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Posted by: vidcapper 6th December 2015, 07:32 AM

Some are obvious, by either the title or lyrics (or both), but others are not so clear.

One definition I use is : if a song first charted around Xmas, and *only* re-enters during that period, then ISTM it is considered to be an Xmas song by the public. e.g. FGTH - Power Of Love.

Posted by: Suedehead2 6th December 2015, 09:51 AM

The "by the public" part is significant. I don't consider The Power Of Love or Stay Another Day to be Christmas songs. There is nothing Christmassy about the lyrics, they just had Christmassy videos.

BTW, A remix of The Power Of Love was a hit in summer 2000, so there are still some people who agree with me. At least, there were 15 years ago.

Posted by: Jester 6th December 2015, 10:01 AM

I think both those mentioned as Xmas songs now. Plus 2 Become 1 by the Spice Girls.

Posted by: lewistgreen 6th December 2015, 10:10 AM

I'm not so sure I would include 2 Become 1 just because it was Christmas #1... Things like Bob the Builder , the X Factor winners' singles etc shouldn't be considered either.

I'd just agree with the above posts that if the song is in reference to Christmas or repeatedly emerges at this time of year then that's definition enough.

Posted by: JosephCarey 6th December 2015, 10:43 AM

Typically songs which refer to Christmas in the lyrics for me. Others like the John Lewis advert songs remind me of Christmas but are not Christmas songs.

Posted by: Christmaseve201 6th December 2015, 11:02 AM

Any song I put on my Xmas playlist I consider Xmas songs so it's each to their own really. Currently hav things like 2 become 1, RYX Berlin, The Power of Love and Mad World on there so i consider them festive songs I only listen to in December!

Posted by: Mangle Bells 6th December 2015, 11:49 AM

I guess everyone's definition of a Christmas song will be slightly different. I think I'd consider 'Stay Another Day' as a Christmas song but I'd draw the line at '2 Become 1' (even if it does get a few more spins over the festive period).

Posted by: paulgilb 6th December 2015, 12:04 PM

Other songs that are considered to be Christmas songs but have no reference to Christmas in the lyrics:

S Club 7 - Never Had A Dream Come True
Freiheit - Keeping The Dream Alive

Songs where the Christmas reference is minimal:

Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born (an implicit reference to Jesus)
Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry (the only Christmassy thing about it is the line 'wish I was at home for Christmas')

Posted by: Suedehead2 6th December 2015, 12:21 PM

I wouldn't consider Freiheit's song to be a Christmas song. It entered the chart just before Christmas, but peaked in mid-January. I certainly wouldn't let anything stop me listening to such a glorious song at any time of they year.

Posted by: Doboggan 6th December 2015, 12:55 PM

I know with this track he explicitly stated he didn't want it to be taken a Christmas song. Christmas is just used as a timepoint given the content of the lyrics, could easily have said Easter (although the feeling/emotion wouldn't been as relatable )

Can't be complaining now it's racking up guaranteed annual sales though!

Posted by: Cheznuts 6th December 2015, 01:01 PM

I'd agree with the definition of a song that charted at Christmas and is played/re-enters the chart around that time, I would say The Power of Love and Stay Another Day are songs associated with Christmas rather than 'Christmas songs', but there was a clear intended link at that due to the nativity video/sleigh bells used in the respective songs, the time they charted and in the former's case, a cover being released at Christmas, so they'd fit under the definition of 'Christmas songs'.

I wouldn't call 2 Become 1 or Never Had a Dream Come True Christmas songs, they're just wintery ballads with no obvious link to Christmas at all apart from the time they were released, would it sound completely out of place listening to them at any other time of the year? I'd say it wouldn't.

I do have an issue with the recent Now Christmas' use of Do You Want to Build a Snowman from Frozen. It's not actually about Christmas at all apart from the single link in the title (and the film in itself isn't actually about Christmas at all, it's setting is merely appropriate to that season), that's what I call stretching too far.

Posted by: Suedehead2 6th December 2015, 01:03 PM

That line is a reference to the prediction that the First World War would "all be over by Christmas", a prediction that proved to be wildly optimistic.

Posted by: Christmaseve201 6th December 2015, 01:52 PM

^^Yeh I would certainly consider Jona a Christmas song with the home for Christmas central to most 20th century wars and the pipes/trumpet playing very Christmassy as well as his December appearence on TOTPs obviously looking at the Christmas market. The video was also quite Christmassy looking. Albeit it was no1 in July in France!

