At last, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Which means its time too bask in the glow of holiday lights, curl up with a cup of cocoa and binge those favorite holiday specials, and, of course, belt out some Christmas tunes at the top of your lungs. To help bring about that seasonal spirit, here is a special list of the most beloved Christmas songs, chosen by members of your Lions’ Pride Newspaper staff.
Before we get to the top three holiday ditties, lets take a look at the runners up:
Kicking things off at number ten is one of Editor in Chief Cassidy Whitaker’s favorites “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”
“The song is a classic,” Whitaker said. “It’s very happy, and it makes me think of being in a department store at Christmas time with all of the decorations, cool store windows, and everything.”
Coming in at number eight is “Dominick the Donkey.” This quirky and all too easily forgotten Christmas classic is a favorite of Copy Editor Ali Masso.
“I like it when he goes ‘hee-haw, hee-haw’!” laughed Masso.
At number seven is Paul McCartney’s holiday hit “Wonderful Christmas Time.” This number has been a favorite of contributing writer Austin Chiavaroli’s since childhood.
“I used to watch this old movie about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and they played the song in there,” explained Chiavaroli. “I instantly loved it!”
Number six is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” selected by Graphics Editor Ivanna Villalba.
“Mariah Carey is legendary, and I love her,” Villalba said. “She makes me feel Christmasy things. This song particularly gets me in a holiday mood.”
At number five we have Multimedia Manager Ilouisa Salazar’s pick, “Winter Wonderland.”
“I like snow,” Salazar said. “I mostly grew up in Florida, so I like thinking about playing in the snow.”
Pick number four is brought to you by Kimberly Scott-Williams, Online Operations Editor. She is partial to a very special steel pan version of “Feliz Navidad.”
“The Steel Pan is an instrument that we use in the Caribbean and it sounds really awesome,” explained Scott-Williams. “I always love hearing ‘Feliz Navidad’ on the steel pan.”
Going down the list, we’ve finally reached the top three Christmas songs. See if you recognize these holiday hits.
Coming in at number three is “Mary, Did You Know?” The popular Pentatonix version of this soulful song is a favorite of both Worldly News Editor Randawnique Coakley and contributing writer Kristin Vitagliano.
“It’s just such a good song,” said Coakley. “And the Pentatonix did a very good version of it.”
At number two is another Mariah Carey tune picked by Scott-Williams and Layout Editor John Hall, “O Holy Night.”
“I feel like the song evokes deep feeling,” Hall explained. “Growing up in the church, I can feel my childhood. It’s also a throwback to all the good songs from church.”
Selected by Vitagliano, Whitaker, and Online Sports Editor Collin Moran, the number one Christmas song is “Last Christmas.” While Vitagliano is a fan of Taylor Swift’s version and Whitaker is partial to Carly Rae Jepsen’s, Moran has a soft spot for the original number performed by Wham!
“It’s just so catchy,” Moran laughed.
“[Jepsen’s version] has really awesome saxophones in the background,” explained Whitaker. “It just sounds awesome.”
If you’re still finding hard to get into the holiday spirit, try blasting these and other Christmas songs. If you have a favorite that didn’t make it onto this list, be sure to share it with the Lions’ Pride Staff. After all, Christmas is the time for sharing.
