Tag: holiday

‘Tis the Season…for NONSTOP Holiday Music

Published on by Paige DoltonLeave a comment

Alright guys, you know what this is about. It’s that time of year, and let’s be honest…it’s been that time of year for me since August. No, really – I tried to find local Christmas trees in October and I was quite upset to learn that they were not available until late November. Never fear, though, because I am fairly certain that I was the first tree customer of the season from the Jewel parking lot down the street.

I’ll keep it short and simple, because if you scroll down a little more on my blog (remember when I blogged…?), you’ll see a much more detailed post about my Christmas playlists. But I have exciting news… I have officially re-branded (because #advertising) and updated all of my playlists, and I’m pretty. darn. stoked. about it. And if you’re new here, yes you read that correctly – that’s playlists plural, because for the best time of the year and the best music genre of all time, there is simply no way to put all of that music in just one playlist. I mean, come on. There’s simply no better way to brighten a mood than a Christmas song, and don’t even try to argue with me on that.

SO, without further ado, here are your links to the updated Spotify playlists (sry Apple Music users, that’s a no from me, dawg). Save ’em, share ’em, and add to them if a favorite song or album of yours is missing! I’ve made them all collaborative for that exact reason. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and most important of all, Happy Listening 🎄🎁⛄❄️🌟

Playlist #1: Classic Christmas Tunes
This should be a go-to. These are Christmas songs you hear while grocery shopping, on your local holiday radio station, that you grew up on, and that you’ll just never not know. Think: a lot of Andy Williams, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, and of course, BublĂŠ. Approximate run-time: 9 hrs.

Playlist #2: Modern Christmas Tunes
Did your favorite current artist just release a Christmas album? It’s on this playlist. Spotify Singles? You betcha. Unlike the first playlist, these are not the Christmas songs that you grew up on, but sometimes we just need something new! And a new holiday tune or remix never hurt anybody. Approximate run-time: 32 hrs (and growing…).

Playlist #3: Calm Christmas Tunes
Perfect for putting on when you’re trying to unwind from a long day, or while you’re trying to focus on that spreadsheet or project you’ve been putting off. Ideal when enjoyed near a fireplace (if you don’t have a real fireplace, YouTube fireplace is fine, a la Ina Garten). Approximate run-time: 35 hrs.

Playlist #4: Christmas Party Tunes
A NEW playlist from the last time I blogged about Christmas music, this playlist is ideal for having people over and partying, but given that we’re in a pandemic and we should only being partying with ourselves and/or families/covid pods, put this on shuffle and get your egg-nog on in your favorite Christmas jammies, and you’re sure to be in for a good time. Approximate run-time: 19 hrs.

Playlist #5: Jazzy Christmas Tunes of Yester-Year (+ Now)
Besides Playlist #7 (plz scroll), this is definitely my favorite of the bunch. This playlist used to be reserved just for older, more jazzy holiday music, but I’ve recently added a ton of more recent or current holiday jazz music, because we don’t discriminate by decade in this house. And who doesn’t love a good jazz vibe?! Approximate run-time: 39 hrs.

Playlist #6: Ultimate Christmas Tunes
This is it: the full monty of Christmas playlists. Take every single Christmas song made and put it in one place, and that’s what this playlist is. We’re talking all genres, including the Gucci Mane christmas song I recently discovered (trust me, it’s a banger). That being said, if there’s a song you know or love that somehow isn’t on this playlist, PLEASE be sure to add it. Current approximate run-time: 151 hrs (and counting…).

Playlist #7: Paige’s Christmas Faves
The only playlist on the list that isn’t collaborative, this is my personal arsenal of favorite Christmas music. If you somehow couldn’t already tell, this time of year (and especially this music) is very sacred to me, and these are the songs that get the chosen honor of being considered my favorites. Leading the pack, forever and always, is the main title from Home Alone, because nothing says Christmas spirit more than Home Alone and the O’Hare airport scene. Well this year for me, it’ll be the monotonous 5 hours of driving through Ohio to get home to VA, but you get the point). Approximate run-time: 13 hrs.

And if you’d made it this far, here’s one final parting gift for you. *Sung to the tune of Wiz Khalifa’s ‘Black and Yellow’* – YEAH, uh-uhh you know what it is, CHRISTMAS MUSIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC.

Sorry, it’s late and I’ve had some wine. MERRY CHRISTMAS Y’ALL.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year- NONSTOP CHRISTMAS MUSIC

Published on by Paige DoltonLeave a comment

Let’s make one thing clear- it’s no secret that I’m obsessed with all things Christmas. I’ve got Christmas sweaters on deck, decorations for days, and can recite almost any holiday movie from the nineties by heart. Let’s also not forget the fact that I was due to be born on Christmas Day. I think I’ve made my point. However, nothing holds a candle to how I feel about the truly joyous and effervescent gift that comes around this time each year- holiday music.

xmasmusicEver since a young age, I’ve been delighted and fascinated at the sound of jingle bells filling the air and carolers singing around me. My mother can even attest to the fact that I used to call into the holiday radio station (waddup 97.1 WASH-FM) and request to hear ‘Christmas Shoes’ or ‘Christmas Eve in Washington’ almost every single night. It got to the point where Glenn Hollis (the late-night radio DJ who hosted ‘After Hours with Glenn Hollis,’ obviously) and I became kindred spirits and I became genuinely upset when he was replaced with some chick named Delilah (go home, Delilah).