Posted by: Common Sense 6th December 2015, 04:09 PM

These 4 Music and Viva Festive Countdowns make me laugh. Was watching Santa Blessed's Festive 50 earlier and they had songs that have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. Kate Winslet's What If was one and Spice Girls and S Club as someone else has mentioned. Also versions of When I Fall In Love. Think I'll email them and say "What if you had all Xmas songs in your Festive 50's!"

Posted by: Common Sense 6th December 2015, 04:13 PM

Agreed. Hallelujah is not a Christmas song.

Posted by: Maroon1 6th December 2015, 07:13 PM

If the song needs to mention Christmas to count, then you can't count Let It Snow, Baby It's Cold Outside or even Winter Wonderland.

Posted by: JosephCarey 6th December 2015, 07:22 PM

Those songs you listed are very much Christmas related without explicitly referring to it, so they most definitely count as far as I'm concerned. The Power of Love for example isn't even slightly Christmas related but the Gabrielle Aplin cover reminds me of the Christmas period thanks to the John Lewis advert. I've been quite happy hearing that one at any time of year though.

Posted by: Maroon1 6th December 2015, 07:28 PM

Baby It's Cold Outside and Let It Snow are only linked to Christmas because they describe snow and wintry weather. If those are counted then the songs from Frozen (Let It Go and Do You Want to Build A Snowman) must count as Christmas songs too.

Posted by: JosephCarey 6th December 2015, 07:31 PM

This is why you can't specifically define it - cause there are many exceptions to the rule. I don't see the Frozen songs as Christmas themed in the slightest, but Let It Snow most definitely is. It's just a case of using your own judgement I think.

Posted by: Ethan 6th December 2015, 07:42 PM

the likes of 'stay another day', 'the power of love', '2000 miles', etc. have become synonymous with Xmas in the public consciousness~

'do you want to build a snowman?' is for the little kids ~ unfortunately a whole generation born after 2005 will consider it a bona fide Chrimbo anthem

Posted by: Suedehead2 6th December 2015, 07:48 PM

2000 Miles was marketed as a Christmas single at the time. The other two only really became thought of as Christmas songs because of the videos.

Posted by: Christmaseve201 6th December 2015, 09:33 PM

It's a bit like Gezzas current countdown - they will include December hits in the list!

Posted by: Cowboystyle 6th December 2015, 09:37 PM

Yeah 2000 miles has the lines "it must me Christmas time" so it's definitely a Christmas song to me. I think of songs like Stay Another Day and The Power of Love as songs I would associate with Christmas due to their videos and the use of bells. I wouldn't call 2 Become 1 a Christmas song personally, it just happened to be out at Christmas time.

Posted by: Doboggan 6th December 2015, 09:51 PM

£1 Fish Song always reminds me of Christmas...

Posted by: Cauldron 7th December 2015, 11:19 AM

Posted by: Cauldron 7th December 2015, 11:20 AM

Stay Another Day has bells on it!


Oh, why no mention of Iron Maiden's Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter?

Posted by: Cauldron 7th December 2015, 11:21 AM

Isn't that enough?

Posted by: The Hit Parade 7th December 2015, 12:16 PM

Isn't 'What If' from a Christmas film though?

Posted by: Suedehead2 7th December 2015, 01:55 PM

Not for me.

Think of it another way. The Power Of Love was included on the album Welcome To The Pleasure Dome. That was released at a time when most album sales were vinyl and cassette, making it difficult to skip a track. Why would they have included a Christmas song in the middle of an album?

By the time East 17 released Steam, CDs were selling in much higher numbers. Even so, surely a song meant as a Christmas song would have been the last track on the album, if it was included at all. Stay Another Day was about half way through, i.e. probably the last track on side 1 of the vinyl release.

Posted by: Cauldron 7th December 2015, 02:00 PM

Opportunism, I guess. But I like both of those songs.

Posted by: Christmaseve201 7th December 2015, 04:46 PM

Yeh I think there's a cartoon video for it and it was in the top 10/20 in December 2001!

Posted by: Common Sense 7th December 2015, 04:57 PM

Maybe a little off-topic but Noddy Holder earns £800,000 just himself every year for sales of Merry Xmas Everybody. Not bad, calls it his "yearly pension"

Posted by: Christmaseve201 7th December 2015, 05:01 PM

How'd you know it's that much?