Worst Christmas songs: The 10 most annoying holiday hits

We asked you what you thought of Christmas music and while most of you love it – early appearances not withstanding – there are a few songs that just get under your skin.

Here are the tunes that iVillage.ca readers voted as the worst (read: most annoying) Christmas songs ever.

10. Run, Rudolph, Run

This rockabilly jingle is a bluesy take on Christmas.

“Run, run, Rudolph, whizzin’ like a merry-go-round,” croons Chuck Berry, as we imagine frenzied shoppers running in all directions to satisfy Christmas desires.

9. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

This song might be perceived as being modern, because we rarely hear the original version: it’s from 1953! Jimmy Boyd’s child voice sings earnestly and clearly in a southern twang, “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistletoe last night. She didn’t see me creep down the stairs to have a peek!”

There is a worrisome part in the lyrics where the little boy mentions he saw Mommy taking Santa’s clothes off, but then humour steps in when he says Daddy would’ve had a laugh over that one (wait, what?!).

8. Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey

This classically kitchy Christmas song by Lou Monte is one of those things that divides people. Love it, or hate it, some of us just don’t understand it.

7. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

Any way you slice it, this song is slightly offensive. The tune tells of grandma, who drank too much eggnog and went for a drunken walk. Santa and his elves were also moving askew Christmas Eve and so ran her over. The next day, everyone wore black to mourn grandma’s death except for grandpa, who didn’t seem to care. He drank beer and watched TV. Definitely the least heart-warming song on the list.

6. Christmas Don’t Be Late (aka the Chipmunks Christmas Song)

Two people voted the cute little rodents in for most annoying Christmas music. How could they?!

“Christmas, Christmas, time is here, time for love, and time for cheer”. Oh, wait, we get it now.

5. All I Want For Christmas is You (Mariah Carey version)

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more annoying…Justin Bieber recently sang a duet of this song with Carey. “What more can I doooooo? Oh baby, all I want for Christmas, IS YOU!” Jingle jingle.

4. Santa Baby

Most of us know Madonna or Mariah Carey (and most recently, Taylor Swift’s) version of this song, and agree they’re annoying. But have you heard Eartha Kitt’s slow-paced, staccato and authentically sultry version before? Singers today don’t hold a Christmas candle to her.

3. Wonderful Christmastime

Here’s a gem that has never died. I heard it just yesterday while eating lunch at a grocery store café, and it somehow made me want to wolf my sandwich down faster and skedaddle! Although the synthesizing beats and promise of a wawa pedal speak to greater possibilities, the chanting refrain of “Simply having a wonderful Christmastime” takes over. Repeat.

2. Do They Know It’s Christmas?

Those of us who had the pleasure of growing up in the 1980s remember the Live Aid movement well. “Feed the world; let them know its Christmastime!” The sentiment and donations the movement spurred is commendable; but the overplayed song is slightly annoying decades later.

1. Christmas Shoes

Christian country rockers Newsong are responsible for this ballad. The song is about a man in line whilst shopping, and a little fidgety boy in line in front of him. He has a pair of ladies shoes that he wants to buy, and a pocketful of change that won’t do. So the man in line helps the child out, and the boy buys his dying mama a pair of nice shoes so she can look her best when she goes to heaven. Heartfelt, sad and yet…annoying.

What’s your least-favourite Christmas song? Let us know in the comments.

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Follow us @ivillagecanada and join the conversation iVillageCanada. [View the story “Most annoying Christmas songs” on Storify]

Most annoying Christmas songs

We asked and you answered: what songs get under your skin?

Storified by CityNews.ca · Tue, Dec 11 2012 06:20:48

Truly ho-ho-horrible. RT: @CityNews Worst Christmas songs: The 10 most annoying holiday hits http://ow.ly/g0az1 #yegCourtney Theriault
@CityNews …anything by the Barenaked Ladies. Ugh. :)Craig Manning
Can we add Adam Sandler’s Hannukah song? RT @citynews: Worst Christmas songs: The 10 most annoying holiday hits http://ow.ly/g0az1Ron from T.O.
@CityNews Where does one start? Dear Santa, The Christmas shoes, Last Christmas, Wonderful Christmas time, Don’t they know its Christmas.Anthony Duguay
Those tunes aren’t that annoying. 🙂 RT @CityNews: Worst Christmas songs: The 10 most annoying holiday hits http://ow.ly/g0az1Linda Lum || JF
@CityNews Christmas Shoes (depressing), Santa Baby (greedy) and Wonderful Christmastime (booooo-ring!) can all get off the air STAT!Lee Ellis

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