BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — Here at KX News, we’re all about the holiday season, and there’s no better way to celebrate it than listening to your favorite Christmas songs.
Contrary to popular belief, many of us at the station do celebrate the holidays, even if we can’t be home for them — and one of the best ways to do so is to keep the holiday spirit ringing in our hearts (and ears) by listening to some good old-fashioned yuletide tunes. To this end, there’s only one problem with turning on the radio in the station…. the fact that arguments will inevitably break out over what Christmas classics to play on it. We all have our own tastes in music, and those can just as easily reflect on our holiday playlists, too.
We asked members of every team — in both our news and digital departments — for their top three Christmas songs to help get them (and you) into the holiday spirit. Take a look at what makes our team tick during the time of year with old Saint Nick, and you might find a few of your favorite new songs to ring in the season.
(Note: Many of our classic Christmas favorites don’t need an artist’s name, but if the team member provides one, it will be listed below to help you find the perfect cover or song for the holidays.)
Newsroom Numbers
Joe Rinaldi, News Director
“I like the older classics when it comes to Christmas songs. I enjoy listening to them because they remind me of the relatives I grew up with that have since passed away. They bring me back to when I was a kid celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes, Christmas Eve Mass, and all the traditions my family kept alive for generations. These songs remind me that we are never alone for Christmas. I feel them every time I hear the songs.”
| Joe’s Top Three |
| The Christmas Song, by Nat King Cole |
| It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, by Johnny Mathis |
| Mary’s Boy Child, by Harry Belafonte |
Stephanie Malloy, Assistant News Director
“My favorite Christmas song is Little Drummer Boy– I remember as a little girl sitting around as a family and an aunt would play the piano and I would sing this.. in front of my whole family. it was such a great tradition. What Child Is This is just so pretty and gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.. it’s just always been one of my favs, it’s so beautiful. And Winter Wonderland– cause I love snow so much!! Snow is definitely in my top 5 things of all time, so to me this sums up the feeling of the holidays. When I hear this song I know Christmas is coming!”
| Stephanie’s Top Three |
| Little Drummer Boy |
| What Child Is This |
| Winter Wonderland |
Brooke Williams, Evening Anchor
“A lot of Christmas music is powerful with great instrumentals. Music can transport us to another time and place, and that’s especially true when it comes to Christmas music. It has a powerful resonance, and in a sense, a magic that can only come with the Christmas season.”
| Brooke’s Top Three |
| Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer |
| Little Drummer Boy |
| Christmas Eve/Sarajevo, by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra |
Nicholas Quallich, Evening Anchor
“What I like in most Christmas music is it focuses on the birth of Jesus. Christmas is derived from Christ’s-Mass: the day the Church celebrates the birth of the Savior of the World. And so, the great majority of the music composed focuses on the true reason for the season: one of the greatest events in human history.”
| Nicholas’s Top Three |
| Silent Night |
| Angels We Have Heard On High |
| Dzisiaj w Betlejem (Polish for ‘Today in Bethlehem’) |
Joel Porter, 4:00 p.m. Anchor
“I enjoy Jingle Bells because for so many people, it’s one of the first songs they have to sing in school and they’ve sung over and over again. Same with Joy to the World, it’s one of those songs that makes people smile and is synonymous with the holiday. The third one is so absurd and campy, people just roll their eyes when they hear it, but somehow that song went platinum. Christmas music, overall, I enjoy. I’m not the type to want to listen to it 12 months a year, I do get a bit irritated by the urge to rush Christmas, pushing into November and October. Every holiday should be celebrated and enjoyed in its own season.”
| Joel’s Top Three |
| Jingle Bells |
| Joy to the World |
| Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, by Elmo and Patsy |
Adrienne Oglesby, Weekend Anchor
“My favorite part about Christmas music is playing different tunes around the house while decorating, cooking and spending time with family. Music sets the tone, and if the music is great so is the atmosphere around you. Christmas music fills the heart with joy and some songs are just too catchy not to sing. As a child my family used to rap the Run DMC Christmas song randomly all the time during the holidays, it always brings back such fun memories!”
| Adrienne’s Top Three |
| Christmas in Hollis, by Run DMC |
| All I Want For Christmas, by Mariah Carey |
| Everybody Loves Christmas, by A Cinderella Story |
Kyara Brown, Noon Anchor/Multimedia Reporter
“I love the classics. The songs we used to perform in Elementary school for our parents at our Christmas programs. They really get me into the holiday spirit because it takes me back to the most magical Christmas years. And I realize now that all of that Christmas Magic I felt when I was young, was really created from the love my Mom and my Dad had for my siblings me and. And these songs remind me of that time.”