We should all know by now that I have a creepy unique taste in music, but trust me, this is truly the time of year when my song list shines. Take, for example, the fact that I listen to Josh Groban and Michael Buble year-round. These guys’ most noteworthy albums by a landslide are their holiday albums (sidenote: Mr. Groban’s album was the overall best-selling album in the U.S in 2008, need I say more?), so this is the time of year I get to listen to their music without being judged! Hooray for Paige!

Well, because my Spotify seems to be a treasure trove of odd playlists (see here for my movie scores playlist), along with the occasional sprinkle of Justin Bieber’s ‘Sorry,’ I’ve been putting 6 particular playlists into rotation for the past month or so to gear up for the holidays. Yes, you read that correctly: I have six different holiday playlists. And because I’m a generous person, of course, I’ve included all of them in this post. I know, I know- how could I be so nice? I know that 6 Christmas playlists was exactly what you were missing in your life. They are all Spotify playlists, so if you don’t use Spotify, first of all, please re-evaluate your life, and second of all, tough (gingerbread) cookies. The best part of all? All of the playlists are collaborative, meaning anyone with a Spotify account can add any songs to them. So if you see that something is missing, feel free to add it to the playlist- the more Christmas tunes, the merrier 🙂 Happy listening!

Playlist #1: Classic Christmas Tunes
I feel as though the title should probably give this away, but this playlist is my go-to for the holiday tunes that you grew up on. You either heard these while you walked through the mall doing your holiday shopping, on your radio driving through the snow to your relatives’ house, or really just any other place that had a generic loop of Christmas songs on repeat. You really can’t go wrong.

Playlist #2: Modern Christmas Tunes 
If you’re a successful artist these days, chances are you’ve probably released at least one holiday song at one point or another. And why not? During the holiday season, who wouldn’t want some extra cash coming in from song sales? We all know Mariah Carey has been living very comfortably sine the release of her instant-classic holiday hit, given that the song is in the top ten on iTunes every single December without fail. Basically, this playlist is full of either classic songs sung by your favorite current artists, or brand new original holiday songs, like the ever-inspiring ‘Text Me Merry Christmas’ by Kristin Bell and Straight No Chaser. [Also there’s a lot of GLEE Christmas songs on here deal with it SORRYBYE]

Playlist #3: Calm Christmas Tunes
So it’s been a long day at the office and you just want to sit by the fire with some mulled wine or eggnog in your hand and de-stress, right? Consider this playlist your new best friend. We’ve got a lot of instrumentals and a-Capella tracks (think Vince Guaraldi Trio and Il Divo, respectively), but I’ve also thrown in some Barbara and even some Sam Smith to create the perfect mellow mood.

Playlist #4: Jazzy Christmas Tunes of Yester-Year
Yes, you are correct, that is the best playlist title of all time- thanks for noticing! I’ve always had a real passion for swing music, so really, it’s only natural that holiday music would be my favorite genre since that’s when Christmas music really came into its’ prime. Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Dean Martin?! These guys right here are true icons in their own right, but even more so during the holiday season. White Christmas?! I MEAN, COME ON- WHAT A CLASSIC. Okay, I’ll stop now. Just put it on shuffle and listen for yourself.

Playlist #5: Ultimate Christmas Tunes
Since I’ve already broken the rest of the playlists out into specific categories, here’s your ultimate all-encompassing Christmas Music Playlist. This playlist has EVERYTHING: The Nutcracker Suite, Ella Fitzgerald, Willie Nelson, and even Tom Hanks (hopefully you all got the SNL Stefan reference there). Put this one on shuffle, but at your own risk- there’s truly a lot going on here. Also it’s 20+ hours of non-stop Christmas music so depending on who you are as a person, that’s either heaven or torture.

Playlist #6: Paige’s Favorite Christmas Tunes
YOU’VE MADE IT. Honestly, I’ve you’re still reading this far and are genuinely interested in this much holiday music, please call me immediately so I can officially declare you as my best friend. Obviously, I like all of the other playlists in their own right, however, I managed to narrow it down to my favorites of all time. The playlist starts with truly the greatest Christmas song ever created: the main title song from Home Alone. If you disagree, GOODBYE. This song used to be on repeat when I lived with Heather, so I know she’ll appreciate it when I say it’s definitely still on repeat now (sorry Megan). Missing from this playlist is unfortunately one of my other favorites which is not available on Spotify for whatever reason- ‘Winter Wonderland’ by Jason Mraz. Trust me, you’ll like it.

Again, if you’ve made it this far, Feliz Navidad, Mazol Tov, and just, all-around congratulations. From my ear-buds to yours, happy holidays, y’all.