In case you haven't turned on the radio lately, holiday music season is officially in full swing!! Whether you're ready or not, it's time once again to let the sounds of jingle bells and angelic choirs ring in your ears. There are hundreds of Christmas classics that can be heard on a regular basis on stations across the country, but what about the "one-hit wonders," the songs people take for granted? Here are just a few that deserve a bit more attention.
5. "Christmas Shoes" - Newsong
Also known as the song that makes everyone cry...yes, everyone. Don't lie, I know you've had to switch the radio station at least once when "Christmas Shoes" has started playing. Whether you've seen the movie of the same name or not, this holiday tune about a poor boy trying to buy a pair of shoes for his dying mother is and always will be a tearjerker.
4. "Last Christmas" - Wham!
Ah, yes, the most memorable and successful song to come from the 1980s subgenre of synthpop holiday music. It's been covered by a wide range of stars over the decades, from Carole King to The Cheetah Girls to Taylor Swift. With a groovy beat and super catchy verses, it's easy to see why so many people still love Wham's! festive one-hit wonder.
3. "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" - Gayla Peevey
This one will have a special place in the hearts of children and adults alike! A little girl's comedic dream of caring for a pet hippopotamus is both outrageous and endearing; the lyrics truly appeal to the dreamer in us all. The song also receives bonus points for being the most fun to sing along to!!
2. "All I Want for Christmas is You" - Mariah Carey
With the constant radio play this song gets year after year, everybody I know either loves or altogether despises it. There is no in between. One thing is certain, though -- since its 1994 release, Mariah Carey's holiday love anthem has solidified its role as a staple of the Christmas season.
1. "Christmas Wrapping" - The Waitresses
Since its release in 1988, this tune has stood the test of time and rightfully earned its title as the greatest holiday one-hit wonder of all time. I might hear it on the radio once in a blue moon, but every time that opening guitar riff comes in I go wild. This is the ultimate anti-Christmas carol; it perfectly captures the painfully frenzied spirit of the season that we all claim to love but secretly hate as we run around town buying gifts, preparing food for family gatherings, and struggle to hold onto our sanity. And the best part of all? By the end of the rap, the narrator pushes all of the holiday stress to the side and fully embraces the 'tis the season' mentality. As the song says, "that Christmas magic's brought this tale to a very happy ending."
