What’s the best way to get into the Christmas spirit? By listening to some Christmas music, of course! As the year nears its end and we get ready for the new year, festive music is pretty much unavoidable. Love it or hate it, you’re bound to hear it somewhere, whether it be at a restaurant, Macy’s, or even at your uncle’s Thanksgiving dinner. So, in honor of Christmas approaching, with the help of North Atlanta students, here is a compiled list of some of the worst and best-rated Christmas songs!

Christmas is an annual holiday held on December 25th that is celebrated worldwide. It was originally commenced by Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ but is now celebrated by many across the globe regardless of its religious context. To build up the enthusiasm surrounding Christmas, festive music has now come into play. However, not all Christmas music is inherently deemed good. After asking North Atlanta students, they concluded that some of the worst Christmas songs include “Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer” by Elmo & Patsy, “Christmas Tree” by Lady Gaga, “The Christmas Shoes” by New Song, “Santa Baby” by Michael Buble specifically, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” by Gayla Peevey, “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid, and “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson. Arguably, it’s hard to come up with a bad Christmas song, but students agree that these artists made it possible. “I remember hearing “Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer” as a kid and that was so traumatizing. Why would anyone write about their grandmother getting ran over by a reindeer? Had me thinking I was next,” said junior Chloe Middleton. 

Thankfully to make up for the damage, there are a lot more good Christmas songs than bad ones. Students also had a significantly easier time listing out their favorites. Some songs rated the best by North Atlanta students include “Last Christmas” by Wham!, “All I Want For Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey, “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas” by Michael Buble, “What Christmas Means to Me” by John Legend & Stevie Wonder, “Give Love on Christmas Day” by Jackson 5, “The Christmas Song” by Nat Cole, “Silent Night” by The Temptations, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee, “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams, and last but definitely not least, “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby. When it comes to Christmas songs, these are songs that are a must-listen before the season ends. If you don’t hear these at least once before Christmas is over, was it really even ever Christmas? “I absolutely love the song “Last Christmas” by Wham!. Not only is it a good song to listen to during Christmas, but I also find myself listening to it year round. It truly surpasses all other Christmas songs in that way,” said sophomore Jailyn Davis.

Christmas music will always be heavily related to the Christmas season; it just wouldn’t be the same without it! Christmas music serves to bring joy and festive cheer towards the holiday, but it also acts as a time machine that reconnects us with our inner child. It brings us feelings of nostalgia as we reminisce on old memories, while simultaneously creating new ones. The amount of joy experienced during this time has made Christmas a much-loved holiday by many, and the music listened to during this time only amplifies those joyous feelings.