| Kyara’s Top Three |
| I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, by Gayla Peevey |
| Last Christmas, by Wham! |
| Santa Claus is Coming to Town, by the Jackson 5 |
Jordan Rodriguez, Multimedia Journalist/Reporter
“I don’t really look for anything in a Christmas song, my choices are what I listened to growing up, and are also included in my favorite Christmas movies. It’s just something about the classic Christmas songs that make them feel more authentic and genuine, it feels like it takes me back to that time. These songs are what I want playing while setting up the Christmas Tree, or just hanging around with my family.”
| Jordan’s Top Three |
| White Christmas, by The Drifters |
| Jingle Bell Rock, by Bobby Helms |
| Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, by Brenda Lee |
Lauren Davis, Multimedia Journalist/Reporter
“All I Want For Christmas by Mariah Carey is a staple. It’s the song that is played every year. Mistletoe by Justin Bieber is my next one. I was a really big Justin Bieber fan growing up and I loved his Christmas album. It’s so catchy. Feliz Navidad is next. I remember hearing it in Spanish class in elementary school and it’s such a fun song to sing!”
| Lauren’s Top Three |
| All I Want For Christmas Is You, by Mariah Carey |
| Mistletoe, by Justin Bieber |
| Feliz Navidad |
Christian Randall, Multimedia Journalist/Reporter
“I love Christmas music mostly for the memories. I used to always have a big get-together during Christmas with my family. It gets harder when you have a career in the news to see family during the holidays. So, Christmas music is a way I stay connected. I also was in a band (I played the trombone) and I loved performing every year at my school’s Christmas concert. “
| Christina’s Top Three |
| Sleigh Ride |
| You’re a Mean One, Mister Grinch |
| Let is Snow |
Howard Wade, Procuder
“These all have a special place in my heart. Mary Did you Know by Pentatonix is nice, and the same applies to Mariah Carey. Someday at Christmas Men Will Be Boys is a nice song to remember no matter what negativity may be going on in the world, we can always share love. “
| Howard’s Top Three |
| Mary, Did You Know?, by Pentatonix |
| All I Want for Christmas is You, by Mariah Carey |
| Someday at Christmas, by Men Will be Boys |
Meteorology Melodies
Tom Schrader, Meteorologist
“Even as a kid growing up in Phoenix, I used to tune my transistor radio to pick up a Salt Lake City radio station at midnight as they broadcasted their Christmas program with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The finale was always the Hallelujah Chorus at midnight. It was a majestic sound so full of voices and the orchestra was so impressive that it still gives me goosebumps to hear it. Secondly is the Trans Siberian Orchestra with Christmas Cannon Rock. It’s basically a full-rock orchestra with some great vocals that really get to me. Finally, I just like Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano. While I like a lot of Christmas music this edges out Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas” as my third favorite.”
| Tom’s Top Three |
| Hallelujah Chorus, by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir |
| Christmas Cannon Rock, by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra |
| Feliz Navidad, by Jose Feliciano |
Amber Wheeler, Meteorologist
“I love all of these songs for different reasons. Mainly they remind me of Christmas when I was growing up. Some of the best memories I have are of when I was shopping for presents with my mom and I’d hear these songs playing in stores.”
| Amber’s Top Three |
| All I Want For Christmas is You, by Mariah Carey |
| Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree |
| I’ll be Home For Christmas |
Taylor Aasen, Weekend Weather
“When I listen to Christmas music, I like the feeling it gives me. It’s almost nostalgic. I think that Christmas gives everyone that feeling. It reminds us of our childhood and when Christmas was such an enjoyable time of year. Sure, it’s still enjoyable as an adult, but I think that it felt much more magical as a child. So, Christmas music to me brings a sense of warmth and nostalgia.”
| Taylor’s Top Three |
| Happy Xmas (War is Over), by John Lennon |
| Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer |
| Santa Baby |
Digital Ditties
Keith Darney, Digital Executive Producer
“The two versions of Ave Maria are probably among the most beautiful melodies ever written. Delicate, passionate, and full of longing and grace, these two songs underscore the heart of Christmas. Perry Como’s Home For The Holidays paints a musical picture of a classic, modern-era Christmas, filled with traffic, crowds, and the hustle-bustle of connecting with family for the holidays. And Andy Williams’s It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year is another modern classic Christmas song, with an upbeat melody, lyrics, and heart-warming and home-warming imagery of family and friends. “
“Overall, I like a mix of Christmas music during the holidays — the fun and silly songs (Frosty The Snowman, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Baby It’s Cold Outside, Blue Christmas), mixed with the popular secular tunes (Silent Night, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Ave Maria). And I like it all as a mix of pop and country singers. Christmas music is comfort food, just like the Christmas TV shows and movies. It’s warm, predictable, and always reassuring.”
