In the spirit of the season, this is a list of songs with snow or cold-like themes. They do not necessarily have to be Christmas songs, just winter related to some degree.
#10: Frozen- Madonna
Upon listening to this song for the first time, I liked it way more than I expected. I’m not terribly impressed with the lyrics but I like the production. Its dramatic theatrical feel works very well with Madonna’s vocal performance and I love its use of violins. I kind of have a soft spot for violins. I’m not the biggest fan of Madonna (especially when she tries to act with the exception of Evita), but this is probably the first time I’ve ever been super intrigued by one of her songs, with all due respect to her classics such as Vogue and Like A Prayer. This is definitely better than I thought it would be, and I do see myself listening to this again.
#9: White Winter Hymnal- Fleet Foxes
I was introduced to this song through my high school choir as we did the Pentatonix rendition for class. For a Christmas song, these lyrics are gory as Hell! I don’t know about you, but most of the Christmas songs I’ve heard do not speak of decapitation. So in many ways this song is unique among Christmas songs. I think it’s safe to say that most people know this song through Pentatonix. Not only did they cover the song fantastically (which isn’t a surprise considering this is Pentatonix we’re talking about), but that handclap thing they do in the video (which I had to learn myself for school) added even more memorability to the song and the cover. Weirdest Christmas song ever, but still great.
#8: Cold As Ice- Foreigner
This is probably the only Foreigner song I know, and I also only know this through a cover as well. What draws me to this song is that in my humble opinion, it surprisingly has some soul to it (for a rock song). Not only in the vocal performance of Mr. Gramm, but also in the lyrics. The vocals go extremely well with the subject matter. This man is obviously bitter over a girl who apparently is “cold as ice”. Now I would not say that I love this song considering I only know it through a cover (American Idol to be exact), but I would definitely say that I’m drawn to it and I find it intriguing. I wish I had more to say about it, but this is the best I can do for now.
#7: Once Upon A December- Anastasia
I love this song! It is very nostalgic for me and easily one of Anastasia’s strongest songs. Don Bluth obviously challenges his experience with Disney as it is written all over Anya as a character and both her songs. This is also the most significant song in Anastasia as it is heard multiple times throughout the film. Most of the time it is heard, it is during an important scene in the movie. This also works as a Christmas song for obvious reasons, despite Anastasia not necessarily being a Christmas movie. Once Upon A December may not be the best song in the movie (that honor belongs to Journey To The Past), but it sure as Hell comes in an EXTREMELY close second.
#6: Ice Ice Baby- Vanilla Ice
I don’t think anyone respects Vanilla Ice as a serious rapper, we just know him through this song. Ice Ice Baby itself is pretty lame and relatively cheesy, which is probably what makes it so appealing. And I won’t deny that this song is super fun and catchy as Hell. There’s probably not a single person on the planet that hasn’t randomly sung the titular lyric at least once in their life. This sampling another already iconic song (Queen & David Bowie’s Under Pressure) also probably helped this song establish a legacy. There is no denying that Vanilla Ice is forever linked to this track, in both a good way and a bad way.
#5: Baby It's Cold Outside- Various
Not the biggest fan of this song to be honest, and it’s not for the reasons you probably think. Regardless of my feelings or the recent studies of this song, I still have to acknowledge its impact. This is the first of 4 “classic” Christmas songs on this list, and obviously my least favorite. With that being said, it still gets a high placement due to its impact on the holiday. Positive and negative. This (along with my #1 and my next pick) is probably the song that's been covered the most on this list. Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, the list goes on. This song also won an Oscar. Whether it deserves it or not is not my concern.
#4: Let It Go- Frozen
This song is pretty much the reason Frozen became a smash hit. It was EVERYWHERE when it was released, and for good reason. Let It Go without a doubt became a modern day classic for Disney. And say what you want about Idina Menzel (who strangely has a knack for playing troubled characters, cough cough ELPHABA cough), but she sang the HELL out of that song. Truly capturing Elsa’s relief in her secret being out and singing each note with class. And don’t even get me started on that last high note. Yes the song has its haters (and for understandable reasons), but it obviously also has even more fans; including this girl right here. You can hate on this song all you want, its impact is undeniable and there’s nothing anyone can do about that (unless you’re God).
#3: Winter Wonderland- Various
Winter Wonderland is so nostalgic. Whenever I see snow it feels like a wonderland and this song really captured that feeling. It will definitely resonate with you if you’ve either never seen snow or don’t always see snow depending on where you live. This song is not necessarily a favorite of mine, but I do at times have a soft spot for it due to its nostalgic feel and my genuine fascination for the Christmas season. And like most Christmas songs it will just make you smile whenever you hear it. As mentioned in the commentary for Baby It’s Cold Outside, this song has also been covered several times. What do you expect considering this is one of the oldest songs on this list. 1934 to be exact, GOOD LORD!
#2: Frosty The Snowman- Gene Autry
Happy Birthday! It’s no one’s birthday (except Jesus), that was just the first thing Frosty said when he came to life. Frosty The Snowman is without a doubt one of the quintessential movies for Christmas. Before Olaf came into the picture, this dopey snowman came into our childhoods and had the perfect song to back him up. If you have never heard this song, then you’ve either A; just been born, or B; living under a rock. Even if you don’t like this song or even care for it, you’ve definitely heard it at least once in your life around Christmas time. Like the character himself, It will just make you smile, laugh or feel nostalgic whenever you hear it. You gotta love Frosty for that. That plus he’s to dang ADORABLE! No offense to Olaf, but Frosty came first.
Like Always, Some Honorable Mentions............................
-Offensively High -No Comment
#1: Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow- Various
Along with Baby It’s Cold Outside, this has also been covered A LOT. I’ve heard several renditions of this song with the earliest one I remember being from a Campbell's commercial. I don’t have much to say about this song aside from it being an easy pick for my top spot. Not only is it an obvious winter song, but in some ways it’s the perfect Christmas song. It’s nostalgic, it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, pretty much everything about it works for the Christmas season. Now I would be lying if I said I listen to this every Christmas (Hell I’m not even sure If I’ve ever even listened to this in its entirety) but regardless I will not deny that it is a classic for a reason. So I have zero issue with giving this the top spot.
Like always, the Google slides link is down below. Thanks For Reading, & Merry Christmas!
Google-https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_V-eezZeM2Kd4Fn5jb1K2ttUoCPQDWc-kq_6rk1zkRI/edit?usp=sharing
Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/naomi.chadwick.58/
TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@nae_not_like_you?lang=en
Comments
Post a Comment