not in the locker, but am confident they are in my attic. They better fucking be in my attic! Also not pictured are my epic VHS tapes of their concerts which my friends and I watched over and over and recreated in our upstairs recroom.

So instead of the epic post I thought I’d share relics of my past…… enjoy!

My mom and I before my first concert ever ... she is the best mom EVER! circa 1991ish

FULL disclosure my NKOTB library (which I bought on Itunes the second they showed up on Itunes) is ALWAYS on my MP3 player, and I rock out to Hanging Tough about 20 times a week. I have every record they’ve ever released and I love every single track, well that’s a lie, there are some tracks I just skip but for the most part I take a moment in my daytime life and send a mental high five to that 12 year old girl and tell her hey …. We are a okay! :D

Have a fantastic week people!

Marcy (@beaslma)