| Keith’s Top Three |
| Ave Maria (Schubert or Bach-Gounod Version) |
| (There’s No Place Like) Home For The Holidays, by Perry Como |
| It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, by Andy Williams |
Nick Jachim, Senior Digital Producer
“Each of my picks reminds me of home and my family, with ‘Last Christmas’ being a song I’d hear played over and over again during family parties as a kid. ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ is new to my list and is performed by three offensive linemen from my favorite team the Philadelphia Eagles, and The Christmas Shoes is my mom’s favorite Christmas song in the world and always reminds me of her.”
| Nick’s Top Three |
| Last Christmas, by Wham! |
| Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), by Jason Kelce, Jordan Mailata, and Lane Johnson |
| The Christmas Shoes, by Newsong |
Brendan Rodenberg, Digital Reporter
“Many people love the classics, myself included, but I’ll always have a special place in my heart for ones that differ from the norm. Seeing how the spirit of warmth and goodwill transcends genres and all kinds of people during this time of year is, to me, the heart of the season. I’m constantly surprised at how well everyone from so many styles of music can get across the heart and feelings of hope, togetherness, and belief in their own unique ways, and to me, that’s what Christmas music is all about.”
“A lot of my favorite holiday tunes are in genres of music that don’t normally lend themselves to the usual fare. Sabaton’s ‘Christmas Truce’, for instance, is an unusual mix of metal and merriment, but one that fits the day perfectly for a history buff like me, especially in regard to the famous 1914 event it was inspired by. My favorites, though, have got to be the original holiday songs from darkwave group The Cruxshadows, who are able to fuse powerful vocals and melodies with messages of warmth and belief that fit the Christmas season. Their message about trying to find light and hope in the darkness of the world, even when it all seems against you, is one that always resonates with me — and a lot of people, I think.”
| Brendan’s Top Three |
| Forgiveness (Winter Comes), by The Cruxshadows |
| The Lighted String, by The Cruxshadows |
| Christmas Truce, by Sabaton |
Morgan DeVries, Digital Producer
“There’s just always been something that draws me to a cappella Christmas music. There’s more emotion and you really feel the Christmas spirit. They have covers of the classic Christmas songs, but then they have their originals. I love the mashup of Winter Wonderland and Don’t Worry Be Happy, they make the songs flow together better than anyone would imagine. Mary, Did You Know? with the String Mob really puts shows the perspective of everything Jesus has done for us, and the intensity of the music in the background really brings out the emotion. And Kid of Christmas with Meghan Trainor is just the most upbeat, energetic song that really reminds us that holidays are supposed to be serious, you can most definitely still be a kid on Christmas day.”
| Morgan’s Top Three |
| Winter Wonderland/Don’t Worry Be Happy, by Pentatonix |
| Mary, Did You Know? (Ft. The String Mob) by Pentatonix |
| Kid on Christmas (Ft. Meghan Trainor) by Pentatonix |
Singing Sportscasters
Phil Benotti, Sports Director
“My list is a mix of the classics and the hits that make Christmas the best time of the year. Nothing can beat Last Christmas by George Michael, for its iconic sound and chorus. As for All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey, it’s all about the NBA Christmas games for me, reminding me of one of the great Christmas sports traditions. Jingle Bells is a classic, and probably the only one that I can sing well!”
| Phil’s Top Three |
| Last Christmas, by George Michael |
| All I Want For Christmas is You, by Mariah Carey |
| Jingle Bells |
Adeena Balthazor, Sports Reporter
“I like Christmas songs that have a spiritual meaning to them and help me grow my faith, especially during the Christmas season. I also like the fun Christmas stories also but Christmas songs I sing at church are usually my go-to songs during the holiday time.”
| Adeena’s Top Three |
| Silent Night |
| I Heard the Bells on Christmas |
| Silent Night |
As you can see, many of our news staff have their own ideas of what sort of music makes the holidays… but what do you think are the best Christmas songs to celebrate the season? KX has released a poll where you can vote for your own favorite (and least favorite) holiday songs. Check it out here, and be sure to stay reading the website for the reveal of the fan-favorite festive pieces of music!
