Advent Calendar - Dec 21st

December 21 – Christmas Music
What songs did your family listen to during Christmas? Did you ever go caroling? Did you have a favorite song?


My family listened to traditional Christmas music, especially Christmas hymns.  We did hear some of the popular tunes on the radio and at the ice skating rink.  We didn't go caroling that I can remember, but as it was not one of my favorite things to do, I may have blanked out that memory.

I probably had a favorite song, and knowing my tastes it was probably some Christmas novelty song like the Chipmunks, or I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas or something like that.  Not that I didn't enjoy traditional songs, but I have an irreverent streak that manifests at inappropriate times...

More recently, I enjoy modern Christmas music, especially the Mannheim Steamroller collections.  In fact, their first Christmas album was the very first music CD I ever bought, even before I had a player to listen to it.  I also attended one of their concerts that year (1986) in St. Paul.  I always intend to make it to another of their concerts when they tour each year, but so far I haven't made it to any more.

Generally, though, I find that Christmas music is so overplayed everywhere for so long that I don't often listen to it of my own accord.  Like the rest of Christmas, it's become so over-commercialized and extended, that I have lost any desire to participate.



This and all other articles on this blog are © copyright 2012 by Daniel G. Dillman

Advent Calendar - December 21 - Christmas Music

Christmas Music

What songs did your family listen to during Christmas? Did you ever go caroling? Did you have a favorite song?

Growing up, my family listened to traditional and church music for the Christmas season.  There's usually a radio station or two around that switch to an all-Christmas format for the season.  By preference, I tended to like the novelty songs, like I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas, or the Chipmunks Song.  I still like those.

As I got a little older and developed my own tastes in music, I came to like some more contemporary Christmas music, such as the Mannheim Steamroller offerings, and Amy Grant and the Oak Ridge Boys.  Now, I'm not ever a fan of country music, but for some reason, the Oak Ridge Boys have a couple of albums I can handle.  Mannheim Steamroller I actually saw in concert for their Christmas 1986 tour, where they played many of the songs on their first Christmas album.  That disc was the first CD I ever purchased.

This is not to say I don't like the traditional renditions.  I like hearing Bing singing White Christmas as much as the next guy.  But for my preference, I'll start with Mannhein Steamroller or Trans Siberian Orchestra.

The odd thing is, by the time I remember to throw some music in the players, it's almost too late.  I have yet to put in an album this year!

This and all other articles on this blog are © copyright 2011 by Daniel G. Dillman

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Songs

Randy Seaver over at Genea-Musings is at it again with this week's Saturday Night genealogy Fun.

Hey geneaphiles - it's Saturday Night, time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Tonight, we're going to go down memory lane a bit.

1)  What was the #1 song on the day you were born?  Or on your birthday when you were 15?  Or when you married?  Or some other important date in your life.

2)  Go to http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/birthdayno1 and enter the date and select from UK, US or Australia record lists.  Note:  the first date available is 1 January 1946. 

Alternatively, go to http://www.joshhosler.biz/ and enter the month and date and see a list of songs for each year since 1940. 

3)  Tell us what your results are (If you are sensitive about your age, don't list the date or year... ) on a blog post of your own, a comment to this post, or in a Facebook status line or note. 

 This week's SNGF ties in with this week's 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History, which also covers songs.  I wrote in my post for that topic:

The week I was born, the number 1 song in the United States was Wild Thing by The Troggs.  I like that, as I've always liked the simple, straightforward nature of the song.  Basic power chords. 

Okay, since the blog prompts have overlapped, I'll play further and add some more significant dates.  When I turned 15 years old, the number 1 song in the United States was Jesse's Girl by Rick Springfield, another song I still very much enjoy.  In the UK, the top song was Green Door, by Shakin' Stevens.  I have no idea who that is/was, or what the song sounded like!

I enlisted in the Navy on 18 Feb 1987.  Top US song: Livin On A Prayer by Bon Jovi.  A decent rock song, though not one of my favorites.  I can say that while I was in boot camp, I recall two songs in heavy rotation:  The Beastie Boys' rock anthem, (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!) and the remake of Lean On Me by Club Noveau.  Both were so overplayed I hated them.  I actually liked the original version of Lean On Me by Bill Withers, and I've since come to appreciate the Beastie Boys' song as long as it doesn't come up too frequently.

I got married on 3 Jul 1987.  The US number 1 song on that date was I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston.  I've never been partial to that song.  It's far too pop/dance, and I prefer more classic rock for my daily listening.  I've never really cared what place on the charts any particular song had.  I've been one to listen to what I like, regardless.  That can be anything from classical music from Beethoven or Bach or Chopin or any of a number of other great composers, to medieval music to ragtime to 1930's and 40's big band music to early rock and roll all the way up to 80's new wave and rock.  I've never been partial to country or hip hop (rap), with a very few exceptions.

This an all other articles on this blog are © copyright 2011 by Daniel G. Dillman

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Songs

Week 26. Songs. What was the #1 song during the week of your birth? Enter your birth date at This Day in Music (http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/birthdayno1) and find out. If you were born before 1946, you can enter the year of your marriage, the birth dates of your children or some other significant event.

The week I was born, the number 1 song in the United States was Wild Thing by The Troggs.  I like that, as I've always liked the simple, straightforward nature of the song.  Basic power chords. 



This an all other articles on this blog are © copyright 2011 by Daniel G. Dillman