A Baker's Dozen Of "Santa Baby" Renditions

Since my last post like this one garnered a grand total of one "vote" (oh, I'm not bitter!), I've pulled 13 different versions of ANOTHER great holiday song for your listening pleasure. As before, it's up to you to decide which one you like best. I have my favorites – more than just one this time, actually. But I'd LIKE to hear your take on it too. Enjoy?  ~  JH

1)  Madonna  (Madonna, in her younger days, had the vocal chops and sex appeal to pull off this song with aplomb – this is an iconic version of a classic song!)

2)  Kylie Minogue  (What I said about Madonna just then, that goes double for this lady – except Kylie's not well past her prime, like Madonna is now)

3)  Ariana Grande ft. Liz Gillies  (Ariana's got a great voice, but the modernized instrumentation here takes away a lot of the charm and classic feel of the song.)

4)  Megan Nicole  (Self-made YouTube star Megan Nicole captures the essence and the sassiness of the song while keeping it sounding fresh and modern – well-done!)

5)  Kellie Pickler  (Some songs simply don't sound as good with a massively overblown country twang – I think this is one of them.)

Video wouldn't load properly – click link to view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LVffa5UDSQ

6)  Colbie Caillat  (I love, love, love Colbie Caillat, but…she's just too sweet for a song this sassy. When she croons, "I've been an angel this year," you actually believe her!)

7)  Taylor Swift  (She's plucky, spunky, and quite pretty, but – like Colbie Caillat – Taylor just seems too innocent for this song. Plus, the country-pop instrumentation on this one lacks the jazzy feel of the original.) 

8)  Glee Cast  (With her exotic good looks and sultry vocals, Naya Rivera is the perfect GLEE cast member to tackle this classic song!)

9)  Miss Piggy  (Everyone's favorite porcine diva is just right in this doo-wop-inspired rendition of a holiday classic. And it's awfully funny, too!)

10)  Shakira  (This is definitely one of the best modern versions of this song I've ever heard. Her voice, her look, that slight hint of an accent – it's just perfect!)

11)  Pussycat Dolls  (If anyone could wring all the subtle double entendres out of this song's lyrics and bring them to the forefront, it would be the Pussycat Dolls. The fact that they're singing the song to Snoopy Doggy Dogg dressed as Santa Claus – whom they refer to in the song as "Santa Bizzle" – just ramps up the weird factor that much more! #smh)

12)  Jenna Sousa  (If seeing and hearing a 12-year-old girl sing this decidedly adult-oriented holiday song doesn't make you more than a little uncomfortable, you might be a pedophile. Also, she kind of sucks at singing it.)

13)  Eartha Kitt  (Of all the excellent versions of this song that have been recorded in the ensuing years, none quite surpasses Kitt's original recording. This has gotta be – hands down – my favorite one.)

Songs About Thinking And Knowing

Okay, same deal as yesterday. A bunch of songs with one thing in common – they all have either the word "Think" or "Know" (or some derivative of such) in their titles. Some good songs here – and a couple of mediocre ones. Enter at your own risk. (Not really.)  ~  JH

1)  Katy Perry  ~  "Thinking Of You"

2)  Chris Brown ft. Aaliyah  ~  "Don't Think They Know"

3)  Montgomery Gentry  ~  "What Do Ya Think About That?"

4)  Kelly Clarkson  ~  "Mr. Know It All"

5)  Keith Urban  ~  "You'll Think Of Me"

6)  Colbie Caillat ft. Gavin DeGraw  ~  "We Both Know"

7)  Céline Dion  ~  "Think Twice"

8)  Fall Out Boy  ~  "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up)"

9)  Public Enemy  ~  "Harder Than You Think"

10)  Collective Soul  ~  "The World I Know"

11)  Jessica Simpson  ~  "I Think I'm In Love With You"

12)  Norah Jones  ~  "Don't Know Why"

13)  Darius Rucker  ~  "Don't Think I Don't Think About It"

14)  Paramore  ~  "All We Know"

15)  Misha B.  ~  "Do You Think Of Me?"

16)  Adam Lambert  ~  "Better Than I Know Myself"

17)  Garbage  ~  "I Think I'm Paranoid"

18)  Ellie Goulding  ~  "I Know You Care"

19)  The Partridge Family  ~  "I Think I Love You"

20)  KISS  ~  "Sure Know Something"

Successful Songs By Alliterative Artists

For the grammatically unenlightened, the word "alliterative" derives from the word alliteration, which is defined as "the repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables." All the songs in this collection are performed by artists with alliterative names. You'll find several golden oldies here, as well as a few newer tunes. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Foo Fighters  ~  "I'll Stick Around"

2)  Jessie J ft. B.o.B.  ~  "Price Tag"

3)  Tommy Tutone  ~  "867-3509/Jenny"

4)  Colbie Caillat  ~  "I Never Told You"

5)  Rusted Root  ~  "Send Me On My Way"

6)  Leona Lewis  ~  "Bleeding Love"

7)  Counting Crows  ~  "Hanginaround"

8)  Martina McBride  ~  "Whatever You Say"

9)  Herman's Hermits  ~  "I'm Into Something Good"

10)  Lisa Loeb  ~  "Stay (I Missed You)"

11)  Culture Club  ~  "Karma Chameleon"

12)  Tanya Tucker  ~  "Love Me Like You Used To"

13)  Tiny Tim  ~  "Tiptoe Through The Tulips"  (Talk about your alliteration! – both the artist's name and every word of the song's title start with the letter "T")

14)  Tina Turner  ~  "What's Love Got To Do With It?"

15)  Ozzy Osbourne  ~  "Crazy Train"

16)  Janet Jackson  ~  "Rhythm Nation"

17)  Chubby Checker  ~  "The Twist"

18)  Gloria Gaynor  ~  "I Will Survive"

19)  Christopher Cross  ~  "Sailing"

20)  Loretta Lynn  ~  "Coal Miner's Daughter"