Light up this holiday season with song.  Continuing a Gotham tradition inspired by Friday's blogger (and which preceded this blog; used to just be a post to Fredslist), please find and enjoy the latest version of Happy Holidays in Song.  In three weeks some of us start with lighting candles.  Three eves later, the holiday that inspires the bulk of the songs below and days later still another. This year -- as this remains an open set list of sorts, we added the suggestions proposed last year (the only requirement remains YOU need to include the YouTube link if you want a song added so please do not propose a song without a link; to do so would be bad form.)  Do enjoy this setlist (All links verfied and working at time of posting.):

Happy Holidays in song

Happy Christmas – John Lennon

This Is Christmas – Luther Vandross

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) – Nat King Cole (music and lyrics by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells)

The Christmas Song – Mel Torme (who composed it)

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Judy Garland

Same Auld Lang Syne – Dan Fogelberg

White Christmas – Bing Crosby (music and lyrics by Irving Berlin)

Do You Hear What I Hear – Whitney Houston (music and lyrics by Gloria Shayne)

Silver Bells – Doris Day (music by Jay Livingston, lyrics by Ray Evans)

The Christmas Waltz – Peggy Lee (music and lyrics by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne)

I’ll Be Home for Christmas – The Carpenters (music by Buck Ram, lyrics by Walter Kent)

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Johnny Mathis (Edward Pola and George Wyle)

I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm – Ella Fitzgerald (music and lyrics by Irving Berlin)

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! – Frank Sinatra (lyrics by Sammy Cahn, music by Julie Styne)

Santa Claus is Coming To Town – Bruce Springsteen and Friends (including Southside Johnny) performing at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ (12-22-08)

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Bruce Springsteen (original radio release-no video)

Christmas (Baby please come home) – Bruce Springsteen with Max Weinberg 7 & friends live at Convention Hall, Asbury Park (December 7, 2003) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – U2 cover of Darlene Love

It’s Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (Live New Years Eve party, Starwood Theater in Hollywood, 1981)  not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 1986) not on iTunes playlist

It’s Christmas Baby Please Come Home– Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 1993) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 1995) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 1996) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 1999) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2000) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2001) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2002) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2003) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2004) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2005) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2006) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2008) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2009) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2010) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2011-25^thAnniversary of song) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2012) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2013) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love (David Letterman show, 2014) not on iTunes playlist

It's Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love with Patti LaBelle (The View, 2016) not on iTunes playlist

It’s Christmas Baby Please Come Home – Darlene Love with Fantasia (The View 2017) not on iTunes playlist

Sleigh Ride – Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector (live) (lyrics by Mitchell Parrish) not on iTunes playlist

Winter Wonderland – Darlene Love (music and lyrics by Felix Bernard)

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee (Johny Marks)

A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives

Frosty The Snowman – Jimmy Durante

Frosty The Snowman – The Ronettes

Run Rudolph Run – Chuck Berry

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – The Crystals (Johny Marks)

Children Go Where I Send Thee – Michael McDonald

Father Christmas – The Kinks

The 12 Days of Christmas – Taking Back Sunday (2006)

Do They Know It's Christmas – Band Aid (1984)

Merry Christmas Everybody – Slade

I Believe In Father Christmas – Greg Lake (acoustic)

I Believe In Father Christmas – Greg Lake with Ian Anderson (on Flute), David Arch (keyboards), Florian Opahle (acoustic guitar) and the church choir.

I Believe In Father Christmas – Greg Lake (original version)

I Believe In Father Christmas – Emerson Lake & Palmer

Chanukah Song [PART 1] – Adam Sandler

Hanukkah Song Part 2 – Adam Sandler

Hanukkah Song Part 3 – Adam Sandler not on iTunes playlist

Hanukkah Song Part 4 – Adam Sandler

Hanukkah Blessings – Barenaked Ladies

Hanukkah, O Hanukkah – Barenaked Ladies

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah – The Glee cast

Bohemian Chanukah (a Queen adaptation) – Six13

A Hamilton Chanukah (with introduction from President Barack Obama) – Six13

Chanukah (“Shake It Off”) – Six13

Light One Candle – Peter, Paul and Mary

Christmastime In Hollis, Queens – RUN-DMC

Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer – Elmo and Patsy (1983)

Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms 1957

Little Saint Nick – The Beach Boys (1963)

3 Ships – Yes not on iTunes playlist (It has Sting version)

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth – Melissa Lynn (Al Alberts Showcase - originally recorded: 12/01/1986) not on iTunes playlist

Kwanzaa Celebration – Quaver Music not on iTunes playlist

A Kwanzaa Song – Lovely Hoffman

The Kwanzaa Song – William Scott aka Djoser Pharaoh not on iTunes playlist

The Festivus Song – Bob Grow aka Rogro

(Frank Costanza's show-stopping number) Festivus (from Seinfeld: The Musical, which is not real) – Ben Kling (Female voice: Bella Zinca)

Donde Esta Santa Claus? (1958) – Augie Rios

Fairytale of New York – Pogues featuring Kristy McColl

Christmas in Cape Town – Randy Newman

Touch the Hem of His Garment – Al Kooper

Wonderful Christmas Time – Paul McCartney

Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt (music and lyrics by Joan Ellen Javits & Philip Springer)

Merry Christmas Baby – Otis Redding

Merry Christmas Baby – Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes (New Year's eve 1978)

Merry Christmas Baby – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (Live Conan Dec. 12, 2002) not on iTunes playlist (Instead version from “A Very Special Christmas”

Christmas At Ground Zero – "Weird Al" Yankovic

Christmas song [original] – Alvin and the Chipmunks

Mary, Did You Know – Kenny Rogers and Wynonna

Christmas With You is the Best – The Long Winters

Christmas for the Free – The Zombies

Santa Claus Is Back In Town – Elvis Presley

Snoopy's Christmas – The Royal Guardsmen

Blue Christmas – Elvis

Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses

Christmas All Over Again – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Christmas All Over Again (live at The White House 2000) – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers not in iTunes playlist

Christmas Day – Squeeze

Christmas Every Day – Poco not in iTunes playlist

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree – Chicago (Johny Marks)

My Favorite Things (instrumental) – John Coltrane

Christmas In My Soul – Laura Nyro

[verified and updated 2019-11-30]

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