Top Christmas Singles of 2015

Read about my top Christmas singles of 2014 here
Read about my top Christmas singles of 2013 here

10 ~ Sabrina Carpenter, Christmas The Whole Year Round: Sabrina sings of all the goodness and kindness that permeates the world during the Yuletide season, of how there seems to be a little more love and understanding from mankind as they celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. Her effusive delivery makes the ebullient melody all the more deliriously catchy, the message of the words and music all the more exuberantly emphatic - that, what if, we capture these sentiments and infuse them into our lives every day it might just make life that little bit more special. It's an absolutely rousing performance set to an instrumental arrangement so festive that you'll ponder that the elves themselves didn't conjure this up during a break from making toys. You are swept up in the overall effect instantly and that ain't a bad thing because it leaves you feeling just magnificent. Aces.

09 ~ The Genuine Fakes, Do You Want To Build A Snowman?: The Swedish quartet are taking on Disney and bringing an effusive pop-rock infused sheen to the indelible Frozen song, Do You Wanna Build A Snowman. The results are a genuine treat. The original is infused with the pathos and melancholy of loneliness, of dreams that seem out of your reach - even if they are the most simple things. Those sentiments are still there in this TGF version, but the energy is amped up thanks to vibrant guitar riffs and glorious textured harmonies that permeate in and out of the lead vocal. The effect of this is that it adds some resilience to the narrative, a sense of not giving up on something that you know is worth the persistent effort. The galloping percussion adds to this sense of giddy abandon in pursuit of your quest and it's all bloody brilliant from start to finish.

08 ~ VoicePlay, The First Noel: The First Noel is as charming as anything on their 2012 Peppermint Winter album. It starts with an angelic and sincere a cappella opening that sees Eli take lead vocal with the rest of the chaps smoothly aligning their harmonies like the most celestial of choirs. They could honestly sing like that for the whole song and I would be utterly entranced. This is VoicePlay, however, and they live to give their interpretation of classic carols their own VP flavouring - and it works wonderfully on The First Noel. It's an incredible accomplishment that they have managed to keep the reverent subject matter, tease out the glory of the story and make it sound like a contemporary pop song that should be played incessantly on the radio until St Stephen's Day. Glorious.

07 ~ The Ellas, Baking Cookies: This evocative track has a playful verve with sassy horns, cheeky piano melody and addictive "ooo ooo" ad libs from the ladies themselves. If this doesn't make you grab the one you love and shimmy around the kitchen then you may want to go the doctor because there is something wrong with your dancing feet :) It conjures up every memory from your youth of spending time in the kitchen with your parents, and that surely ain't a bad thing. Note - I love that there is a definite tip of the hat to the Rosemary Clooney song in "Come On-A My House" both in the melody and the lyrics. Somehow it gives the song an even more satisfying aftertaste :)

06 ~ Katy Perry, Every Day's A Holiday: Set to a positively percolating beat that's frothier than the foam on your seasonal drink from your favourite coffee emporium, Katy sings of how finding love has made her whole life shimmy with radiant glee - so much so that she experiences the giddy highs and excitement of Christmas day, every day. Can't argue with that. She sounds positively soaring on the song, imbuing it with her own sense of magical charm that is all too hard to resist. That chorus is a gift from Santa himself and surely one we will all be singing well into the New Year (and probably find ourselves secretly humming it in July). It all collides to leave a feeling of exuberant elation - taking you beyond cloud 9 because it's just that exhilarating.

05 ~ Michael Buble, The More You Give: This track starts as an elegant mid-tempo ballad where Michael's resonant and engaging tones weave themselves around the chiming bells that herald his message of glad tidings for all. Like the casting of a tuxedo jacket before you hit the dancefloor, it soon shimmies into a rousing party anthem that will have you kicking up your heels with gay abandon. It's peppy pace is as exhilarating as skating round the ice rink on a cold winter's night whilst Michael's sincere and intoxicating vocal style is as warming as a mug of caramel hot chocolate. Giddy handclap beats, jingling bells, vibrant horns and grandiose strings all coalesce to accentuate the euphoric nature of the track - and underscores that uplifting narrative of giving a little love this Christmas because sharing, kindness and caring will make our sometimes horrible world a much better place. It's both a timely and timeless message, presented with a joyous enthusiasm that's utterly contagious. Another endearing classic to be enjoyed year after year :)

04 ~ Harriet, Last Christmas (Can't Smile Without You): The well known piano chords of Barry Manilow's Can't Smile Without You are the ideal pensive setting for Wham's heartbreaking lyrics. A swelling orchestral section and shuffling jingle bells add to the sorrowful festive feel (because is there any time of year where emotions - both good and bad - are amplified as much as at Christmas). Harriet shares her wistful feelings of dolorous despair in a way that makes this one of the most exquisite laments you'll ever hear. It all works so well that when she skilfully sidesteps into Barry's lyrics in the middle-eight, it's a fitting addendum to the Last Christmas story. Now did anyone else belt out the words to Can't Smile Without You as this played, like some crazy The Voice sing-off duet or was that just me?!

03 ~ Kylie Minogue, Every Day's Christmas (S/A/W Remix): When I heard that Kylie had reunited with a reunited Stock Aitken and Waterman on a remix of Every Day's Like Christmas I was in 8th heaven (7th heaven was full of people in 7th heaven over the 7th heaven remix of 100 Degrees). Together they've beautifully encapsulated the sound that cemented Kylie as the leading pop princess of the late 80s/early 90s whilst giving it a contemporary shimmy that is respectful of the track's original ethos. The Chris Martin track proves how sometimes a good song can transcend the season or occasion that it was written for. This is sophisticated pop music at it's absolutely finest. Poetic lyrics that uplift and elevate luminate a refined and cultivated instrumental that captures the essence of the, redemptive power of love perfectly. It cleverly has dual meaning too - it can be about that person that comes into your life and lights up the world by inspiring you, loving you, championing you. It could also be about the birth of Jesus ("every day before was heavy/now every day's like Christmas") and how that can change people for the better. Has Kylie sounded more incandescent when she sings "Oh you're just extraordinary"? I would contend not. Musically it sits beautifully alongside I Believe In You, The One and All The Lovers - blissful, emotional pop music of the purest quality (only this time with added jingles and the glistening shuffling tambourine to give it that Yuletide ambiance). S/A/W add an a deliciously percolating beat with swirling strings that make it even more uplifting and satisfying. They make the lyrics radiate even brighter and, whilst helping Kylie step back in time with a sound that brings hundreds of musical memories flooding back (and Christmas is an excellent time for reminiscing), they assist her in moving forward.

02 ~ The Overtones, This Christmas: there is a good reason that the lads picked this track as the song to promote the Good Ol Fashioned Christmas album. Yes, just like every other song here it has festive cheer baked right into the fabric of the song but as an original penned number it sparkles as brightly as any other song here (and absolutely deserves to be a massive smash on radio year after year in the same way that Last Christmas, All I Want For Christmas and Merry Christmas Everyone are). The guys have done themselves proud with this - their ability to make new songs seamlessly sit alongside classic numbers remains unparalleled and this is just amazing. It's the story of an Overtones Christmas, all the eagerness and longing for the big day to arrive coupled with the practical prep needed to make as just as magical as it should be (love that Lachie is listening to Stevie Wonder as he puts on his suit and tie). If there was ever to be a musical version of Love, Actually then this would definitely be the rousing closing number - that euphoric refrain of "this Christmas time, I get to call you mine" reminds you that love - ALL LOVE - actually is all around. Bells, jingles and a middle 8 that is like the great vocal groups of the 60s reborn and their sounds traversing the passages of time is as thrilling as when they do a cheeky bum wiggle at one of their ace concerts! A new Christmas classic is born and I love it. Stunning.

01 ~ Kylie Minogue, Christmas Isn't Christmas Til You Get Here: This song just makes my heart happy, my mouth smile, my emotions accelerate into delirious hysteria, my hips sway as if they have a mind of their own and my feet rush over to the one I love to just shimmy. I can't express how much I love this song - but I'm gonna try... imagine every single Christmas song that has given you that warm fuzzy glow inside, amp it up about ten thousand notches and you have this tremendous Minogue-Poole-Anderson creation. It's perhaps the most Stock-Atiken-Waterman inspired song on the album (even referencing Especially For You) and would sound great played on a mix with (of course every song on this album) EFY b-side All I Wanna Do and Where In The World (from her first greatest hits). It also feels a bit inspired by one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time - Love, Actually (all the best new Christmas songs this year feel inspired by this film!) - whose theme of celebrating the season with those nearest and dearest to you was explored in many different ways. There's key changes and hand-claps and jingle bells and ebullient horns and a melody that will linger longer than that full feeling after two extra helpings of turkey. The end of the song feels like the start of the party and will have you reaching for the repeat button with gay abandon. Hugs to all involved.

**Ghosts of Christmas past**

• 22nd December 2014 ~ Matt Doyle & The Whiskey Five, Making Spirits Bright
• 22nd December 2013 ~ Top Christmas albums of 2013